St. Cloud, or Clodoald, was born in 522, and was the grandson of Frankish King Clovis I, the first Catholic ruler in what is now France. After the death of their father, Cloud and his brother were raised by their grandmother, St. Queen Clothilde.
King Clovis divided his kingdom into four sections, one for each of his four sons, after his death in 511. However, two uncles planned to kill Clodoald and two of the other boys in an attempt to make one son, Clodomir, king of all four territories. Clodoald escaped, and was taken in by Saint Religious of Rheims.
Cloud lived as a monk for many years, giving his wealth to the poor and renouncing power and riches entirely. He spent time as a hermit in the forest, studying Scriptures. It was said that his prayers could work miracles, and many people sought him out.
Cloud returned to Paris and was ordained as a priest in 551. He founded a community of monks on Nogent, near Paris, and died there on September 7, 560, at the age of 38.
Many cities and towns are named for St. Cloud, including Saint-Cloud in Paris and St. Cloud, Minnesota.
