| Felix the Hermit | |
|---|---|
| Hermit | |
| Born | unknown Villa Mendo |
| Died | 9th century Mount São Félix |
| Honored in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Feast | First sunday of September |
Saint Felix the Hermit (Portuguese: São Félix o Eremita) was a 9th century fisherman and hermit, who is venerated as a saint in Portugal.
Felix was from Villa Mendo, an ancient Roman villa that was rediscovered in the 20th century, having been buried under sand dunes in Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal. Felix could catch no fish, which infuriated his parents. Therefore, he left home and settled on the biggest mountain of the area, which is today known as Mount São Félix.
With some frequency, says the local legend, Felix observed a light in the darkness of the night from the mountain. One day, curious, he went to investigate and discovered the body of Saint Peter of Rates. He took the body, and in that place, the Romanesque church of Saint Peter of Rates was built. The relics of Saint Peter were kept there up until 1552; in that year the body was transferred to Braga Cathedral, were it is still kept.
Saint Felix has a church on the top of Mount São Félix, and his feast is celebrated on the first Sunday of September in the parish of Laundos, where the mountain is located in Póvoa de Varzim.