▁In ▁total , ▁Brit t any ▁numbers ▁more ▁than ▁ 3 0 0 ▁" s ain ts " ▁( only ▁a ▁few ▁recogn ised ▁by ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church ) ▁and , ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁at ▁least , ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁known ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁dev out ly ▁Catholic ▁regions ▁in ▁France , ▁together ▁with ▁the ▁neighbour ing ▁Pays ▁de ▁la ▁Lo ire ▁region . ▁The ▁proportion ▁of ▁students ▁att ending ▁Catholic ▁private ▁schools ▁is ▁the ▁highest ▁in ▁France . ▁The ▁patron ▁saint ▁of ▁Brit t any ▁is ▁Saint ▁Anne , ▁the ▁Virgin ' s ▁mother , ▁but ▁I vo ▁of ▁K erm art in , ▁a ▁ 1 3 th - century ▁priest , ▁called ▁Saint - Y ves ▁in ▁French ▁and ▁Sant - Er wan ▁in ▁Bre ton , ▁can ▁also ▁be ▁considered ▁as ▁a ▁patron ▁saint . ▁His ▁fe ast , ▁the ▁ 1 9 ▁May , ▁is ▁Brit t any ' s ▁national ▁day . ▁ ▁Many ▁distinct ive ▁trad itions ▁and ▁custom s ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁preserved ▁in ▁Brit t any . ▁Among ▁them , ▁the ▁" P ard ons " ▁are ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁traditional ▁demonstr ations ▁of ▁popular ▁Catholic ism . ▁These ▁pen it ential ▁cer emon ies ▁occur ▁in ▁some ▁villages ▁in ▁Lower ▁Brit t any ▁on ▁the ▁fe ast ▁day ▁of ▁the ▁parish ' s ▁saint . ▁The ▁pen it ents ▁form ▁a ▁process ion ▁and ▁they ▁walk ▁together ▁to ▁a ▁shr ine , ▁a ▁church ▁or ▁any