St. Bernard of Clairvaux
† இன்றைய புனிதர் †
(ஆகஸ்ட் 20)
✠ க்ளேர்வாக்ஸ் நகர் புனிதர் பெர்னார்ட் ✠
(St. Bernard of Clairvaux)
மடாதிபதி, ஒப்புரவாளர், மறைவல்லுநர்:
(French Abbot, Confessor, Doctor of the Church)
பிறப்பு: கி.பி. 1090
ஃபவுன்டைன்-லெஸ்-டிஜோன், ஃபிரான்ஸ்
(Fontaine-lès-Dijon, France)
இறப்பு: ஆகஸ்டு 20, 1153 (வயது 63)
க்ளேர்வாக்ஸ், ஃபிரான்ஸ்
(Clairvaux, France)
ஏற்கும் சமயம்:
ரோமன் கத்தோலிக்க திருச்சபை
(Roman Catholic Church)
ஆங்கிலிக்கன் திருச்சபை
(Anglican Church)
லூதரன் திருச்சபை
(Lutheran Church)
புனிதர் பட்டம்: ஜனவரி 18, 1174
திருத்தந்தை 3ம் அலெக்சாண்டர்
(Pope Alexander III)
முக்கிய திருத்தலங்கள்:
ட்ரோய்ஸ் பேராலயம், வில்லே-சௌஸ்-ல-ஃபெர்ட்,
(Troyes Cathedral, Ville-sous-la-Ferté)
நினைவுத் திருநாள்: ஆகஸ்ட் 20
பாதுகாவல்:
சிஸ்டர்சியன் சபையினர் (Cistercians), பர்கண்டி (Burgundy), தேனீ வளர்ப்பவர்கள் (Beekeepers), மெழுகுவர்த்தி தயாரிப்பாளர்கள் (Candle makers), ஜிப்ரால்டர் (Gibraltar), அல்ஜீசிராஸ் (Algeciras), குயின்ஸ் கல்லூரி (Queens' College), கேம்பிரிட்ஜ் (Cambridge),
ஸ்பீயர் பேராலயம் (Speyer Cathedral), நைட்ஸ் டெம்ப்ளர் (Knights Templar), பினன்கொனம் (Binangonan), ரிஸால் (Rizal)
புனித பெர்னார்ட், ஒரு ஃபிரெஞ்ச் மடாதிபதியும் (French abbot), சிஸ்டெர்சியன் சபையின் (Cistercian order) பிரதான சீர்திருத்தவாதியும், பெனடிக்டின் துறவறத்தின் (Benedictine monasticism) சீர்திருத்தங்களின் முக்கிய தலைவருமாவார்.
பெர்னார்டின் தந்தை, “டெஸ்செலின்” (Tescelin de Fontaine), “ஃபவுன்டைன்-லெஸ்-டிஜோன்” (Fontaine-lès-Dijon) பிரபு ஆவார். இவரது தாயார், “அலேத்” (Alèthe de Montbard) ஆவார். இவர்கள் இருவமே “பர்கண்டியின்” (Burgundy) பிரபுக்கள் குடும்பத்தைச் சேர்ந்தவர்கள் ஆவர்.
தமது ஒன்பது வயதில் கல்வி கற்க ஆரம்பித்த பெர்னார்ட், இலக்கியத்தில் பெரும் ஆர்வம் கொண்டிருந்தார். கவிதைகள், செய்யுள் போன்றவற்றை எழுதுவதிலும் ஆர்வம் கொண்டிருந்தார். கல்வியில் அவர் கொண்ட வெற்றிகள், அவரது ஆசிரியர்களிடம் அவருக்கு பெரும் புகழை பெற்றுத்தந்தது. திருவிவிலியத்தை கற்கவும், ஆராய்வதற்காகவும், அவர் இலக்கியத்தில் சிறந்து விளங்க விரும்பினார். அவர், அன்னை கன்னி மரியாளிடம் சிறப்பு பக்தி கொண்டிருந்தார். பிற்காலத்தில், விண்ணரசி அன்னையைப் பற்றி பல்வேறு படைப்புகளை எழுதினர்.
தத்துவ அறிஞர்களால் ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளப்பட்ட தெய்வீக புரிதலுக்கான பகுத்தறிவு அணுகுமுறைக்கு எதிராக, பெர்னார்ட் ஒரு உடனடி விசுவாசத்தைப் பிரசங்கித்தார், அதனை பரிந்துரை செய்தது அன்னை மரியாள் ஆவார்.
பெர்னார்டுக்கு பத்தொன்பது வயதாகையில் அவரது அன்னை மரித்துப்போனார். தமது இளமைக்காலத்தில் அவர் சோதனைகளிலிருந்து தப்பிவிடவில்லை. இச்சமயத்தில், உலக நடவடிக்கைகளிலிருந்து விடுபட்டு, தனிமை மற்றும் செப வாழ்வை தேர்ந்தெடுக்க விரும்பினார். தமது 22 வயதில், ஒரு தேவாலயத்தில் அவர் செபித்துகொண்டிருக்கையில், “சிடாக்ஸ்” (Cîteaux) நகரிலுள்ள “சிஸ்டேர்சியன்” (Cistercian Monks) துறவியர் மடத்தில் இணைய கடவுள் அழைப்பதாக உணர்ந்தார். பெர்னார்டின் நண்பர்கள், சகோதரர்கள் மற்றும் உறவினர்கள் என்று சுமார் முப்பது பேர் இவருடன் சேர்ந்து துறவு மடத்தில் இணைய பெர்னார்டின் சாட்சியம் தவிர்க்க இயலாத முக்கிய காரணியாய் அமைந்தது.
மூன்று ஆண்டுகளின் பிறகு, (Val d'Absinthe) எனப்படும் தனிமைப்படுத்தப்பட்ட ஒரு ஒடுங்கிய பள்ளத்தாக்கில் துறவு மடமொன்றை நிறுவுவதற்காக அனுப்பப்பட்டார். மரபுப்படி, கி.பி. 1115ம் ஆண்டு, ஜூன் மாதம், 25ம் நாளன்று, துறவு மடத்தை நிறுவினார். அதற்கு “கிளேர் வள்ளி” (Claire Vallée) என்று பெயரிட்டார். பின்னர் அது மருவி, “க்ளேர்வாக்ஸ்” (Clairvaux) என்றானது. அங்கே, உடனடியாக விசுவாசத்தை போதித்து பிரசங்கிக்க தொடங்கினார். அதற்கு பரிந்துரையாளராக அன்னை மரியாள் இருந்தார்.
கி.பி. 1130ம் ஆண்டு, ஃபெப்ரவரி மாதம், 13ம் நாள், திருத்தந்தை “இரண்டாம் ஹானரியல்” (Pope Honorius II) மரித்ததும், திருச்சபையில் ஒரு கலகம் வெடித்தது. ஃபிரான்ஸ் நாட்டின் அரசன் “ஆறாம் லூயிஸ்” (King Louis VI of France) “எடம்ப்ஸ்” (Étampes) எனுமிடத்தில் ஃபிரெஞ்ச் ஆயர்களின் தேசிய மகாசபையைக் கூட்டினார். திருத்தந்தைப் பதவிக்கான போட்டியாளர்களிடையே தீர்ப்பு வழங்க பெர்னார்ட் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்டார். “எடம்ப்ஸ்” (Étampes) மகா சபையின் பின்னர், திருத்தந்தை “இரண்டாம் இன்னொசன்டிற்கான” (Pope Innocent II) அரசனின் ஒதுக்கீட்டிற்காக, பெர்னார்ட் இங்கிலாந்தின் அரசன் “முதலாம் ஹென்றியுடன்” (King Henry I of England) பேச்சு நடத்தினார். இங்கிலாந்தின் பெருமளவு ஆயர்கள், எதிர் திருத்தந்தை “இரண்டாம் அனக்லெட்டஸுக்கு” (Antipope Anacletus II) ஆதரவு தெரிவித்ததால், அரசன் நம்பிக்கையற்றிருந்தார். இன்னொசன்டுக்கு ஆதரவு அளிக்குமாறு பெர்னார்ட் அரசனை வற்புறுத்தினார். பெர்னார்டின் நண்பர் “நார்பர்ட்” (Norbert of Xanten) மூலமாக, இன்னொசன்டுக்கு ஆதரவளிக்க ஜெர்மன் முடிவு செய்தது. எனினும், தூய ரோம பேரரசர் “இரண்டாம் லோதைரை” (Lothair II, Holy Roman Emperor) சந்திக்க செல்கையில் பெர்னார்ட் உடன் வரவேண்டுமென இன்னொசன்ட் வலியுறுத்தினார். திருத்தந்தைப் பதவிக்கான மொத்த யுத்தமும் கி.பி. 1138ம் ஆண்டு, ஜனவரி மாதம், 25ம் நாளன்று, “இரண்டாம் அனக்லெட்டஸ்” (Antipope Anacletus II) இறந்ததும் முடிவுக்கு வந்தது.
முன்னர் திருச்சபைக்குள்ளே ஏற்பட்ட பிரிவினைகளுக்கு முடிவுகட்ட உதவிய காரணங்களால், பெர்னார்ட் இப்போது மதங்களுக்கு எதிரான கொள்கைகளுக்கெதிராக (Heresy) போரிட அழைக்கப்பட்டார். ஜூன் 1145ல், பெர்னார்ட் தென்-ஃபிரான்ஸ் பிராந்தியங்களுக்கு பயணித்தார். அங்கே அவரது போதனைகளும் பிரசங்கங்களும் மதங்களுக்கு எதிரான கொள்கைகளுக்கெதிராக ஆதரவை அதிகரித்தது. “எடிஸ்ஸா முற்றுகையின்” (Siege of Edessa) கிறிஸ்தவ தோல்விக்குப் பிறகு, இரண்டாம் சிலுவைப்போரைப் (Second Crusade) பிரசங்கிக்க, திருத்தந்தை அவர்கள், பெர்னார்டை நியமித்தார். சிலுவைப்போரின் தோல்விகள் காரணமாக, பெர்னார்டின் வாழ்க்கையின் இறுதி ஆண்டுகள் துன்பங்கள் நிறைந்ததாக இருந்தன. தோல்விக்கான முழு பொறுப்பும் அவர் மீதே சுமத்தப்பட்டன.
40 வருடங்கள் ஒரு துறவியாக வாழ்ந்த பெர்னார்ட், தமது 63 வயதில் மரித்தார். புனிதர்களின் நாட்காட்டியில் (Calendar of Saints) இடம் பிடித்த முதல் “சிஸ்டேர்சியன்” (Cistercian) துறவி இவரேயாவார். திருத்தந்தை “மூன்றாம் அலெக்சாண்டரால்” (Pope Alexander III) புனிதராக அருட்பொழிவு செய்விக்கப்பட்ட இவர், திருத்தந்தை “எட்டாம் பயசால்” (Pope Pius VIII) கி.பி. 1830ம் ஆண்டு திருச்சபையின் மறைவல்லுனராக (Doctor of the Church) பிரகடணம் செய்யப்பட்டார்.
Feastday: August 20
Death: 1153
St. Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church St. Bernard was born of noble parentage in Burgundy, France, in the castle of Fontaines near Dijon. Under the care of his pious parents he was sent at an early age to a college at Chatillon, where he was conspicuous for his remarkable piety and spirit of recollection. At the same place he entered upon the studies of theology and Holy Scripture. After the death of his mother, fearing the snares and temptations of the world, he resolved to embrace the newly established and very austere institute of the Cistercian Order, of which he was destined to become the greatest ornament. He also persuaded his brothers and several of his friends to follow his example. In 1113, St. Bernard, with thirty young noblemen, presented himself to the holy Abbot, St. Stephen, at Citeaux. After a novitiate spent in great fervor, he made his profession in the following year. His superior soon after, seeing the great progress he had made in the spiritual life, sent him with twelve monks to found a new monastery, which afterward became known as the celebrated Abbey of Clairvaux. St. Bernard was at once appointed Abbot and began that active life which has rendered him the most conspicuous figure in the history of the 12th century. He founded numerous other monasteries, composed a number of works and undertook many journeys for the honor of God. Several Bishoprics were offered him, but he refused them all. The reputation of St. Bernard spread far and wide; even the Popes were governed by his advice. He was commissioned by Pope Eugene III to preach the second Crusade. In obedience to the Sovereign Pontiff he traveled through France and Germany, and aroused the greatest enthusiasm for the holy war among the masses of the population. The failure of the expedition raised a great storm against the saint, but he attributed it to the sins of the Crusaders. St. Bernard was eminently endowed with the gift of miracles. He died on August 20, 1153. His feast day is August 20.
Bernard of Clairvaux (Latin: Bernardus Claraevallensis; 1090 – 20 August 1153), venerated as Saint Bernard, was a Burgundian abbot and a major leader in the revitalization of Benedictine monasticism through the nascent Cistercian Order.
He was sent to found Clairvaux Abbey at an isolated clearing in a glen known as the Val d'Absinthe, about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) southeast of Bar-sur-Aube. In the year 1128, Bernard attended the Council of Troyes, at which he traced the outlines of the Rule of the Knights Templar,[a] which soon became an ideal of Christian nobility.
On the death of Pope Honorius II in 1130, a schism arose in the church. Bernard was a major proponent of Pope Innocent II, arguing effectively for his legitimacy over the Antipope Anacletus II.
In 1139, Bernard attended the Second Council of the Lateran and criticized Peter Abelard vocally. Bernard advocated crusades in general and convinced many to participate in the unsuccessful Second Crusade, notably through a famous sermon at Vézelay (1146).
Bernard was canonized just 21 years after his death by Pope Alexander III. In 1830 Pope Pius VIII declared him a Doctor of the Church.
Early life (1090–1113)
Bernard's parents were Tescelin de Fontaine, lord of Fontaine-lès-Dijon, and Alèthe de Montbard [fr], both members of the highest nobility of Burgundy. Bernard was the third of seven children, six of whom were sons. Aged nine, he was sent to a school at Châtillon-sur-Seine run by the secular canons of Saint-Vorles. Bernard had an interest in literature and rhetoric. He had a special devotion to the Virgin Mary, and he later wrote several works about the Queen of Heaven.[3]
The Vision of St Bernard, by Fra Bartolommeo, c. 1504 (Uffizi)
Bernard emphasized the value of a personally held faith, with the life of Christ as a model and new emphasis on the Virgin Mary. In opposition to the rational approach to divine understanding used by the scholastics, Bernard preached an immediate faith, in which the intercessor was the Virgin Mary.
Bernard was nineteen years old when his mother died. During his youth, he did not escape trying temptations and around this time he thought of living a life of solitude and prayer.[4]
In 1098, a group led by Robert of Molesme had founded Cîteaux Abbey, near Dijon, with the purpose of living literally according to the Rule of St Benedict. After his mother died, Bernard decided to go to Cîteaux. In 1113 he and thirty other young noblemen of Burgundy sought admission into the new monastery.[5] Bernard's example was so convincing that scores followed him into the monastic life.
Abbot of Clairvaux (1115–28)
Bernard exorcising a possession, altarpiece by Jörg Breu the Elder, c. 1500
Bernard helding a Satan at his feet, oiloncanvas by Marcello Baschenis, c. 1885
The little community of reformed Benedictines at Cîteaux grew rapidly. Three years after entering, Bernard was sent with a group of twelve monks to found a new house at Vallée d'Absinthe, in the Diocese of Langres. This Bernard named Claire Vallée, or Clairvaux, on 25 June 1115, and the names of Bernard and Clairvaux soon became inseparable.[4] During the absence of the Bishop of Langres, Bernard was blessed as abbot by William of Champeaux, Bishop of Châlons-sur-Marne. From then on a strong friendship grew between the abbot and the bishop, who was professor of theology at Notre Dame of Paris and the founder of St. Victor Abbey in Paris.[3]
The beginnings of Clairvaux Abbey were austere; Bernard soon became ill. Nonetheless, candidates for the monastic life flocked to it in great numbers. Even his father and all his brothers entered Cîteaux, leaving only Humbeline, his sister, in the secular world. She, with the consent of her husband, later took the veil in the Benedictine nunnery of Jully-les-Nonnains. Gerard of Clairvaux, Bernard's older brother, became the cellarer of Cîteaux. Clairvaux soon started founding new communities.[6] In 1118 Trois-Fontaines Abbey was founded in the diocese of Châlons; in 1119 Fontenay Abbey in the Diocese of Autun; and in 1121 Foigny Abbey near Vervins.
In addition to successes, Bernard also had his trials. During an absence from Clairvaux, the Grand Prior of the Abbey of Cluny went to Clairvaux and enticed away Bernard's cousin, Robert of Châtillon. This was the occasion of the longest and most emotional of Bernard's letters.[3]
The abbey of Cluny as it would have looked in Bernard's time
The monks of the powerful Benedictine abbey of Cluny were unhappy to see Cîteaux take the lead role among the monastic orders. They criticized the Cistercian way of life. At the solicitation of William of St.-Thierry, Bernard defended the Cistercians with his Apology. Peter the Venerable, abbot of Cluny, answered Bernard and assured him of his admiration and friendship. In the meantime, Cluny launched a reform and Abbot Suger, the minister of Louis VI of France, was converted by Bernard's Apology.
Doctor of the Church
Christ Embracing St Bernard by Francisco Ribalta
In 1128, Bernard participated in the Council of Troyes, which had been convoked by Pope Honorius II, and was presided over by Cardinal Matthew of Albano. The purpose of this council was to settle certain disputes of the bishops of Paris, and regulate other matters of the Church of France. The bishops made Bernard secretary of the council, and charged him with drawing up the synodal statutes. After the council, the bishop of Verdun was deposed. It was at this council that Bernard composed a rule for the Knights Templar; it soon became an ideal of Christian nobility. Around this time, he praised them in his Liber ad milites templi de laude novae militiae.[7]
Schism
Bernard's influence was soon felt in provincial affairs. He defended the rights of the Church against the encroachments of kings and princes, and recalled to their duty Henri Sanglier, archbishop of Sens and Stephen of Senlis, bishop of Paris. When Honorius II died in 1130, a schism broke out in the Church by the election of two popes, Pope Innocent II and Antipope Anacletus II. Innocent, having been banished from Rome by Anacletus, took refuge in France. King Louis VI convened a national council of the French bishops at Étampes and Bernard, summoned there by the bishops, was chosen to judge between the rival popes. He decided in favour of Innocent.
Bernard travelled on to Italy and reconciled Pisa with Genoa, and Milan with the pope. The same year Bernard was again at the Council of Reims at the side of Innocent II. He then went to Aquitaine where he succeeded for the time in detaching William X, Duke of Aquitaine, from the cause of Anacletus.[4]
Saint Bernard and the Duke of Aquitaine, by Marten Pepijn
Germany had decided to support Innocent through Norbert of Xanten, who was a friend of Bernard's. However, Innocent insisted on Bernard's company when he met with Lothair II, Holy Roman Emperor. Lothair II became Innocent's strongest ally among the nobility. Although the councils of Étampes, Würzburg, Clermont, and Rheims all supported Innocent, large portions of the Christian world still supported Anacletus.
In a letter by Bernard to German Emperor Lothair regarding Antipope Anacletus, Bernard wrote, “It is a disgrace for Christ that a Jew sits on the throne of St. Peter’s” and “Anacletus has not even a good reputation with his friends, while Innocent is illustrious beyond all doubt.”
Bernard wrote to Gerard of Angoulême (a letter known as Letter 126), which questioned Gerard's reasons for supporting Anacletus. Bernard later commented that Gerard was his most formidable opponent during the whole schism. After persuading Gerard, Bernard traveled to visit William X, Duke of Aquitaine. He was the hardest for Bernard to convince. He did not pledge allegiance to Innocent until 1135. After that, Bernard spent most of his time in Italy persuading the Italians to pledge allegiance to Innocent. The conflict ended when Anacletus died in 1138.[8]
In 1132, Bernard accompanied Innocent II into Italy, and at Cluny the pope abolished the dues which Clairvaux used to pay to that abbey. This action gave rise to a quarrel between the White Monks and the Black Monks which lasted 20 years. In May of that year, the pope, supported by the army of Lothair III, entered Rome, but Lothair III, feeling himself too weak to resist the partisans of Anacletus, retired beyond the Alps, and Innocent sought refuge in Pisa in September 1133. Bernard had returned to France in June and was continuing the work of peacemaking which he had commenced in 1130. Towards the end of 1134, he made a second journey into Aquitaine, where William X had relapsed into schism. Bernard invited William to the Mass which he celebrated in the Church of La Couldre. At the Eucharist, he "admonished the Duke not to despise God as he did His servants".[3] William yielded and the schism ended. Bernard went again to Italy, where Roger II of Sicily was endeavouring to withdraw the Pisans from their allegiance to Innocent. He recalled the city of Milan to obedience to the pope as they had followed the deposed Anselm V, Archbishop of Milan. For this, he was offered, and he refused, the archbishopric of Milan. He then returned to Clairvaux. Believing himself at last secure in his cloister, Bernard devoted himself to the composition of the works which won for him the title of "Doctor of the Church". He wrote at this time his sermons on the Song of Songs.[b] In 1137, he was again forced to leave the abbey by order of the pope to put an end to the quarrel between Lothair and Roger of Sicily. At the conference held at Palermo, Bernard succeeded in convincing Roger of the rights of Innocent II. He also silenced the final supporters who sustained the schism. Anacletus died of "grief and disappointment" in 1138, and with him the schism ended.[3]
In 1139, Bernard assisted at the Second Council of the Lateran, in which the surviving adherents of the schism were definitively condemned. About the same time, Bernard was visited at Clairvaux by Malachy, Primate of All Ireland, and a very close friendship formed between them. Malachy wanted to become a Cistercian, but the pope would not give his permission. Malachy died at Clairvaux in 1148.[3]
Conflict with Abelard
Towards the close of the 11th century, a spirit of independence flourished within schools of philosophy and theology. The movement found an ardent and powerful advocate in Peter Abelard. Abelard's treatise on the Trinity had been condemned as heretical in 1121, and he was compelled to throw his own book into a fire. However, Abelard continued to develop his controversial teachings. Bernard is said to have held a meeting with Abelard intending to persuade him to amend his writings, during which Abelard repented and promised to do so. But once out of Bernard's presence, he reneged.[10] Bernard then denounced Abelard to the pope and cardinals of the Curia. Abelard sought a debate with Bernard, but Bernard initially declined, saying he did not feel matters of such importance should be settled by logical analyses. Bernard's letters to William of St-Thierry also express his apprehension about confronting the preeminent logician. Abelard continued to press for a public debate, and made his challenge widely known, making it hard for Bernard to decline. In 1141, at the urgings of Abelard, the archbishop of Sens called a council of bishops, where Abelard and Bernard were to put their respective cases so Abelard would have a chance to clear his name.[10] Bernard lobbied the prelates on the evening before the debate, swaying many of them to his view. The next day, after Bernard made his opening statement, Abelard decided to retire without attempting to answer.[10] The council found in favour of Bernard and their judgment was confirmed by the pope. Abelard submitted without resistance, and he retired to Cluny to live under the protection of Peter the Venerable, where he died two years later.[4]
Cistercian Order and heresy
Bernard had occupied himself in sending bands of monks from his overcrowded monastery into Germany, Sweden, England, Ireland, Portugal, Switzerland, and Italy. Some of these, at the command of Innocent II, took possession of Tre Fontane Abbey, from which Eugene III was chosen in 1145. Pope Innocent II died in the year 1143. His two successors, Pope Celestine II and Pope Lucius II, reigned only a short time, and then Bernard saw one of his disciples, Bernard of Pisa, and known thereafter as Eugene III, raised to the Chair of Saint Peter.[11] Bernard sent him, at the pope's own request, various instructions which comprise the Book of Considerations, the predominating idea of which is that the reformation of the Church ought to commence with the sanctity of the pope. Temporal matters are merely accessories; the principles according to Bernard's work were that piety and meditation were to precede action.[12]
Having previously helped end the schism within the Church, Bernard was now called upon to combat heresy. Henry of Lausanne, a former Cluniac monk, had adopted the teachings of the Petrobrusians, followers of Peter of Bruys and spread them in a modified form after Peter's death.[13] Henry of Lausanne's followers became known as Henricians. In June 1145, at the invitation of Cardinal Alberic of Ostia, Bernard traveled in southern France.[14] His preaching, aided by his ascetic looks and simple attire, helped doom the new sects. Both the Henrician and the Petrobrusian faiths began to die out by the end of that year. Soon afterwards, Henry of Lausanne was arrested, brought before the bishop of Toulouse, and probably imprisoned for life. In a letter to the people of Toulouse, undoubtedly written at the end of 1146, Bernard calls upon them to extirpate the last remnants of the heresy. He also preached against Catharism.[11]
Crusade preaching
Second Crusade (1146–49)
News came at this time from the Holy Land that alarmed Christendom. Christians had been defeated at the Siege of Edessa and most of the county had fallen into the hands of the Seljuk Turks.[15] The Kingdom of Jerusalem and the other Crusader states were threatened with similar disaster. Deputations of the bishops of Armenia solicited aid from the pope, and the King of France also sent ambassadors. In 1144 Eugene III commissioned Bernard to preach the Second Crusade and granted the same indulgences for it which Pope Urban II had accorded to the First Crusade.[16]
There was at first virtually no popular enthusiasm for the crusade as there had been in 1095. Bernard found it expedient to dwell upon taking the cross as a potent means of gaining absolution for sin and attaining grace. On 31 March, with King Louis VII of France present, he preached to an enormous crowd in a field at Vézelay, making "the speech of his life".[17] The full text has not survived, but a contemporary account says that "his voice rang out across the meadow like a celestial organ"[17]
James Meeker Ludlow describes the scene romantically in his book The Age of the Crusades:
A large platform was erected on a hill outside the city. King and monk stood together, representing the combined will of earth and heaven. The enthusiasm of the assembly of Clermont in 1095, when Peter the Hermit and Urban II launched the first crusade, was matched by the holy fervor inspired by Bernard as he cried, "O ye who listen to me! Hasten to appease the anger of heaven, but no longer implore its goodness by vain complaints. Clothe yourselves in sackcloth, but also cover yourselves with your impenetrable bucklers. The din of arms, the danger, the labors, the fatigues of war, are the penances that God now imposes upon you. Hasten then to expiate your sins by victories over the Infidels, and let the deliverance of the holy places be the reward of your repentance." As in the olden scene, the cry "Deus vult! Deus vult! " rolled over the fields, and was echoed by the voice of the orator: "Cursed be he who does not stain his sword with blood."[18]
When Bernard was finished the crowd enlisted en masse; they supposedly ran out of cloth to make crosses. Bernard is said to have flung off his own robe and began tearing it into strips to make more.[16][17] Others followed his example and he and his helpers were supposedly still producing crosses as night fell.
Unlike the First Crusade, the new venture attracted royalty, such as Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of France; Thierry of Alsace, Count of Flanders; Henry, the future Count of Champagne; Louis's brother Robert I of Dreux; Alphonse I of Toulouse; William II of Nevers; William de Warenne, 3rd Earl of Surrey; Hugh VII of Lusignan, Yves II, Count of Soissons; and numerous other nobles and bishops. But an even greater show of support came from the common people. Bernard wrote to the pope a few days afterwards, "Cities and castles are now empty. There is not left one man to seven women, and everywhere there are widows to still-living husbands."[16]
Bernard then passed into Germany, and the reported miracles which multiplied almost at his every step undoubtedly contributed to the success of his mission. Conrad III of Germany and his nephew Frederick Barbarossa, received the cross from the hand of Bernard.[15] Pope Eugenius came in person to France to encourage the enterprise. As in the First Crusade, the preaching led to attacks on Jews; a fanatical French monk named Radulphe was apparently inspiring massacres of Jews in the Rhineland, Cologne, Mainz, Worms, and Speyer, with Radulphe claiming Jews were not contributing financially to the rescue of the Holy Land. The archbishop of Cologne and the archbishop of Mainz were vehemently opposed to these attacks and asked Bernard to denounce them. This he did, but when the campaign continued, Bernard traveled from Flanders to Germany to deal with the problems in person. He then found Radulphe in Mainz and was able to silence him, returning him to his monastery.[19]
The last years of Bernard's life were saddened by the failure of the Second Crusade he had preached, the entire responsibility for which was thrown upon him.[11] Bernard considered it his duty to send an apology to the Pope and it is inserted in the second part of his "Book of Considerations." There he explains how the sins of the crusaders were the cause of their misfortune and failures.
Wendish Crusade (1147)
Bernhard preached the Wendish Crusade against Western Slavs, setting a goal to the crusade of battling them "until such a time as, by God's help, they shall either be converted or deleted".[20]
Final years (1149–53)
Bernard receiving milk from the breast of the Virgin Mary. The scene is a legend which allegedly took place at Speyer Cathedral in 1146.
The death of his contemporaries served as a warning to Bernard of his own approaching end. The first to die was Suger in 1152, of whom Bernard wrote to Eugene III, "If there is any precious vase adorning the palace of the King of Kings it is the soul of the venerable Suger". Conrad III and his son Henry died the same year. Bernard died at age sixty-three on 20 August 1153, after forty years of monastic life.[11] He was buried at Clairvaux Abbey, and after its dissolution in 1792 by the French revolutionary government his remains were transferred to Troyes Cathedral.
Theology
Main article: Doctor Mellifluus
Bernard was named a Doctor of the Church in 1830. At the 800th anniversary of his death, Pope Pius XII issued an encyclical about him, titled Doctor Mellifluus, in which he labeled him "The Last of the Fathers." The central elements of Bernard's Mariology are how he explained the virginity of Mary, the "Star of the Sea", and her role as Mediatrix.
The first abbot of Clairvaux developed a rich theology of sacred space and music, writing extensively on both.[citation needed]
John Calvin and Martin Luther quoted Bernard several times[21] in support of the doctrine of Sola Fide.[22][23] Calvin also quotes him in setting forth his doctrine of a forensic alien righteousness, or as it is commonly called imputed righteousness.[24]
Spirituality
Stained glass representing Bernard. Upper Rhine, c. 1450
Bernard was instrumental in re-emphasizing the importance of lectio divina and contemplation for monks. Bernard had observed that when lectio divina was neglected, monasticism suffered.[25] Bernard "noted centuries ago: the people who are their own spiritual directors have fools for disciples."[26]
Legacy
Bernard's theology and Mariology continue to be of major importance, particularly within the Cistercian and Trappist Orders.[c] Bernard helped found 163 monasteries in different parts of Europe. His influence led Alexander III to launch reforms that led to the establishment of canon law.[27] He was canonized by Alexander III 18 January 1174. He is labeled the "Mellifluous Doctor" for his eloquence. Cistercians honour him as one of the greatest early Cistercians.
His feast day (observed in several denominations) is 20 August.
Bernard is Dante Alighieri's last guide, in Divine Comedy, as he travels through the Empyrean. Dante's choice appears to be based on Bernard's contemplative mysticism, his devotion to Mary, and his reputation for eloquence.
The Couvent et Basilique Saint-Bernard, a collection of buildings dating from the 12th, 17th and 19th centuries, is dedicated to Bernard and stands in his birthplace of Fontaine-lès-Dijon.
St. Baamin
Feastday: August 20
Eudoxia with (Panammon) with my sister. Martyred in Kemet. 20 Aug. Coptic Calendar.
Martyrs of Thrace
Feastday: August 20
A group of thirty-seven martyrs who suffered in Thrace, in modem northern Greece. Their feet and hands were sliced off and then they were cast into a furnace.
Blessed Teofilius Matulionis
Profile
The middle of three brothers born to the peasant family of Jurgis Matulionis and Ona Juocepyte; after his mother died, his father re-married, and the couple then had seven more children. Teofilius studied at Antaliepte, Lithuania from 1887 to 1892, then Dvinsk (modern Daugpilis, Latvia) from 1892 to 1900, and then at the seminary in Saint Petersburg, Russia; he could speak Russian, Latvian and Polish. At one point he questioned his vocation, left seminary, and supported himself by teaching, but later returned to seminary. Ordained a priest of the diocese of Mohilev, Belarus on 17 March 1900.
He assisted briefly in several parishes in Latvia, and on 26 June 1900 was assigned to Latgalia, Latvia. From 1910 to 1929 he was assigned to the parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Saint Petersburg, an area where Catholics were a distinct minority, and where they came under increased persecution following the Communist takeover of Russia. The Bolsheviks confiscated all churches in 1922. Father Teofilius was imprisoned from 1923 to 1925 for failure to cooperate with the Soviets in the persecution of Archbishop Jan Cieplak.
Chosen Auxiliary Bishop of Mohilev, Belarus and Titular Bishop of Matrega by Pope Pius XI on 8 December 1928, he was consecrated in secret on 7 February 1929. On 24 November 1929 he was arrested and sentenced to hard labour in a prison camp north of Arctic Circle for the crime of having had contact with people outside the Soviet Union. In prison he would often get up in the middle of the night to celebrate Mass in secret, distributing the Eucharist to other prisoners when possible. The privations of the prison broke his health; Father Teofilius was re-located to solitary confinement in a prison in Saint Ptersburg and finally turned over to Lithuania as part of a prisoner exchange.
Chosen Archbishop of Kaisiadorys, Lithuania on 9 January 1943 by Pope Pius XII. In 1946 he released a pastoral letter to his diocese; the Soviet authorities imprisoned him for ten years for actively practising his vocation. Released in 1956, he was placed under house arrest in Birstonas, Lithuania to prevent his returning to active work as a bishop. On 25 December 1957 Matulionis consecrated Vincentas Sladkevicius a bishop without the consent of the Communists. The authorities mocked him for celebrating the consecration is his kitchen; Matuliones shamed them for forcing him to such a reduced state. For his disobediance, the Communists exiled him to Seduva, Lithuania for the rest of his life. Martyr.
Born
22 June 1873 in Alantos, Moletai, Russian Empire (in modern Lithuania)
Died
• during a routine search of his apartment by Soviet authorities, he was given an injection by a KGB nurse and dropped dead on 20 August 1962 in Seduva, Radviliskis, Lithuania
• his body was exhumed and autopsied in 1999; tests indicated that he had been poisoned
• interred in the crypt of the Transfiguration Cathedral of Kaisiadorys, Kaisiadorys, Kaisiadorys District Municipality, Kaunas, Lithuania
Beatified
• 25 June 2017 by Pope Francis
• beatification celebrated at the square of the Cathedral Basilica of Sventasis Stanislovas ir Sventasis Vladislovas, Vilnius, Lithuania, presided by Cardinal Angelo Amato
• it was the first beatification celebrated in Lithuania
• it was the first beatification of a Lithuanian martyred by Communists
Saint Maria de Mattias
Profile
Born to a pious and educated upper class family. Though women of her day were forbidden a formal education, she learned to read and write, and much about her faith at home from her father. Being an upper class girl of the time, she grew up isolated and self-involved, but in her mid-teens she felt the hollowness of her life, and began to search for more meaning. She prayed for enlightment and received a mystical vision that led her to leave home and wander the roads, explaining the love of God to any who would listen.
At age 17 she attended a mission preached by Saint Gaspare de Bufalo, and saw the obvious changes to people who attended. She wanted to have the same effect, and with the aid of Venerable Giovanni Merlini she founded the Congregation of the Sisters Adorers of the Blood of Christ in Acuto, Italy on 4 March 1834, a woman's congregation for teaching girls. She expanded their work to teaching and catechizing women and boys. Though, due to the social mores of the time she was not allowed to speak to men, they would often gather on their own, sometimes in hiding, to listen to her teaching. Pope Pius IX assigned her to running the San Luigi Hospice in Rome, and from there she worked to expand the Adorers. The congregation experienced occasional opposition from the clergy, but always support from the laity; they ran 70 schools by Mary's death, most in small isolated towns, and over 400 by her beatification.
Born
4 February 1805 at Vallecorsa, Frosinone, Papal States (modern Italy)
Died
• 20 August 1866 in Rome, Italy of natural causes
• buried in the Verano cemetery, Rome
• relics venerated in Rome at the Church of the Precious Blood
Canonized
18 May 2003 by Pope John Paul II at Vatican Basilica
Saint Zacchaeus the Publican
Also known as
Zaccheo
Additional Memorials
• 20 April (Coptic calendar)
• 32nd Sunday after Pentecost (Byzantine calendar)
• 27 August (Martyrology of Rabban Sliba)
Profile
Mentioned in Gospel of Luke as the short tax collector who climbed a tree in order to see Jesus because he couldn't see over the crowd. Jesus decided to go to the man's house, and when the locals grumbled that Christ was friendly with sinners, Zacchaeus showed his conversion by making retribution to any he had harmed, and by giving largely to charity.
Since that's all we actually know, many legends have grown around him, including that he married Saint Veronica, that he became bishop of Caesarea in Palestine, and that he is Saint Amadour who was an early hermit in France.
Patronage
innkeepers (the word publican formerly meant a collector of taxes from the public; in English it later meant the proprietor of a public house, pub or inn
Saint Oswine of Deira
Also known as
Osuine, Oswin
Profile
Born a prince, the son of King Osric of Deira in Britain. Educated by Saint Aidan. Succeeded Saint Oswald of Northumbria as king of Deira in 642. Saint Bede describes him as "most generous to all men and above all things humble; tall of stature and of graceful bearing, with pleasant manner and engaging address." While his reign was one of peace and order, there was constant political wrangling with his cousin Oswy who desired the throne and eventually had him murdered.
Died
• murdered 20 August 651 at Gilling, Yorkshire, England on the orders of his cousin Oswy
• initially buried at Gilling
• re-interred at Tynemouth
• his gravesite was lost during the turmoil of the Viking invasions
• grave re-discovered in 1065 following an apparition of Oswine to a monk named Edmund
• relics moved on 11 March 1100
• relics moved on 20 August 1103
• following the dissolution of monasteries by King Henry VIII, relics moved to Durham, England
Patronage
betrayal victims (his location was betrayed to his murders by a one of his supposedly loyal nobles)
Saint Philibert of Jumièges
Profile
The only son of a member of the court of King Dagobert I. Educated by Saint Ouen of Rouen. Monk of Rébais Abbey at age 20. Abbot of Rébais. He spent some time travelling to various monasteries, studying their Rules, constitutions and methods of mangement. Founded Jumièges Abbey on land he received as a gift from King Clovis II. He created a Rule for the Abbey, and served as its first abbot. Imprisoned and then exiled for opposition to Ebroin. Founded the monastery of Noirmoutier. Abbot of Luçon Abbey. Returning from exile, he founded the monastery of Cunaut and a convent at Pavilly, and helped restore Quinçay. The filbert, or hazelnut, is said to have been named for him as it ripens in England around the time of his feast day.
Born
c.608 in Gascony, France
Died
• 684 on the island of Héri, France of natural causes
• interred in Noirmoutier Abbey
• when the monks abandoned Noirmoutier in 836 due to Viking invasion, they took Philibert's relics with them
• the relics were housed in five different abbeys during the next 39 years
• relics moved to the Saint Philibert Abbey in Tournus, France in 875
Blessed Manuel López Álvarez
Profile
Born to a peasant family, Manuel was baptized on the day he was born. Ordained as a priest in the archdiocese of Granada, Spain on 16 July 1905. Parish priest in Alcolea, Spain. In the time leading up to the Spanish Civil War, Father Manuel came increasingly in conflict with anti–Catholic elements – he had a shotgun pulled on him for officiating at a funeral, and had to sleep in his church to run off would-be arsonists. On 20 August 1936, he was reported by Communist sympathizers to the militia who seized him along with eight other Catholics. The group was loaded into a truck, driven to a cemetery and murdered. Martyr.
Born
26 March 1881 in Mairena, Granada, Spain
Died
• shot, dragged to a pit, and then his skull crushed with a gravedigger's tool on 20 August 1936 at the cemetery in Berja, Almeria, Spain
• buried in a mass grave in Berja with other murdered Catholics
Beatified
• 25 March 2017 by Pope Francis
• beatification celebrated in the Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos de Aguadulce, Almería, Spain, presided by Cardinal Angelo Amato
Saint Bernardo Tolomei
Also known as
• Bernard Ptolomei
• Bernard Tolomeo
• Giovanni Tolomeo
Profile
Giovannni early changed his name to Bernard from admiration for Bernard of Clairvaux. Educated by his Dominican uncle. His father prevented Bernard from entering religious life. Lawyer. Theologian. Soldier. Politician and government official. Struck blind, Bernardo recovered his sight through the intervention of the Blessed Virgin Mary, after which he gave up worldly life to become a hermit. Accused of heresy, Bernard soon cleared his name. Priest. Founder of the Benedictine Congregation of the Blessed Virgin of Monte Oliveto (Olivetan Congregation; Olivetans). During a bout of the plague, Bernard and his monks cared for any who needed it; none of the brothers became sick.
Born
10 May 1272 at Siena, Tuscany as Giovanni Tolomei
Died
20 August 1348 in Siena, Italy of natural causes
Beatified
24 November 1644 by Pope Innocent X (cultus confirmed)
Canonized
26 April 2009 Pope Benedict XVI
Saint Amadour the Hermit
Also known as
• Amadour of Lucca
• Amadour of Rocamadour
• Amadoro, Amator, Amatore
Profile
In 1126 or 1162 (record vary), the body of this saint was found, possibly incorrupt, in a tomb with indications that the person had died about 1000 years earlier. With no background information available about the body, a series of stories (and guesses) grew up around the person –
• he was Saint Zacchaeus the Publican who changed his name when he converted to Christianity
• he was a servant in the house of the Holy Family
• he was married to Saint Veronica
• he and Saint Veronica served as missionaries in the area of Bordeaux, France
• he was in Rome, Italy to witness the martyrdoms of Paul and Peter
• upon the death of Veronica, he became the first Christian hermit of Gaul with a cell at Quircy, France
• he built the Our Lady of Rocamadour shrine and pilgimage site in France
Died
some relics enshrined at the Saint Michelotto Franciscan convent
Blessed Enrique Rodríguez Tortosa
Profile
Orphaned when he was very small, Enrique was raised by his aunt Araceli. He grew to be a pious and committed Christian, an honest, humble and well-liked layman in his community in the diocese of Almería, Spain. Member of Catholic Action. When Communist militia came to his down in the Spanish Civil War, they ordered Enrique to renounce Christianity; he refused. They seized him, threw him into truck, drove him out of the village and murdered him. Martyr.
Born
30 April 1908 in Terque, Almería, Spain
Died
20 August 1936 in La Rambla de Gérgal, Almería, Spain
Beatified
• 25 March 2017 by Pope Francis
• beatification celebrated in the Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos de Aguadulce, Almería, Spain, presided by Cardinal Angelo Amato
Blessed José Tapia Díaz de Villachica
Profile
Young layman in the diocese of Almería, Spain, he was the son of merchants and early began working as a clerk to learn the family trade. Member of Catholic Action. Martyred in the Spanish Civil War for refusing to renounce his faith.
Born
6 January 1913 in Terque, Almería, Spain
Died
20 August 1936 in La Rambla de Gérgal, Almería, Spain
Beatified
• 25 March 2017 by Pope Francis
• beatification celebrated in the Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos de Aguadulce, Almería, Spain, presided by Cardinal Angelo Amato
Blessed María Climent Mateu
Profile
Lay woman in the archdiocese of Valencia, Spain, she was baptized on the day of her birth at her parish church of Saint Tecla. Educated by the Dominican Sisters in Valencia, Spain. Singer, musician and loved to work on embroidery. Secretary of the Catholic Women's Trade Union. Member of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. Martyred in the Spanish Civil War; her dying words - "Viva Christo Rey!" (Long live Christ the King!)
Born
30 May 1887 in Xàtiva, Valencia, Spain
Died
stabbed to death on 20 August 1936 in Picadero de Paterna, Valencia, Spain
Beatified
11 March 2001 by Pope John Paul II
Blessed Wladyslaw Maczkowski
Also known as
Ladislaus Maczkowski
Additional Memorial
12 June as one of the 108 Martyrs of World War II
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Priest in the Archdiocese of Gniezno, Poland, serving in the parish of Lubowo. Arrested on 26 August 1940 by occupying Nazis, he was imprisoned in the Dachau concentration camp where he ministered to fellow prisoners and was abused by guards for nearly two years. Martyr.
Born
24 June 1911 in Ociaz, Wielkopolskie, Poland
Died
20 August 1942 in the Dachau concentration camp, Oberbayern, Germany
Beatified
13 June 1999 by Pope John Paul II
Saint Ronald of Orkney
இன்றைய புனிதர்
(ஆகஸ்ட் 20)
✠ புனித ரொனால்ட் ✠
(1158)
இவர் ஸ்காட்லாந்து நாட்டிற்கு அருகில் உள்ள ஓர்க்னே தீவை சார்ந்தவர்.
சிறு வயதிலேயே இறைவன்மீது மிகுந்த பற்றுக்கொண்டு, துடிப்போடு இருந்த இவர், பின்னாளில் இராணுவ வீரராக மாறி, நாட்டிற்காகப் பணிபுரியத் தொடங்கினார்.
"எங்களுடைய பகுதியில் கோயிலே இல்லை" என்று மக்கள் மிகவும் வருந்திக் கொண்டிருந்த வேளையில், இவர் "நான் உங்களுக்கு ஒரு கோயிலைக் கட்டித் தருகிறேன்" என்று வாக்குறுதி தந்து, ஒரு கோயிலைத் கட்டித் தந்தார்.
அவ்வாறு இவர் கட்டித்தந்த கோயில் தான் கிர்க்வால் என்ற இடத்தில் உள்ள புனித மாக்னுஸ் பெருங்கோயில் ஆகும். இவர் தான் சொன்னது போன்றே ஒரு கோயிலைக் கட்டி தந்ததால், மக்கள் இவரை உயர்வாக மதிக்கத் தொடங்கினார்கள்.
இதன் பிறகு இவர் கடவுள்மீது இன்னும் மிகுதியான நம்பிக்கையோடு வாழத் தொடங்கினார்.
ஒருமுறை நாத்திகர்கள் சிலர் இவரைக் கிறிஸ்துவை மறுதலிக்க சொன்னார்கள். அதற்கு இவர், "எனது உயிரே போனாலும் நான் கிறிஸ்துவை ஒருபோதும் மறுதலிக்க மாட்டேன்" என்று சொல்லி தன்னுடைய நம்பிக்கையில் மிக உறுதியாக இருந்தார். இதனால் அவர்கள் வெகுண்டெழுந்து இவரைக் கொலை செய்தார்கள்
Also known as
• Rögnvald Kali Kolsson
• Ragnvald Kale Kollsson
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Son of Lendmann Kol Kalisson and Gunhild Erlendsdotter, and described as "elegant and accomplished". Appointed Earl of the Orkney and Shetland Islands by King Sigurd I of Norway in 1129. He made a vow to build a church in his lands; the result was the Saint Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall, Scotland. Murdered by a group of warriors rebelling against him, his rule and his religion, and is considered a martyr in Kirkwall.
Born
1100 in Norway
Died
20 August 1158 in Caithness, Scotland
Canonized
1192 by Pope Celestine III
Blessed Matías Cardona-Meseguer
Also known as
Matías of Saint Augustine
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Son of Narciso Cardona and Domenica Meseguer. Soldier. Joined the Piarists on 25 June 1929, and made his solemn profession on 15 August 1934. Priest, ordained on 11 April 1935. Served in Barcelona, Spain. Martyred in the Spanish Civil War.
Born
23 December 1902 in Vallibona, Castellón, Spain
Died
shot on 20 July 1936 in Pigro de Coll, Vallibona, Castellón, Spain
Beatified
1 October 1995 by Pope Saint John Paul II
Samuel the Patriarch
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The last Judge of Israel, described in the Old Testament book of 1 Kings. The son of Elcana and Hannah, who vowed before his birth to give him to God. Delivered the Israelites from the rule of the Philistines (1 Kings 7). Believed by some to be the author of the books of Judges and Ruth, and the first 24 verses of 1 Kings. In his old age he appointed his sons judges over Israel, but they displeased the ancients, who asked him for a king, and the Lord told him to anoint Saul (1 Kings 8).
Born
c.1132 BC at Ramatha in the moutains of Ephraim
Blessed Gervais-Protais Brunel
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Trappist monk. Priest. Imprisoned on a ship in the harbor of Rochefort, France and left to die during the anti-Catholic persecutions of the French Revolution. One of the Martyrs of the Hulks of Rochefort.
Born
18 June 1744 in Magnières, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France of typhus
Died
20 August 1794 aboard the prison ship Deux-Associés, in Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, France
Beatified
1 October 1995 by Pope John Paul II
Blessed Louis-François Lebrun
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Benedictine Maurist priest. Imprisoned on a ship in the harbor of Rochefort, France and left to die during the anti-Catholic persecutions of the French Revolution. One of the Martyrs of the Hulks of Rochefort.
Born
4 April 1744 in Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France
Died
20 August 1794 aboard the prison ship Deux-Associés, in Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, France
Beatified
1 October 1995 by Pope John Paul II
Saint Laura of Pollenza
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Martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian.
Died
• beheaded in the early 4th century in Rome, Italy
• buried in the Roman catacombs
• relics exhumed on 4 January 1846 and enshrined in the church of Santa Maria del Trebbio, near the Franciscan convent of Pollenza, Italy
• relics re-enshrined in an urn on 27 May 1889 in the Collegiate Church of San Biagio
• relics re-enshrined in May 1912
Blessed Georg Häfner
Also known as
Georg Haefner
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Priest in the diocese of Würzburg, Germany. Arrested by the Nazis and sent to die in the concentration camps for his faith. Martyr.
Born
19 October 1900 in Würzburg, Germany
Died
20 August 1942 in Dachau, Oberbayern, Germany
Beatified
15 May 2011 by Pope Benedict XVI
Saint Lucius of Cyprus
Profile
4th century imperial Roman government official in Cyrene, Africa. He witnessed the faith and martyrdom of Saint Theodore of Cyrene, which led to interest in Christianity and eventually his conversion. Retired to the island of Cyprus to live away from the empire, but was one of a group of Christians martyred in the persecutions of Diocletian.
Died
311 on Cyprus
Blessed Francesco Matienzo
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Mercedarian friar who worked to free Christians held in slavery in Spain by Muslims; he freed 185 of them in 1371.
Died
latter 14th century
Saint Edbert of Northumbria
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King of Northumbria, England for 20 years after which he abdicated and retired to spent his last ten years in prayer and seclusion in a monastery in York, England.
Died
768
Saint Bernard of Valdeiglesias
Also known as
Bernard of Candeleda
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Benedictine Cistercian monk.
Died
1155 of natural causes
Patronage
Candelada, Spain
Saint Christopher of Cordoba
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Monk at the Saint Martin de La Rojana monastery near Cordoba, Spain. Martyred in the persecutions of Abderrahman II.
Died
852 in Cordoba, Spain
Saint Haduin of Le Mans
Also known as
Harduin
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Bishop at Le Mans, France. Founded several monasteries including Notre-Dame-d'Evron.
Died
c.662 of natural causes
Saint Burchard of Worms
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Monk at Lobbes Abbey in Belgium. Canonist. Reluctant bishop of Worms, Germany in 1006.
Born
Hesse, Germany
Died
1026
Saint Heliodorus of Persia
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Martyred with several hundred companions during the persecutions of Shapur II.
Born
Persia
Died
362
Saint Herbert Hoscam
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Archbishop of Conze, Basilicata, Italy.
Born
in England
Died
1180 of natural causes
Patronage
Conze, Italy
Saint Gobert of Apremont
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Count of Apremont. Crusader. Benedictine Cistercian monk at Villers, Brabant, Belgium.
Died
1263 of natural causes
Saint Leovigild of Cordoba
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Priest. Monk in Cordoba, Spain. Martyred in the persecutions of Abderrahman II.
Died
852 in Cordoba, Spain
Saint Maximus of Chinon
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Spiritual student of Saint Martin. Founded the monastery of Chinon in France.
Died
c.470
Saint Porphyrius of Palestrina
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Martyr.
Died
in Palestrina, Italy
Saint Brogan
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Mentioned in the Gorman Martyrology.
Martyred in the Spanish Civil War
Thousands of people were murdered in the anti-Catholic persecutions of the Spanish Civil War from 1934 to 1939. I have pages on each of them, but in most cases I have only found very minimal information. They are available on the CatholicSaints.Info site through these links:
• Blessed Cristòfol Baqués Almirall
• Blessed Emili Bover Albareda
• Blessed Francesc Llagostera Bonet
• Blessed Hilario Barriocanal Quintana
• Blessed Ismael Barrio Marquilla
• Blessed Magí Albaigés Escoda
• Blessed Serapio Sanz Iranzo
• Blessed Tomás Campo Marín
