Feast of Bl. Gerlac of Valkenburg, O. Praem.

January 5

(c. 1100, † 1172?)

Gerlac was born of nobility and served as a soldier in the imperial German army. He led a wild and licentious life, part as a roadside robber, until the death of his wife, after which he experienced a conversion and exchanged his uniform and weapons for the garb of a penitent. Gerlac went on pilgrimage to Rome where he confessed his sins and as penance made a further pilgrimage to the Holy Land. For seven years he served the poor and sick before returning to Rome.

Pope Hadrian IV sent him home in 1158 with a letter of advice by which his future life in solitude was to be regulated. He retired to Valkenburg and chose a hollow oak for shelter where he lived as a hermit, living a life of penance and renunciation. He wore a rough white habit, indicating that he belonged to the Norbertine Order. On Saturdays he made a pilgrimage barefoot to nearby Aachen to honor the Virgin Mary. Many people of that region came to ask for his prayers, advice and assistance; he gave them both material help and spiritual nourishment. St. Hildegard of Bingen, after hearing about his virtues, sent him the crown of her virginal consecration as a gesture of her esteem.

Gerlac died on January 5, the vigil of Epiphany, probably in 1172. His grave and hermitage soon became a pilgrimage site. In 1201 the Norbertine abbey of Heinsberg founded a small monastery in Houthem (near the oak tree) in order to preserve his relics. At the request of the order, Pope Benedict XIII allowed his cult on January 22, 1728.

Attributes

• Crown = Nobility
• Pilgrim’s staff =Penitent pilgrim
• Hollow oak tree = Solitude

Memorial of St. Godfrey of Cappenberg, O. Praem.

January 14

(c. 1097, † January 13, 1127)

Having been born in 1097 from the lineage of the Counts of Cappenberg, Godfrey married Jutta, the daughter of the Count of Arnsberg.

In a quarrel between the bishop of Münster and the emperor, Godfrey sided with the bishop. When Münster was harassed and destroyed in 1121, Godfrey was deeply disillusioned, partly on account of the behavior of his own soldiers. He then decided to turn his castle into a monastery. He and his brother Otto met Norbert of Xanten in the same year, and Godfrey was deeply impressed by the apostolic life preached and lived by Norbert.

In the beginning his wife and brothers were opposed to his intentions, but on May 31, 1122, Godfrey gave Norbert his castle at Cappenberg. This was the first foundation of the order in Germany. Additional monasteries were founded on Godfrey’s properties in Varlar and Ilbenstadt. Neither of the brothers, however, could enter “their monasteries” until 1124 because they first had to fulfill their military duties—and, in Godfrey’s case, obtain the consent of his wife Jutta. She later entered the monastery of canonesses in the lower monastery in Cappenberg. Godfrey stayed for a time in Cappenberg where he founded a hospital for the poor and served the poorest with great humility.

When Norbert became archbishop of Magdeburg in 1126, he called Godfrey to his side. Finding it difficult to acclimate himself to life at the episcopal court, Godfrey became ill. With the approval of Norbert he went to his abbey in Ilbenstadt. Godfrey died on January 13, 1127, just a few days after his arrival. He was not yet 30 years old. After his death, his relics were divided between the monasteries of Ilbenstadt and Cappenberg.

Pope Paul V approved his veneration at Cappenberg in 1614, and Pope Benedict XIII extended it to the whole order on March 8, 1728. Following the difficult times of secularization, the bishop of Mainz began promoting the veneration of Godfrey again in 1862.

Attributes

• Crown = Royalty
• Scull = Desire for martyrdom
• Medieval castle of Cappenberg

Memorial of St. Evermode of Ratzeburg, O. Praem.

February 17

(b. unknown, † February 17, 1178)

Evermode was born in Belgium around 1100. After hearing a sermon preached by Norbert of Xanten, he was so struck by the personality and words of this apostolic man that he left everything to join him in 1120, becoming one of his most loyal disciples. Evermode was probably ordained a priest by Norbert himself and was certainly present when Norbert transformed the chapter of Our Lady in Magdeburg into a community of the order. He remained Norbert’s companion until Norbert’s death on June 6, 1134. Evermode stood by his master at his deathbed and later took care to see that Norbert was buried in the church of the monastery of Our Lady in Magdeburg.

Evermode adhered to what Norbert considered the stricter rule of St. Augustine, the “ordo monasterii,” and followed in Norbert’s footsteps in the areas of clerical reform and the conversion of the pagan Wends. He was elected leader of Our Lady at Magdeburg, a post he held from 1138 to 1154. In this function he founded the Norbertine monasteries of Havelberg, Jericho, Quedlinburg, and Pöhlde.

When the diocese of Ratzeburg was reestablished in 1154, Evermode became its first bishop and converted the newly-installed cathedral chapter into a Norbertine chapter. It was not easy for Evermode to be caught between the prince of Bavaria and Saxony (upon whom he was dependent both politically and financially) and the prince’s adversary (who claimed the rights of the Metropolitan over Ratzeburg and was opposed in principle to bishops who were members of religious orders). Consequently, Evermode had himself consecrated bishop by the Archbishop of Mainz.

Driven by apostolic ideal, Evermode traveled throughout his diocese preaching the Word and became for his people a light of truth. The conversion of the pagan Wends was his first concern. Future generations, even among the Protestants, gave Evermode the titles “Light of the Saxons” and “Apostle of the Wends.”

Old and weakened by his many labors, Evermode died as bishop of Ratzeburg on February 17, 1178, after an episcopate of 24 years. He was buried in the Romanesque cathedral of Ratzeburg. Pope Benedict XIII confirmed his cult on January 22, 1728.

Attributes

• Crosier and miter = Bishop
• Aspergilla and aspersorium = Blessing
• O.I. = Anointing

Feast of Bl. Oda of Bonne Rivreuille, O. Praem.

April 20

(c. 1134, † April 18, 1158)

Oda was born around 1134 in France of both noble and Christian stock. Oda wanted to contribute to the honor of her royal house and aspired to a life of holiness. From her childhood she was a very pious girl and had a special love for purity, believing that the life of the cloister would be her best protection. At the beginning of her adolescence she made a secret vow of chastity, but being too young to enter the convent she remained with her parents, devoting many hours to prayer.

Oda’s parents, however, wanted her to marry. On the day of her arranged wedding, she refused to respond to the usual questions. After being prodded to say something, Oda said, “Since you want me to say that it pleases me to take this young man as my husband, you must know that I will never marry him or any other. I have bound myself from my childhood to a Spouse to whom I have vowed my virginity. Neither love, nor riches, nor threats, nor even blows can separate me from His embrace.” Still, her parents continued to pressure their daughter to marry.

In order not to prolong the conflict, Oda disfigured her face by cutting off her nose. Hearing of her plight, Abbot Odon from the Premonstratensian convent at Rivreuille sent two confreres to the castle to console the brave child. Oda again asked her father’s permission to enter the cloister, declaring that if he did not accede to her wishes, she would continue to disfigure herself. Overcome, her father gave his permission. Abbot Odon clothed her with the white habit himself.

Oda began her religious life with profound humility, a burning desire for sanctification, complete detachment, and obedience. Eventually Oda was elected prioress. She had a heart full of compassion for the poor, the sick, and the needy, and did everything she could to lighten their burdens.

While still relatively young, Oda grew feeble and ill. She died on Easter Sunday, April 18, 1158, surrounded by her sisters. In his sermon at her funeral, Abbot Philip of Harvengt of Bonne-Espérance said, “She has borne her name with truth. She was indeed a very special ‘ode’ to the honor of God.”

Attributes

• Crown = Nobility
• Pectoral cross = Prioress
• Nose and dagger = Disfigurement
• Lilies = Virginity
• Book = Biography

Solemnity of St. Norbert of Xanten, O. Praem.

June 6

(c. 1080, † 1134)

Norbert was born of noble parents around the year 1080 in Xanten in the northern Rhineland. As a child, he was presented to the Cathedral Chapter of St. Victor in Xanten, where he was later ordained subdeacon. Emperor Henry V took note of Norbert’s gifts and charm and called him into his personal service at the imperial court. There, Norbert led a worldly lifestyle.

In the year 1115, thrown from his horse and nearly killed in a thunderstorm, he repented and began to lead the life of a penitent. Ordained to the diaconate and to the priesthood on the same day, he wandered about the countryside, preaching the word of God, railing against the abuses of the clergy, and reconciling enemies. One of the earliest paintings of Norbert depicts him holding the Gospel book and the palm branch of peace. Criticized and persecuted by members of the hierarchy, Norbert sought and obtained approval for his preaching from Pope Gelasius II and later from Pope Calixtus II, who encouraged him to settle and found a community in the diocese of Laon in northern France.

There, in the desolate valley wilderness of Prémontré, Norbert laid the foundations for his religious order. He chose the rule of St. Augustine, becoming one of the most avid reformers of the day. The community was marked by its austerity of life, its poverty, its intense liturgical life of prayer, and, above all, its complete fidelity to the ideal of community life as depicted in the Augustinian rule.

On July 25, 1126, Norbert was reluctantly ordained archbishop of Magdeburg and relinquished the leadership of his order to begin the work of shepherding the vast diocese on the northeastern frontier of the German Empire.

During his years as archbishop, Norbert fought strenuously for the freedom of the church against secular princes and proved himself an ardent champion of the cause of the Roman Pontiff. He was instrumental in the downfall of the anti-pope Anacletus II and the return of Pope Innocent II to his throne. Weakened by his travels and labors, Norbert returned to Magdeburg where he died on June 6, 1134.

Attributes

• Gospel book = Preacher
• Palm branch = Peacemaker
• Chalice = Defender of the Eucharist
• Mitre, crozier, and pallium = archbishop
• Figure = the heretic Tanchelm

Memorial of St. Isfried of Ratzeburg, O. Praem.

June 15

(c. 1115, † June 15, 1204)

Isfried was born around the year 1115 and eventually became a canon in the abbey of Cappenberg. In 1159 he was named the first provost of Jerichow where he built a magnificent Romanesque church.

At the urging of Prince Henry of Bavaria and Saxony, the followers of Norbert turned their attention to the conversion of the pagan Wends. Through the intervention of Prince Henry, Isfried was chosen Bishop of Ratzeburg in 1178 as successor of St. Evermode. He completed the building of the cathedral begun under Evermode and established many parishes.

Isfried was inclined to be strict in penitential practices. Toward the rebellious Wends, however, he was a mild judge, converting them through his preaching. In the year 1190 he visited the abbey of Floreffe in Belgium and consecrated the seven altars of its church, which had been destroyed by a fire. In the same year he also consecrated the Romanesque church of Postel, a daughter house of Floreffe.

In the struggles between the imperial and the papal parties, in spite of all the threats and protests, he sided with the defeated Duke Henry of Saxony and Bavaria, to whom he had once swore fealty. He remained the confessor and spiritual director of Prince Henry, to whom he ministered at his deathbed in 1195.

Exalted through many miracles during his life and after death, he was a true light in a time of much darkness. Isfried died on June 15, 1204, at the age of 90, and was buried in the Cathedral of Ratzeburg next to St. Evermode.

On March 20, 1728, Pope Benedict XIII approved of Isfrid’s sanctity and cult. His memorial to Isfried reads: “St. Isfried of Ratzeburg died as a man of great patience, of greatest temperance, totally dedicated to religious practices. His influence extended far over the German Northeast. When the monastery of Floreffe at Namur was devastated by fire and the religious were dispersed, Isfried called them back.”

Attributes

• Mitre = Bishop
• Flagellum = Penance

Feast of Bl. Gertrude of Altenburg, O. Praem.

August 13

(b. September 29, 1227, † August 13, 1297)

Gertrude was the daughter of Count Louis of Thuringia and Hesse, whose wife was St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Her father dedicated her to God from the womb as he prepared to depart for the Crusades in 1227. Louis offered the unborn child to the Premonstratensian canons of Rommersdorf if a boy, or the Premonstratensian canonesses of Altenberg if a girl. Gertrude was born on September 29, 1227, a few weeks after Louis died in the Crusades. Her mother, who wished to devote the rest of her life to prayer and the service of the poor, kept her husband’s vow by entrusting Gertrude to the convent in Altenberg.

Gertrude received her entire education at Altenberg and became the third prioress of the monastery at age 24. Using her inheritance, she built the monastery church, a hospital, and guesthouse for the poor. While washing the sick, Gertrude was reported to say, “How beautiful it is that we are allowed to bathe the Savior!” When Pope Urban IV renewed the call for a crusade, Gertrude became a zealous advocate of this endeavor, collecting money for the crusaders.

In 1264, when a Decree of Pope Urban IV established the feast of Corpus Christi was met with widespread resistance, Gertrude introduced the feast at Altenberg, thus becoming one of the first to introduce the new Eucharistic feast in the order.

In everyday life, Gertrude took care of the needs of the poorest—both in the hospital and in the monastery. She had the gift of reconciling people and imploring God’s mercy through penance and mortification.

After a serious illness, she died on August 13, 1297, having led her community for 50 years. She was buried in the monastery church of Altenberg. Pope Clement V granted indulgences on the anniversary of her day of death and allowed her veneration in 1311. Her cult as a “blessed” was confirmed by Pope Benedict XIII on January 22, 1728.

Attributes

• Crosier and pectoral cross = Abbess
• Almutium = Symbol of final incorporation into a religious community
• Crown = Noble countess
• Monstrance = Corpus Christi feast
• Architecture = Built church, hospital, and guesthouse

Solemnity of St. Augustine of Hippo

August 28

(b. 354, † 430)

Augustine was born on November 13, 354, in Tagaste, Numidia. He was educated as a rhetorician in the former North African cities of Tagaste and Carthage. Between the ages of 15 and 30, he lived with a Carthaginian woman whose name is unknown; in 372 she bore him a son, whom he named Adeodatus.

Augustine became an earnest seeker after truth. He considered becoming a Christian, but experimented with several philosophical systems before finally entering the Church. For nine years, from 373 until 382, he adhered to Manichaeism, with its fundamental principle of conflict between good and evil.

Around 384, Augustine went on to Milan as a teacher of rhetoric. There he came under the influence of the philosophy of Neo-Platonism and also met the bishop of Milan, St. Ambrose—then the most distinguished ecclesiastic in Italy. Augustine presently was attracted again to Christianity.

He returned to North Africa and was ordained in 391. He became bishop of Hippo in 395, an office he held until his death. It was a period of political and theological unrest. Augustine threw himself wholeheartedly into the theological battle. Besides combating the Manichaean heresy, Augustine engaged in two great theological conflicts: one was with the Donatists, a sect that held the sacraments invalid unless administered by sinless ecclesiastics; the other conflict was with the Pelagians, who denied the doctrine of original sin. In the course of this conflict, Augustine developed his doctrines of original sin and divine grace, divine sovereignty, and predestination. Augustine died at Hippo, August 28, 430.

Attributes

• Book = Rule of Life
• Flaming heart = Restless heart
• Child on seashore = Explanation of the Trinity

Memorial of Bl. Jakob (James) Kern of Geras, O. Praem.

October 20

(b. April 11, 1897, † October 20, 1924)

Francis Alexander Kern was born in Vienna on April 11, 1897. At age 11, the intellectually-gifted youth enrolled in the Minor Seminary at Hollabrunn. At age 14, he made a vow of perpetual chastity.

Francis enlisted as a volunteer in the army during WWI. In September of 1916, as a lieutenant on the Italian Front, a bullet pierced his lung and caused a wound from which he would never fully recover. He entered the seminary of the archdiocese of Vienna as a convalescent.

Around this time, a group of Czech Catholics separated themselves from Rome and founded the schismatic Czech National Church. A Norbertine canon of Strahov Abbey and a doctor of philosophy fell away from the Church and became a leader of the schism. James was deeply shocked and decided to offer himself in atonement. Pope John Paul II would later say, “In this sad event, James Kern discovered his vocation. He desired to be the propitiatory sacrifice for this fallen-away Norbertine. James entered the abbey of Geras to replace him in the order.” On October 18, 1920, James received the white habit.

Having been put to the test by his war injury, he took religious life very seriously. Through a special indult, given in view of his poor health, he was ordained a priest. At his first Mass he said, “This Palm Sunday will be followed by my Good Friday.”

In 1923 some of his ribs were removed using only a local anesthetic and his Way of the Cross began. In his festering wound, he remembered the wound of the Czech schism. On the day he was to profess Solemn Vows, he underwent surgery again. Before the operation he said, “Tomorrow I will see the Mother of God and my Guardian Angel.” The hospital chaplain gave him the Last Rites and blessed him for the final leg of his earthly journey. James Kern died on October 20, 1924.

Large groups of the faithful came to his grave in Geras to pray and to ask for his intercession. Pope John Paul II beatified James Kern on June 21, 1998, at Vienna’s “Heroes’ Square.” More than one hundred Norbertines joined the thousands present for this celebration, during which the Pope encouraged priests to follow this “Hero of the Church” and remain faithful to their vocation.

Attributes

• Crucifix = Identification with Christ’s sufferings
• Rifle and gas mask = WWI
• Abbey of Geras

Memorial of St. Gilbert of Neuffontaines, O. Praem.

October 26

(b. unknown, † June 5, 1152)

The knight Gilbert belonged to the nobility of Auvergne in France. Following the advice of the Norbertine abbot of Dilo, he participated in the Second Crusade (1147-1149), which was preached by St. Bernard of Clairvaux at Vezelay and led by the French king Louis VII. This crusade ended in military disaster.

Having survived this dangerous endeavor, Gilbert decided, together with his wife Petronilla and his daughter Ponzia, to dedicate himself to God and enter monastic life. He distributed his considerable wealth to the poor and founded a convent, which his wife and daughter entered.

At first Gilbert lived as a hermit. Then, after completing his novitiate in the Norbertine abbey of Dilo, he founded the abbey of Neuffontaines around 1150 and became its first abbot. He also built a hospital attached to the abbey, which became famous because of the many miracles that occurred there. Penitent and filled with compassion, he cared for a great number of sick and sinful people, whom he wished to heal both spiritually and physically. Many children with severe sicknesses were brought to him. He laid his hands on them and gave them back to their parents healed. This gave rise to the later custom of parents bringing their sick children to Neuffontaines seeking St. Gilbert’s intercession for healing.

Gilbert died on June 5, 1152, worn out by penance and hard work. He had expressed his desire to be buried in the cemetery of the poor. However, because of the many miracles that God worked through his intercession, his earthly remains were eventually transferred to the abbey church of Neuffontaines, and after being lost for a time were later rediscovered in October of 1615. The relics were transferred for greater safety in 1791, and again lost during the tumult of the French Revolution. St. Gilbert’s feast day falls on the anniversary of his translation. Pope Benedict XIII confirmed the veneration of St. Gilbert on January 22, 1728.

Attributes

• Monasteries = Founder of Neuffontaines
• Abbey
  Banner = Crusader’s flag
• Helmet, sword, and shield = Knight

Memorial of St. Siard of Mariëngaarde, O. Praem.

November 14

(b. unknown, † November 13, 1230)

Siard was born into a noble family of Friesland in the Netherlands. He studied in the abbey school of Mariëngaarde where St. Frederic was abbot. In 1175 he entered the novitiate. After 20 years of religious life he was elected the fifth abbot of Mariëngaarde.

Nothing in his daily life distinguished him from his confreres. He wore the same habit, ate at the same table, and slept in the same dormitory. On account of his exceptional humility, he resolutely refused everything that was not strictly necessary. He was a good administrator who governed his monastery well—both in spiritual and material matters. Siard worked side by side with his confreres during the periods of manual labor, especially in the fields.

The apostolic spirit of the order thrived at Mariëngaarde under his leadership. Whenever Siard went on a journey, he took along a large basket full of bread and other foods that he could distribute among the poor. He had the gift of pacifying hatred and reconciling enemies. He urged three things upon the confreres who had to leave the monastery: a joyous departure, a peaceful sojourn, and a happy return.

Siard had a special devotion to Jesus’ friends Martha and Mary. He looked to Martha as an example for his care of the confreres, and to Mary as a reminder of the necessity of listening to Christ in prayer and meditation. Siard died in 1230, having been abbot for 36 years.

After the destruction of Mariëngaarde by the Calvinists in 1578, a Friesland nobleman rescued his earthly remains. In 1608 his relics were divided and placed in two separate reliquaries: one was transferred to the Norbertine abbey of Leffe, the other to Tongerlo, both in Belgium. The relic of Siard’s head found a home in the Generalate House in Rome until 2001, when it was transferred to the abbey of Windberg. Pope Benedict XIII confirmed the cult of St. Siard on January 22, 1728.

Attributes

• Crosier = Abbot
• Flagellum and cross = Penance
• Palm = Spirit of peace and reconciliation
• Basket of bread = Food for the poor