ST LANDELIN, ABBOT

ST LANDELIN, ABBOT - 15 JUNE

SAINT LANDELIN, ABBOT

Saint Landelin was nobly born at Vaux near Bapaume in 623, and educated in learning and piety under the care of Saint Aubert, bishop of Cambray; for it was then the laudable custom for noblemen to commit the education of their sons to some holy and learned bishop or abbot, insomuch that many houses of bishops as well as monasteries were seminaries of youth.

BEING ON ONE'S GUARD AGAINST BAD INFLUENCE

It is a point of the utmost importance that youth coming out of such sanctuaries of innocence and virtue, enter the world well apprised of its dangers, and infinitely upon their guard against bad company and the love of vanities and pleasures, which they cannot fortify themselves too much against. They must bring along with them all their religion, nourish it in their hearts by assiduous meditation, and confirm it in their minds by pious reading and consideration, and by the daily exercises of all the other duties of that virtue.

HE BEGAN TO WALK THE BROAD WAY OF THE WORLD

A neglect of this precaution proved for some time fatal to Landelin. Through the seduction and example of certain relations, whose flatteries unfortunately struck in with his passions, he insensibly began to walk in the broad way of the world, and, from a life of pleasure and diversions, fell at length into great disorders.

HE CAST HIMSELF AT THE FEET OF ST AUBERT

But the sudden death of one of his companions struck him with such a terror, that he entered seriously into himself, like the prodigal son, and in the deepest compunction went and cast himself at the feet of Saint Aubert, who had never ceased to pray for his conversion.

The bishop placed him in an austere monastery to do penance for some years; in which, so extraordinary were his fervour and contrition, that Saint Aubert ordained him deacon, and, when he was thirty years of age, priest, and appointed him to preach to the people.

SOLITUDE AND PENANCE

But the holy penitent having his past sins always before his eyes, begged leave to weep for them in solitude and severe penance: which, when he had obtained, he retired to Laubach, now called Lobes, a desert place on the banks of the Sambre. Several persons resorting to him, and imitating his manner of life, though at first they lived in separate cells, gave rise to the great abbey of Lobes, about the year 654.

Landelin, regarding himself as unworthy, could not bear to see himself at the head of a religious community of saints; and when he had laid the foundation of this house, he left his disciple, Saint Ursmar, to finish the building, and constituted him the first abbot.

THE ABBEY OF AUNE AND CRESPIN

Landelin afterwards founded Aune, which is at present a house of Cistercians. The French kings bestowed on him great estates, the chief part of which he settled on his first monastery of Lobes. In quest of closer solitude, he with his two companions, SS. Adelin and Domitian, erected some cells of the branches of trees in a thick forest between Mons and Valenciennes.

Here also disciples flocked to him, and he founded the abbey of Crespin, which he was at length obliged to govern himself. By preaching in the village he instructed the people in the science of salvation, but he never interrupted his penitential courses. He died in sackcloth and ashes in 686. His name occurs in the Roman Martyrology on June 15.

Source: Fr Butler's Lives of the Saints

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Saint Landelin may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

BL. RICHARD NEWPORT, PRIEST AND MARTYR - 30 MAY

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MAY Saints celebrated on the 30th of May WELCOME! BLESSED RICHARD NEWPORT, PRIEST AND MARTYR Richard Newport, alias Smith , was born in Northamptonshire and performed his studies abroad, partly in the college of Rheims (if he be the Richard Smith whom I find in the Douay diary sent to Rome in 1586) and partly in that of Rome, where he was made priest. From thence he was sent upon the English mission, and behaved himself in such a manner as justly to acquire the character of a laborious missionary; being withal remarkably successful in bringing home many strayed sheep to the fold of Christ, to which his apostolical way of living did not a little contribute. He was several times apprehended and cast into prison, and twice banished. His name occurs amongst those who were transported in 1606; at which time, we are told, he took that opportunity of making a pilgrimage to Rome, there to pour forth his prayers at the tombs of the apostles, in behalf of thi...

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