ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN OCTOBER
Saints celebrated on the 5th of October
GERWICH, FOUNDER OF WALDSASSEN ABBEY
Gerwich (Gwerwicus, Gerwicus), Lord of Volmestein, founder of the Waldsassen Abbey, was a brave and noble youth. On the various travels he undertook to get to know the world and its customs, he was introduced to a number of noble courts, and got to know Margrave Theobald of Vohburg upon Danube. They shared their passion for knightly tournaments. Together, they took part in those tournaments.
THE NEAR-FATAL ACCIDENT
In one of those knightly combats it so happened that Gerwich gave Theobald such a violent push that he broke the latter's helmet and inflicted an almost fatal wound in his throat. Gerwich took this to heart so much that he decided to renounce the world forever.
HE DECIDED TO QUIT THE WORLD AND ITS ENTERTAINMENTS
He entered the monastery of Siegburg (Siegberg) in what is now Prussia's Rhine Province [today's Germany], where he became a Benedictine monk.
Margrave Theobald, who had his wife, child and his country to look after, did not enter a monastery but founded one instead. This was the well-known monastery of Reichenbach upon Regen in Bavaria.
HIS LONGING FOR GREATER SOLITUDE
While Gerwich was staying at the monastery (where he had become guest master) Bishop Cuno (probably Cuno I) stopped by one day on a return journey from Paris and took Gerwich with him to Regensburg (Ratisbon). However, since the urge for solitude became more and more active in him, he obtained permission from Bishop Cuno, after frequent requests, to look for a place that suited his desire, and he found it in what is now the Upper Palatinate in a dense forest, at a place near what was then called Kolergrun.
HE SET TO WORK
When he was already busy there with tree felling in order to build a small monastery and church, it so happened that Margrave Theobald rode past this spot on one of his hunting expeditions, having come from his town of Eger. On seeing all the activity taking place he became extremely uptight about not having been consulted about commencement of building work on his lands. Thereupon Gerwich showed him the documents: his power of attorney from the Bishop of Regensburg, and he also gave his own particulars, name and origin, etc.
THE GIFT
When Theobald had heard all this, he happily jumped off his horse, hugged his beloved Gerwich, showed him his scar and then generously donated land towards the project in memory of the old friendship. So, with fresh courage, the work progressed. The monastery was built on the charming river Wondreb, which was rich in fish, and it was given the name "Waldsassen".
THE COMPLETION OF THE ABBEY
Gerwich then went to Clairvaux to visit the holy founder Bernard. He requested monks for his new settlement. But he could not get any monks from there nor from anywhere else. After much effort he finally succeeded in securing three Cistercian monks from the Volkenroda Abbey in Thuringia, whereupon he completed the building he had begun. Local piety gave generous donations in abundance. Gerwich chose Wigand as prior. Following a vision, Wigand consecrated the abbey to the blessed Virgin and to John the Evangelist.
HIS HOLY DEATH
This foundation was the one hundredth of the Cistercian monasteries built to that date. According to Chalemot and Pierer, Waldsassen was inaugurated in 1134 (according to Hund and Bruzen in 1133 or 1134). After Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa married Adelheid, the daughter of Margrave Theobald, in the town of Eger in 1179, the abbey, which formed the dowry with four villages belonging to it, together with the town of Eger and the surrounding area, was inherited by Bishop Cuno II of Regensburg in the presence of Emperor Frederick I. Gerwich died in the odour of sanctity in the year 1200. The title blessed being bestowed upon it by some but not by others.
(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, 1858 - 🎨 Waldsassen Abbey)
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