Skip to main content

GREGORY, ABBOT OF EINSIEDELN - 8 NOVEMBER

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN NOVEMBER

Saints celebrated on the 8th of November 

VENERABLE GREGORY, ABBOT 

The Venerable Gregory (Gregorius, Gregor), Abbot of Einsiedeln, is said to have been an Englishman of very noble descent. Legend calls him the son of a king, namely Edward the Elder, and a brother of Athelston and Edmund (Bollandists*). According to Butler* he was the brother of the first wife of the German Emperor Otto I, while Migne* reckons that Gregory was but a close relative of hers. 

In another passage Butler states that Gregory gave himself up to godliness at an early age and, out of a deep love for God, forsook the false delights of the world. Still in his youth, he bid farewell to his fatherland, his parents, his bride etc., and, moreover, secretly went to Rome with two other youths. They hung their hats at a monastery on Mount Cœlius (Monte Celio), where Gregory devoted himself completely to the strictest penances etc. 

By divine Providence, he came to Switzerland in A.D. 949, to the institute originally founded by St Meinrad in 838, which had been re-established by Venerable Benno in 906: the monastery of Maria Einsiedeln.

Gregory edified the monastery community through his pious conduct to such an extent that, following the death of Abbot Eberhard (in the year 958), he was elected abbot. According to other sources, a certain Thietland was Eberhard's successor, and Gregory his coadjutor from 960 and only became abbot proper in 963. 

Both the emperors Otto II and III held Gregory in high esteem. The pious Gebhard, bishop of Constance, asked Abbot Gregory for monks for the Petershausen monastery, which Gebhard had built and funded from his own means. Petershausen is now a suburb of Constance. The holy Bishop Wolfgang of Regensburg esteemed Gregory as his teacher and educator. Under Gregory's direction, the school at Einsiedeln became of the most famous of that period. 

Gregory died on November 8, 996 and was buried at the altar of St Maurice. His relics were solemnly raised in 1609. Migne* calls him "saint", Lechner* "venerable". (But., Mur., Mg.)

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 2, Augsburg, 1861)

*A hagiography source used by the authors 

Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WELCOME

  Please pick your saints: January - Saints by date  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11    12    13    14    15    16    17   18    19    20    21    22    23    24    25    26    27    28    29    30    31   February - Saints by date  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11    12    13    14    15    16    17 18    19    20    21    22    23    24    25    26    27    28    29 ...
Post a Comment
Read more

FATIMA APPARITION - 13 AUGUST

  ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN AUGUST Saints celebrated on the 13th of August Marian Feast Days WELCOME! FATIMA APPARITION - AUGUST 13 The Fatima Children “BUT IN THE END MY IMMACULATE HEART WILL TRIUMPH.” But in the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me; it will be converted, and a certain period of peace will be granted to the world. THE AUGUST 13 EVENTS On August 13, the children were in jail at Ourem. The civil administrator threatened to boil them in oil if they did not tell the Lady’s secret. Though badly frightened, they could not think of disobeying our Lady. In disgust, the administrator finally freed them. A large number of people, not knowing that the children had been kidnapped, went to the Cova for the scheduled appearance of the Lady. At noon, there was a loud clap of thunder. Then, according to an eyewitness: “Right after the thunder came a flash, and immediately we all noticed a little cloud, very white, beautiful and bright,...
Post a Comment
Read more

BL. LUKE KIRBY, PRIEST AND MARTYR - 30 MAY

  ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MAY Saints celebrated on the 30th of May WELCOME! BLESSED LUKE KIRBY, PRIEST AND MARTYR 16th century houses, painted by Auguste Mayer He was born in the bishopric of Durham, according to Raissius ; others say at Richmond, in Yorkshire. He was master of arts in one of our universities; but going abroad to Douay, in Flanders, was received into the English college there, 1576, and made priest in 1577; and the year following sent upon the mission. Where he had not been long before he again went abroad, and travelled to Rome, partly for devotion, and partly for further improvement in learning. Here he remained in the English college till 1580, when he returned into England, and was not long after apprehended: for I find by a printed diary of things transacted in the Tower of London from 1580 till 1585, that on the 5th of December, 1580, Luke Kirby, Thomas Cottam , and other priests, were brought to the Tower from other prisons; and that these two, on the 10th...
Post a Comment
Read more