BL. HARTMANN, BISHOP OF BRIXEN

BL. HARTMANN, BISHOP OF BRIXEN - 23 DECEMBER

BLESSED HARTMANN, BISHOP OF BRIXEN

Blessed Hartmann (French: Harman), Bishop of Brixen, was born in Pölling (Polling), a village not far from Passau [South Germany], of upright and not particularly well-off parents. His year of birth is unknown. While still very young, his parents gave him to the Augustinian Canons' Monastery of Saint Nicholas near Passau, where he made great progress in science and piety.

In 1121 the devout Bishop Conrad [Konrad] of Salzburg appointed him dean for his canons there. They followed the Rule of Saint Augustine. When, in 1134, Margrave Leopold of Austria founded the Augustinian Monastery of Kloster-Neuburg near Vienna, he made Hartmann its provost. Shortly afterwards, Bishop Reinbert of Seben (Saviona) died near Brixen, whereupon our Hartmann was elected in his place and consecrated in 1142 by Salzburg's Archbishop Conrad I.

Already in the first year of his excellent reign, a local wealthy man named Reinbert and his wife Christina founded the Augustinian monastery of Neuzell (Mon. Novecellense) near Brixen with his advisory council. In 1156 Hartmann attended the Imperial Diet in Regensburg.

As a bishop, Hartmann lived like the strictest monk, ate just one meal a day, and only vegetables, wore very rough clothes, had himself scourged daily, and, unless illness prevented him, offered the holy sacrifice of the Mass every single day. Strict towards himself, his gentleness and kindness towards others, especially the poor, was exemplary. Hartmann was particularly fond of contemplating the heavenly realities. Raderus* reports several miracles performed by the pious bishop during his lifetime (II. 270).

Two days before Christmas 1165, Blessed Hartmann took a bath. Since he seemed to linger in it longer than usual, the servants went in and found him dead in the tub. Eight days earlier he had asked the people to pray for a deceased person and said: "What if I had to follow him in eight days' time?" His death occurred on December 23, 1165. Hartmann was buried in the middle of the cathedral church. He had led the diocese of Brixen with purity and holiness for 23 years. Many miracles occurred at his tomb. [Some calendars mention Hartmann, Bishop of Brixen, on December 12.]

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 2, Augsburg, 1861, pp. 601-602)

*A hagiography source used by the authors

Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Blessed Hartmann 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.

Sources of these articles (in the original German): books.google.co.uk, de-academic.com, zeno.org, openlibrary.org

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