CONRAD OF SELDENBÜREN, FOUNDER AND MARTYR - 2 MAY

 

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CONRAD OF SELDENBÜREN, FOUNDER AND MARTYR

 Engelberg Monastery 

Conrad, founder of the Engelberg monastery in Switzerland and martyr, was descended from the Barons of Seldenbüren [Sellenbüren]. Their ancestral castle was located on the Albis near Zürich. Raised in the fear of God and of upright Christian conduct, Conrad always had an inclination towards monastic life. From time immemorial his illustrious family had been founding and sponsoring monasteries, e.g. Regibert (Reginbert) of Saint Blase Abbey (Sankt Blasien) in the Black Forest. 

After the death of his parents, Conrad was free to manage the assets he had inherited and immediately started looking for a suitable place for building a monastery on his estate. After various misfortunes in trying to erect an abbey - so runs the legend -  he received instruction through an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to build the project in Surenthal in Unterwalden [Switzerland] where he had properties at the foot of the Tittlis.

Although construction on his foundation began in 1082, it was not completed until 1120. On April 1 that year, the church was consecrated by Bishop Ulrich of Constanz, and Blessed Adelhelm moved twelve monks from Saint Blase to populate the new monastery.

According to the existing documents, Conrad also built a nunnery nearby (which was moved to Sarnen in 1615). The monastery's name Engelberg [Mount Angel] occurs in the confirmation bull of Pope Callixtus II, which Conrad himself received in Rome when he went there on pilgrimage in 1124. He also obtained confirmation of his donation from Emperor Henry IV.

He himself took the Benedictine habit from the hands of the blessed Abbot Adelhelm as a common lay brother and became an exemplary model for everyone to imitate in life and conduct, devotion, poverty, chastity and obedience. The best proof of his obedience was to willingly leave his dear monastic solitude at the command of his abbot in order to settle a dispute regarding monastery property. On his trip to Zürich he was killed by a relative or a servant on May 2, 1125, and died a victim of justice and monastic obedience.

His mortal frame was brought to Engelberg and remained unharmed even during the devastating fire in 1729.  His relics, along with those of Adelhelm, are kept in two monuments behind the altar of the church. Miracles are known to have occurred at this spot. The anniversary of Conrad's death has always been solemnly celebrated by the monastery and the local faithful, and is still commemorated each year.

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 1, Augsburg, 1858, pp. 659-60))

Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations

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