BL. IDESBALD, ABBOT

BL. IDESBALD, ABBOT - 18 APRIL

BLESSED IDESBALD, ABBOT

Idesbald's incorrupt body
(Bernard Picart, 1714)

Idesbald (Idesbaldus), third abbot of the Cistercian monastery Dunes or Dünen (Ten Duinen) in Flanders, is said to have been a descendant of the famous Dutch van der Graght family. A canon of Furnes or Veurne (Furna) at first, he later entered the monastery mentioned, where he became an enthusiastic cantor. Following the voluntary abdication of Abbot Albero in 1155, Idesbald was appointed his successor. He was a man as pious as he was insightful and wise. His vigilance, justice in his judgements, wisdom in punishing, calmness and peacefulness in dealings, truth in speaking, and his positive attitude during periods of illness are particularly mentioned among his qualities.

Even as an abbot he remained as dedicated to church singing as he had been during his early years as a cantor. When Bishop Gerard of Tournai raised the relics of the Scottish king and hermit Saint Guthagon (Guthagonus) at the Oostkerke near Bruges in 1159 (not 1059, as Vol. II. p. 592 erroneously states), Blessed Idesbald was present. Pope Alexander V and Count Philip I of Flanders (1168–1191) assisted Abbot Idesbald with many a flavour.

Eventually, in the year 1167, the twelfth of his abbatial office, he died. God bore witness to the holiness of his servant by several amazing miracles which occurred at his grave. Although he had been buried normally - without any embalming - his body was found intact and emitting a pleasant fragrance on March 9, 1239.

The monastery was later set on fire by the heretics. As time went on, floods of water from the neighbouring mountains caused additional damage to the buildings, and the body of Blessed Idesbald was soon forgotten. But in 1624 the abbot Bernardus Campmans rediscovered the Blessed's mortal remains. On May 3, Bucelin* mentions a translation from Bogaerden (Bogardium), where the monks at one time fled to for safety, to Bruges. The Bollandists*, however, list him on April 18.

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 3, Augsburg, 1869, p. 6)

*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 Idesbald 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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