BL. MEGINHARD, ABBOT OF HERSFELD

BL. MEGINHARD, ABBOT OF HERSFELD - 26 SEPTEMBER

BLESSED MEGINHARD, ABBOT OF HERSFELD

Monastery yard in the snow

Blessed Meginhard (Meginhardus, Meginherus), commemorated on September 26, was a mid-eleventh century Abbot of Hersfeld (Herocampia) on the Fulda (Hersfeld is not to be confused with the Hirschfeld monastery). As such, he succeeded Abbot Rudolf in 1035, who had become Bishop of Paderborn as successor to Meinwerk. Meginhard rebuilt the monastery, which had been destroyed by fire in 1037, and transferred the relics of both Saint Wigbert and Saint Lullus to the newly built church. He is also famous for his strict discipline and his zeal for the sciences. The historian Lambert of Aschaffenburg (autor of De rebus gestis Germanorum etc.) entered the order when Meginhard was in charge. Blessed Meginhard is praised not only as a man of great virtues in Christ, but some writers go as far as calling him the only model of true monastic life of his time in the German lands.

This holy abbot's life was embittered by a long tithe dispute with Bishop Burchard of Halberstadt and his advisor, Archpriest Utho, which was not resolved even by the decision of Pope Nicholas II, which ruled in Meginhard's favour. Shortly before his death (September 26, 1059), Meginhard referred his bitter opponent to the judgment seat of God.

Mabillon* (p. VI. B. 136) and the Gallia Christiana* (p. 569) mention him with the title "blessed"; Butler* and Lechner* call him "godly," and Gelenus* "venerable". The Bollandists*, finally, list Meginhard among the Praetermissi. (VII 188 et 189).

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 4, Augsburg, 1875, p. 392)

*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 Meginhard 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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