John Gualbert

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Vallumbrosan Order
  • Italian Forest Corps
  • Brazilian forests

    • Giovanni Gualberto (c. 985 – 12 July 1073) was an Italian

    Order of Saint Benedict though he left in order to found his own congregation. He condemned nepotism and all simoniacal actions and was known for the pureness and meekness of his faith. Even popes held him in high esteem.[1]

    Miracles were reported at his tomb after his death. Pope Celestine III canonized Gualberto on 24 October 1193.[2]

    Life

    Giovanni Gualberto was born circa 985 to nobles who hailed from the Visdomini house; he was born in the castle known as Poggio Petroio.[2] His sole sibling was his older brother Ugo.[1] He was also related to Pietro Igneo.

    He was educated and raised Catholic but in his adolescence cared little for religion. He was instead focused on frivolous things and was concerned with vain amusements and romantic intrigues.[3] When his brother Ugo was murdered, Gualbert set out to avenge his death.

    Edward Burne-Jones – The Merciful Knight

    One Good Friday as he was entering Florence with his armed followers, he happened, in a narrow lane, to come upon the man who had killed his brother. The killer fell upon his knees with arms outstretched in the form of a cross and begged for mercy in the name of Jesus, reminding Gualbert that Christ had died on that day. Gualberto granted him mercy and renounced his revenge.[4]

    Gualbert entered the

    Burne-Jones's picture "The Merciful Knight" and Shorthouse adapted this in "John Inglesant".[5]

    Bernardo Giambullari, Storia e miracoli di San Giovanni Gualberto, ca. 1500

    Gualberto became a Benedictine monk at San Miniato despite his father's opposition. His father hastened to find his son but gave him his blessing when he heard his son's arguments and saw that he was resolute in his decision. But he counselled his son to do good.

    eremitic life so after he spent some time with the monks at Camaldoli, but later settled at Vallombrosa where he founded his own convent in 1036.[3] Instead of a traditional garden he opted to have his monks plant trees (firs and pines for the most part). He founded additional convents for his order in locations such as Rozzuolo and San Salvi
    .

    He became a noted figure for his compassion to the poor and the ill.

    priesthood and nor did he even wish to receive the minor orders
    .

    Gualbert died at the age of 80, in 1073.[3]

    Vallombrosians

    The holy lives of the first monks at Vallombrosa attracted considerable attention and brought many requests for new foundations, but there were few postulants, since few could endure the extraordinary austerity of the life. Thus only one other monastery, that of San Salvi at Florence, was founded during this period. But when the founder had mitigated his rule somewhat, three more monasteries were founded and three others reformed and united to the order during his lifetime. In the struggle of the popes against simony the early Vallumbrosans took a considerable part, of which the most famous incident is the ordeal by fire undertaken successfully by St. Peter Igneus in 1068. Shortly before this the monastery of S. Salvi had been burned and the monks ill-treated by the anti-reform party. These events still further increased the repute of Vallombrosa. A Bull of Pope Urban II in 1090, which takes Vallombrosa under the protection of the Holy See, enumerates fifteen monasteries besides the motherhouse.[5]

    Veneration

    Gualbert was canonized by Pope Celestine III on 24 October 1193.

    His liturgical feast was not included in the Tridentine calendar but was later added to the General Roman Calendar in 1595. Owing to its limited worldwide importance his feast was removed from that calendar in 1969.[6] The date assigned for his feast still remains as indicated in the Roman calendar and according to the new rules given in the Roman Missal in 1969 could still be celebrated across the globe with his own Mass unless in some places an important celebration is assigned and thus coincides.[7][8]

    The

    Optional Memorial.[9]

    Gualberto is the patron saint for

    parks. Pope Pius XII named him – in 1951 – as the patron saint for the Italian Forest Corps while he was named as the patron for Brazilian forests in 1957.[2]

    See also

    References

    1. ^ a b c d Rev. Alban Butler. "Lives of the Saints". Bartleby. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
    2. ^ a b c d "San Giovanni Gualberto". Santi e Beati. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
    3. ^ a b c "St. John Gualbert". Catholic News Agency. 12 July 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
    4. ^ Stracke, Richard. "St. John Gualbert: The Iconography", Christian Iconography, Augusta University
    5. ^ a b Webster, Douglas Raymund. "Vallumbrosan Order." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 11 February 2019
    6. ^ "Calendarium Romanum" (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969), p. 129.
    7. ISBN 88-209-7210-7
      )
    8. ^ General Instruction of the Roman Missal Archived 2008-07-20 at the Wayback Machine, 355 c.
    9. ^ Proper Masses for the Use of the Benedictine Confederation. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press. 1975. p. 9.

    Sources

    • F. Salvestrini, Disciplina Caritatis, Il monachesimo vallombrosano tra medioevo e prima età moderna, Rome, Viella, 2008.
    • F. Salvestrini, Santa Maria di Vallombrosa. Patrimonio e vita economica di un grande monastero medievale, Florence, Olschki, 1998.
    • Salvestrini, F. (2010). Santa Vallombrosani in Liguria. Storia di una presenza monastica fra Dodicesimo e Diciassettesimo secolo. Rome: Viella.
    • F. Salvestrini, ed. (2011). I Vallombrosani in Lombardia (XI-XVIII secolo). Milan-Lecco: ERSAF.

    External links

    Wikimedia Commons has media related to Giovanni Gualberto.
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