Bienheureux Bernard de
Sithiu
Pénitent (+ 1182)
Bernard Maguellone suite à un assassinat aurait été condamné à faire un pèlerinage d'expiation. Il finit par se fixer à côté de l'abbaye de Sithiu(*) où il vécut dans la misère et le dénuement. Quelques informations sur sa vie nous sont parvenues par les écrits de l'abbé de l'époque Jean de Sithiu.
(*) Monastère fondé par Saint Bertin... Après avoir rétabli et multiplié les écoles, Charlemagne décida de visiter un des établissements les plus réputés de son empire: 'L'école de Sithiu', située au cœur de l'abbaye. On peut lire à son sujet qu'elle fut 'la pépinière où l'on forma une légion de savants missionnaires pour la conversion de l'Angleterre'... Saint Bertin sous un autre jour - Les vestiges de l'abbaye sortent de l'ombre... (diocèse d'Arras)
Au monastère de Saint-Bertin à Thérouanne, l'an 1182, le trépas du bienheureux
Bernard le Pénitent, qui, cherchant à expier par une pénitence très dure des
péchés de jeunesse, choisit un exil volontaire: pieds nus, vêtu de tissus de
laine, se contentant d'un peu de nourriture, il fit sans arrêt des pèlerinages
aux lieux sacrés et finit ses jours sous l'habit monastique.
Martyrologe romain
SOURCE : https://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/11623/Bienheureux-Bernard-de-Sithiu.html
.JPG)
Ruines de de l'ancienne abbaye bénédictine Saint-Bertin, et la statue de l'abbé Suger. Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais), rue des Ruines Saint-Bertin. Fondée au viie siècle, par l'évêque de Thérouanne sous le nom d'abbaye de Sithiu.
The
ruines of the Abbaye Saint-Bertin and the statue of Suger of Saint-Denis. Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais
- France
Also known as
Bernard of Maguellone
Bernard the Penitent
Profile
To atone for the sins of
his early life, including a murder, Bernard lived in complete poverty, wearing
rags, eating whatever came to hand, if anything, travelling barefoot
from one holy place to another, and living as a hermit between pilgrimages.
In 1178 he
settled near the abbey of
Sithiu and spent his remaining four years in private penance and prayer.
19 April 1182 in
the monastery of
Saint-Bertin, Thérouanne region, France of
natural causes
Additional
Information
books
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
images
sitios
en español
Martirologio Romano, 2001 edición
fonti
in italiano
MLA
Citation
“Blessed Bernard of
Sithiu“. CatholicSaints.Info. 17 November 2021. Web. 18 April 2023.
<https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-bernard-of-sithiu/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-bernard-of-sithiu/
Ruines
de l'abbatiale Saint-Bertin de Saint-Omer, vues depuis le chevet.
1182 Blessed Bernard the Penitent
Many miraculous cures occurred at his tomb OSB Monk (AC)
NOTHING is known of the early years of this Bernard except that he was born in
the diocese of Maguelone in Provence, and even his contemporary biographer
could never ascertain of what crimes he had been guilty beyond his
participation in a rising which had resulted in the death of an unpopular
governor. We have, however, the exact wording of the certificate which he
obtained from his bishop before entering upon his penitential life.
John, by the grace of God
Bishop of Maguelone, to all the pastors and faithful of the Catholic Church,
eternal salvation in the Lord. Be it known to you all that in expiation of the
horrible crimes committed by him, we have imposed upon Bernard, the bearer of
this present letter, the following penance. He is to go barefoot for seven
years: he is not to wear a shirt for the rest of his life: he is to
observe the forty days before the Birthday of our Saviour like a Lenten fast:
he is to abstain from meat and fat on Wednesdays and from everything but bread
and a little wine on Fridays. On the Fridays of Lent and Embertide he shall
drink nothing but water, and on all Saturdays which are not great festivals he
shall take no meat or fat unless illness requires it. Therefore we ask you of
your charity in Jesus Christ, for the redemption of your souls and in a spirit
of compassion, to give to this very poor penitent the necessary food and
clothing and to shorten his penance so far as reason may allow. Given at
Maguelone in the year of the Incarnation of our Lord 1170 in the month of
October. In force for seven years only.
In the garb of a penitent and loaded with heavy iron fetters, Bernard undertook a number of pilgrimages, during which he endured and even courted hardships of all sorts. Three times, it is said, he visited Jerusalem, and once went as far as India to implore the intercession of St Thomas. At last one day when he arrived at Saint-Omer, it was revealed to him that his travels were now to cease. A generous citizen gave him a little house abutting on the monastery of Saint-Berth, and the monks allowed him access at all hours to their church. He was always the first at the night offices and he would stand barelegged and barefooted on the stone flags even in the depth of winter when his flesh was cracked and frozen with the cold. He loved to make himself useful by nursing the poor or by cleaning the churches.
Bernard came to be a familiar and popular figure as he passed through the
streets on his errands of mercy, replying to all greetings with the words, “God
grant us all a good end”. The time came when he ventured to ask the monks to
give him the habit, and they welcomed him, for they regarded him as a saint.
Towards the end of his life he was endowed with the gift of prophecy and many
miracles were attributed to him; and after his death the church was thronged by
such crowds that the monks had the utmost difficulty in proceeding with the
funeral: everyone was begging for some fragment of his garments or for
something he had used. Bd Bernard’s biographer testifies that he had been an
eye-witness of many of the wonderful cures which he relates.
This life printed in
the Acta Sanctorum, April, vol. ii, purports to have been written by
one John, a monk of the abbey of Saint-Bertin.
Born in Provence, France;
died at Saint Omer, 1182. Bernard committed some unspecified, apparently
horrible, crime for which the bishop of Maguelonne (Provence) mandated seven
years of public penance in 1170. Bernard performed the penance loaded with
seven heavy iron bands. These he dragged from shrine to shrine-- Compostella,
Rome, Palestine--until he reached Saint Bertin (Sithiu) Abbey. There he lived
as a hermit until he mustered the courage to ask the monks of the abbey to
receive him into their community. The monks readily welcomed him because they
regarded him as a living saint. Many miraculous cures occurred at his tomb
(Attwater2, Benedictines).
SOURCE : http://www.lngplants.com/Saint_of_the_DayApril19.html#1182_Blessed_Bernard_the_Penitent_Many
.jpg)
John of Ypres, Miniature of the abbay of Saint-Bertin, CRONICA siue hystoria sancti Bertini, 1456 (British Library, add. ms. 30033, f1r)
_(cropped).jpg)
John of Ypres, Miniature of the abbay of Saint-Bertin, CRONICA siue hystoria sancti Bertini, 1456 (British Library, add. ms. 30033, f1r)
Blessed Bernard of Sithiu, Penitent,
+ 19 April 1182
Roman Martyrology: At the
monastery of Saint-Bertin in the territory of France in Thérouanne, transit of
Blessed Bernardo, penitent, who, eager to atone for the sins of his youth with
an austere penitence, voluntarily chose exile, and, barefooted, with wearing garments
of wool and happy just a park board, was a tireless pilgrim to the holy places.
The few reports received
about the life of Blessed Bernard of Sithiu are those handed down in the
writings of John of Sithiu, abbot in 1187, a source of extraordinary interest
and value to deepen the knowledge of the character. I also mention Bolland
October 1170 a letter with which the Archbishop of Narbonne condemned Bernard
package. There was also handed the Office composed in his honor and in 1465 an
inventory of his remains are cited Quli “relics of St Bernard, penitent. “
From such documents and
testimonies one may deduce that Bernard of Maguellone, following a murder, was
ordered to make a pilgrimage of atonement. After wandering far and wide for a
long time, he finally settled near the former of Sithiu, where for four years
he lived in misery and deprivation, finally dying on April 19, 1182. The fame
for holiness which was gained in life was later confirmed after death by many
miracles occurring at his tomb.
Author: Fabio Arduino
Source: Santi
e Beati
SOURCE : https://theblackcordelias.wordpress.com/2009/04/19/blessed-bernard-of-sithiu-penitent-april-19/
Saint of the Day – 19
April – Blessed Bernard of Sithiu (Died 1182) Layman Penitent
Posted on April
19, 2023
Saint of the Day – 19
April – Blessed Bernard of Sithiu (Died 1182) Layman Penitent, Pilgrim, Hermit
Died on 19 April 1182 in the Monastery of Saint-Bertin, Thérouanne region,
France of natural causes. Patronages – of sinners, convicts,
prisoners, penitents, pilgrims. Also known as – Bernard of Maguellone,
Bernard the Penitent, Bernard the Pilgrim.
The Roman Martyrology: “At
the Monastery of Saint-Bertin in the territory of France in Thérouanne, lies
the tomb of Blessed Bernard, penitent, who, eager to atone for the sins of his
youth with an austere penitence, voluntarily chose exile and, barefooted,
wearing rough garments, was a tireless pilgrim to the holy places.”
Like St Nicholas of
Trani, St Benedict Joseph Labre, St Rocco and several others this Saint lived
as an itinerant pilgrim to the Shrines of Europe.
The few reports received
about the life of Blessed Bernard of Sithiu are those handed down in the
writings of John of Sithiu, Abbot in 1187, a source of extraordinary interest.
There is also the Office composed in his honour and in 1465, an inventory of
his remains are cited, “relics of St Bernard, Penitent. “
From such documents and
testimonies, we discover that Bernard, following a murder, was ordered to make
a pilgrimage of atonement.
After wandering far and
wide for a long time, he finally settled near the former town of Sithiu, where,
for four years he lived in poverty and deprivation. He prayed and fasted
incessantly and endured the elements, as well as many other trials and
sufferings. He became a very saintly man in love with God and
self-renunciation. Finally dying on 19 April 1182.
The fame for holiness
which was gained in life, was later confirmed after death, by many miracles
occurring at his tomb.
Author: AnaStpaul
Passionate Catholic.
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M.
Ulysse Delhom (1821-1897), Ruines de l'église Saint-Bertin, à Saint-Omer,
lithographie, vers 1850
Beato Bernardo di Sithiu Penitente
† 19 aprile 1182
Martirologio
Romano: Presso il monastero di Saint-Bertin nel territorio di Thérouanne
in Francia, transito del beato Bernardo, penitente, che, desideroso di espiare
i peccati della sua giovinezza con un’austera penitenza, scelse spontaneamente
l’esilio e, scalzo, con indosso vesti di lana e contento solo di un parco
vitto, fu instancabile pellegrino presso i luoghi sacri.
Le poche notizie pervenuteci circa la vita del Beato Bernardo di Sithiu sono quelle tramandate negli scritti di Giovanni di Sithiu, abate nel 1187, fonte di interesse e valore straordinari per approfondire la conoscenza del personaggio. I Bollandisti menzionano inoltre una lettera dell’ottobre 1170 con la quale l’arcivescovo di Narbona condannò Bernardo all’espiazione. Ci è stato inoltre tramandato l’Ufficio composto in suo onore ed in un inventario del 1465 i suoi resti sono citati quli “reliquie di s. Bernardo penitente”.
Tutti questi documenti e testimonianze fanno dedurre che Bernardo di Maguellone, in seguito ad un omicidio, fu condannato a compiere un pellegrinaggio di espiazione. Dopo aver vagato in lungo e in largo per molto tempo, si stabilì infine nei pressi dell’abbazia di Sithiu, ove per quattro anni visse nella miseria e nelle privazioni, morendo infine il 19 aprile 1182. La fama di santità che si guadagnò in vita fu poi confermata dopo la morte da numerosi miracoli verificatisi sulla sua tomba.
Autore: Fabio Arduino
SOURCE : https://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/50060
Beato Bernardo di Sithiu
1182
Bernardo nacque da una
famiglia aristocratica nella diocesi di Maguellone in Provenza. Partecipò a una
sollevazione che portò alla morte di un governatore impopolare e, in varie
occasioni, commise crimini che lo spinsero a passare il resto della vita in penitenza.
Non è chiaro quali fossero questi crimini, ma è rimasta la lettera del suo
vescovo che gli imponeva la penitenza; dalla durezza della pena si evince che i
crimini furono pubblici e, secondo le parole del vescovo, «atroci», e che quasi
certamente comprendevano un omicidio. Bernardo avrebbe dovuto andare scalzo per
sette anni, non indossare camicia per il resto della sua vita e osservare nei
quaranta giorni precedenti il Natale un digiuno completo di tipo quaresimale,
astenendosi il mercoledì e il sabato dalle carni e dai grassi e il venerdì
assumendo solo un po’ di pane e vino. Il vescovo chiese poi a coloro che
incontravano Bernardo di «dare a questo poverissimo penitente il cibo e il
vestiario necessario e di alleviare la sua penitenza in maniera ragionevole».
La lettera porta la data dell’ottobre 1170 e aveva una validità «di soli sette
anni». Alcune difficoltà sorgono nell’interpretazione della lettera; Bernardo
infatti sembra averla seguita strettamente ed essere anzi andato oltre le sue
richieste, per cui si apre la questione riguardante quanto Bernardo si impose,
in un certo senso, da sé penitenze ricevendo poi il sostegno del vescovo: fece
numerosi pellegrinaggi vestito da penitente e appesantito da ceppi di ferro e
sembra desiderasse una vita di ristrettezze. Si riporta, ma non plausibilmente,
che visitò Gerusalemme tre volte e che andò in India per chiedere aiuto a S.
Tommaso (3 lug.).
Infine, mentre si trovava
a S. Omer, nel nord est della Francia, gli fu rivelato che i suoi viaggi erano
finiti. Un benefattore gli donò una casetta vicina al monastero di
Saint-Bertin, dove trascorse il resto della vita, prendendo parte a tutti gli
uffici monastici e a opere di misericordia in città. Gli si attribuiscono
numerosi miracoli e il dono della profezia; il suo biografo testimoniò di avere
assistito egli stesso a guarigioni da lui operate. Nel 1182, qualche tempo
prima della sua morte, divenne monaco nello stesso monastero. I miracoli
continuarono presso la sua tomba.
SOURCE : https://www.santogiorno.it/bernardo-sithiu
Pierre-André Sigal. « Bernard le Pénitent et la révolte de Béziers de 1167 », Annales du Midi Année 1989 101-187 pp. 275-277 : https://www.persee.fr/doc/anami_0003-4398_1989_num_101_187_7463
