Saint Sturm
Apôtre de la Saxe, à
Fulda (+ 779)
Premier abbé de l'abbaye
de Fulda, il connut saint Boniface l'évangélisateur
de la Germanie. Charlemagne le prit comme médiateur lors de la paix qu'il
voulut établir avec les Bavarois. Plein de vertus et de mérite il mourut
regretté de tous.
Au monastère de Fulda en
Saxe, l’an 779, saint Sturmi, abbé. Disciple de saint Boniface, il évangélisa
la Saxe et prit soin de construire, à la demande de son maître, ce célèbre monastère,
dont il fut le premier abbé.
Martyrologe romain
SOURCE : http://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/275/Saint-Sturm.html
1
Mark, Banknote, Notgeld der Stadt Niedermarsberg, Juli 1921, St. de:Sturmius,
Ausschnitt, Bernard Larenz (1873–1945)
Also
known as
Sturm, Sturmio, Sturmius
Apostle of the Saxons
Apostle of Germany
Profile
Educated by Saint Wigbert at
Fritzlar Abbey under
the direction of Saint Boniface.
Friend of Charlemagne. Priest. Missionary in Westphalia for
three years. Hermit at Hersfeld,
where he tried to establish a monastery in 742,
but had to flee ahead of Saxon raiders. Founded the Fulda monastery in 744,
and served as its first abbot. He
became the first German to
become a Benedictine,
and placed his house under the Benedictine Rule;
it became a regional center for learning and spirituality. He became involved
in a drawn-out dispute with bishop Saint
Lull of Mainz, Germany about
jurisdiction over the monastery,
and in 763 Pepin banished
Sturmi from Fulda. His brother monks rebelled,
and persuaded Pepin to
recall him after two years of exile.
Sturmi evangelized the
Saxons but met with little success as they associated him with the brutality of
the rulers Charlemagne and Pepin.
Born
779 in
Fulda, Germany of
natural causes
1139 by Pope Innocent
II
Additional
Information
Book
of Saints, by the Monks of
Ramsgate
Roman
Martyrology, 1914 edition
Saints
of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein
books
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
other
sites in english
Life of
Sturm, by Eigil of Fulda
The Compass, by Tony Staley
webseiten
auf deutsch
sitios
en español
Martirologio Romano, 2001 edición
fonti
in italiano
MLA
Citation
“Saint Sturmi of
Fulda“. CatholicSaints.Info. 12 December 2025. Web. 19 August 2026.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-sturmi-of-fulda/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-sturmi-of-fulda/
Sturmiusbildstock
am Bülberg zwischen Nieder- und Obermarsberg
Sturmiusbildstock
am Bülberg zwischen Nieder- und Obermarsberg
Article
(Saint) Abbot (December
17) (8th
century) A German Saint,
appointed by Saint Boniface to
be the first Abbot of
his monastery at
Fulda, which was soon peopled by four hundred monks.
One of the great merits of Saint Sturmio
was his foundation and organisation of schools for
the gradual civilising of the wild tribes surrounding his Abbey. He
was also an eloquent preacher and
a successful missionary.
He is often styled the “Apostle of the Saxons.” He died A.D. 779,
and was canonised A.D. 1139.
MLA
Citation
Monks of Ramsgate.
“Sturmius”. Book of Saints, 1921. CatholicSaints.Info.
15 December 2016. Web. 19 August 2026.
<https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-sturmius/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-sturmius/
Sturmi (Sturm, Sturmius)
of Fulda, OSB, Abbot
Died 779; canonized 1139.
Born of Christian parents in Bavaria, he was placed in the custody of Saint
Boniface, who had him educated by Saint Wigbert at Fritzlar Abbey. Sturmi was
ordained, engaged in missionary work in Westphalia for three years, and then
became a hermit at Hersfeld. Forced to leave by raiding Saxons, he founded
Fulda Monastery in 744 and was appointed its first abbot by Boniface. He
studied the Benedictine rule at Monte Cassino, was granted complete autonomy
for Fulda by Pope Saint Zachary, and under Sturmi's direction it became a great
center of monastic learning and spirituality. He later became involved in a
drawn-out dispute with Bishop Saint Lull of Mainz, who claimed jurisdiction
over the monastery, and in 763 Pepin banished Sturmi from Fulda. The monks
rebelled at his banishment and persuaded Pepin to recall him after two years of
exile. He was unsuccessful in attempts to convert the Saxons due in no small
measure to the conquests and harsh treatment accorded them by Charlemagne and Pepin.
When Charlemagne led an expedition against the Moors of Spain, the Saxons rose
up, drove out the monks, and threatened Fulda. On his return in 779,
Charlemagne put down the uprising, but Sturmi was stricken at Fulda before he
could reorganize his missions and died there on December 17. Known as the
"Apostle of the Saxons," he was the first German to become a
Benedictine (Delaney, Encyclopedia).
SOURCE : http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/1217.shtml
Sturm of Fulda
Sturm Of Fulda, a disciple of Boniface, and first abbot of Fulda, belonged to a noble family living in the province of Nauricum (Bavaria), and was born A.D. 710. His parents, influenced by Boniface, devoted their son to the Church, and placed him under the care of that missionary. He now traveled with his preceptor for a time, and then retired into the Monastery of Fritzlar, to engage in scientific study of the Holy Scriptures and the doctrines of the Christian faith under Wigbert. In 733 he was consecrated to the priesthood, and at once began to engage in missionary labors among the surrounding heathen communities. His leading purpose was the dissemination of Gospel truth and the introduction of the Christian worship; but he was also earnest in the cultivation of a higher morality among his hearers. After three years of successful labors, however, he felt himself constrained to enter upon a life of greater austerity. Boniface approved of his design, and directed him, for its realization, as well as for the accomplishment of an intention of his own to found a large monastery beyond the reach of danger through incursions of the Saxons, to explore the country for, a suitable site on which to erect a religious establishment. Accompanied by two associates, Sturm entered the unknown wilderness, and in three days found a place which seemed to offer every requisite except the assurance of quiet, as it was situated too near the territories of the hostile Saxons to justify the hope that it would remain undisturbed. At a later day archbishop Lullus, the successor of Boniface, founded there the Monastery of Hersfeld (768); but, by the advice of Boniface, a safer place was to be sought. Sturm now ventured into the forest alone, braving its wild beasts and its hordes of heathen, until he reached the spot where Fulda now stands, and there he found the situation of which he was in search. He returned to Hersfeld, and formed a plan for the erection of the convent; and Boniface repaired to the emperor Carloman to procure a donation of the land. At the beginning of 744, Sturm, accompanied by nine monks, took solemn possession of the locality, and rapidly pushed forward the building and arrangement of the proposed establishment. When completed, it assumed the name of the stream on which it stood, and received Sturm as its abbot. The number of monks rapidly increased, and it became necessary to arrange the plan of their government and of their ordinary life according to some strict system; and to this end a commission, to which Sturm belonged, was sent to Italy to study the methods in vogue among the Benedictines of that land. The Convent of Monte-Casino seemed to them to afford lessons in administration of especial value. They returned after having been absent a year, Sturm being detained on the journey by a severe illness at Kitzingen, on the Main; and after their arrival the discipline of Monte-Casino was introduced in all its strictness. Some of the brothers prayed, studied, or taught, while others were employed in the fields and gardens. The results of their industry, joined with the donations of wealthy patrons, greatly enriched the convent, extended its fame, and heightened the reputation of its abbot. When Lullus succeeded Boniface as archbishop, this peaceful state was rudely disturbed. Sturm demanded that the body of Boniface should be interred at Fulda, as Boniface himself had desired; but the clergy of Mayence, headed by Lullus, refused consent, and procured an order from king Pepin for the interment of the remains at Mayence. Lullus finally yielded. Another cause of trouble lay in the archbishop's assumption of the rights of ownership over the monastery, and of consequent supervision of its temporalities, which Sturm regarded as an invasion of his privileges. At the same time, three monks, who were dissatisfied with the strictness of Sturm's rule, charged him with treason against the king, and secured his citation before the court; and when Sturm, in the consciousness of his innocence, refused to defend himself, the anger of Pepin caused his banishment to the Monastery of Jumedica (now Jumieges), near Rouen. Lullus now endeavored to establish himself in the possession of Fulda; but as the monks drove away a priest whom he had appointed abbot, he gave way, and allowed them to choose for themselves. They selected Prezzold, a devoted adherent of Sturm, who at once began to labor for the pardon of his former superior; and, as other monasteries used their influence in the same direction, the end was attained. Sturm was recalled to court and reconciled to the king; and when Prezzold and his brothers of Fulda petitioned for Sturm's restoration to the monastery, the king consented, and, in addition, removed the monastery from under the jurisdiction of Lullus (762). A quiet era now began in the life of Sturm, which continued until his death. He grew in the royal favor constantly, and by his practical genius accomplished many results which increased the material welfare of his neighborhood In the beginning of Charlemagne's reign he was employed to preserve peace between the king and the powerful duke Thassilo of Bavaria, and was completely successful. A wider sphere opened before him when Charlemagne made war on the Saxons, in 772, and ordered a host of priests and other clergy to accompany the army in order to convert the conquered heathen. Sturm was especially prominent in this work, and achieved some real successes, as appears from the fact that a number of noble Saxons followed him to Fulda for instruction in the Christian faith. In acknowledgment of his services, Charlemagne donated to the Convent of Fulda an important royal domain situated in Hammelburg, on the Saale (Jan. 7, 777). When the campaign against the Saxons was repeated, in order to punish them for their revolt, Sturm was again ordered to attend the expedition; but his age forbade so great a demand on his strength, and he was left behind. He returned to Fulda and died Dec. 17, 779. He was buried in the church at Fulda, and a simple monument was placed over his remains. At the Lateran Council of 1139 pope Innocent II canonized the worthy abbot, and in 1439 bishop John of Würzburg ordered a diocesan festival in his honor.
See Eigel (abbot of Fulda
818-822), Vita Sturmi, in Mabillon, Act. SS. Ord. S. Bened. Soec.
8, 2, 242-259, and in Pertz, Monum. Script. 2, 365-377; also
Sturmius Brun, Lebensgesch. d. heil. Sturmius, etc. (1779,
8vo); Hist. Lit. de la France, 4, 161; Fabricius, Bibl.
Lat. Med. et Infim. AEtatis, 4, 214; Rettberg, Kirchengesch.
Deutschlands (Gott. 1846), vol. 1; Schwartz, Leben d. heil.
Sturmius (Fulda, 1858). — Herzog, Real-Encyklop. s.v.
SOURCE : https://www.biblicalcyclopedia.com/S/sturm-of-fulda.html
Saint of the Day – 17 December – Saint Sturmi of Fulda (c 705-779)
Saint of the Day – 17
December – Saint Sturmi of Fulda (c 705-779) Priest, Monk and Abbot,
Missionary, disciple of Saint Boniface and Founder and first Abbot of the
Benedictine Monastery and Abbey of Fulda. Sturmi’s tenure as Abbot lasted from
747 until 779. Also known as Apostle of the Saxons, Apostle of Germany,
Sturm, Sturmius.
Sturmi was born c 705 in
Lorch, Austria and was most likely related to the Agilolfing Dukes of Bavaria.
He met Saint Boniface when the latter was carrying out the church reorganisation
in Bavaria and Austria (founding the Bishoprics of Salzburg, Regensburg and
Würzburg). He joined Boniface and was educated in the Benedictine monastery of
Fritzlar by Abbot Saint Wigbert. He was then active as a Missionary in northern
Hesse, where in 736 he established a monastic settlement in Haerulfisfeld
(Hersfeld).
Sturmi was Ordained in
740 as Priest in Fritzlar. In 744 he was instructed by St Boniface in 744 to
establish a Monastery in the region of Eichloha, which had been granted to
Boniface by the Frankish Mayor of the Palace Carloman. He established the
Monastery in the ruins of a 6th-century Merovingian royal camp, destroyed 50
years earlier by the Saxons, at a ford on the Fulda River.
Following studies at St
Benedict’s Monastery in Monte Cassino in 747–748, Sturmi was named first Abbot
of the Fulda Monastery by St Boniface. In 751, St Boniface and his disciple and
successor Lullus, obtained an exemption for Fulda, having it placed directly
under the Papal See and making it independent of interference by Bishops or
worldly princes.
After the death of St
Boniface, this exemption led to serious conflicts between Lullus, then
Archbishop of Mainz and Abbot Sturmi. Nevertheless, Sturmi prevailed over the
Bishops of Mainz and Utrecht in having Boniface, buried in Fulda after his
Martyrdom in 754. This made Fulda a major place of pilgrimage for many peoples,
including Anglo-Saxons and brought much prestige and a stream of gifts and
donations to Fulda.
Building on this success,
Sturmi was able to fend off efforts by the Bishops of Mainz and Würzburg to
invalidate the Abbey’s exemption. He was sent into exile from 763 to 765 at
Jumièges (Normandy) but was rehabilitated in 765 by Pippin the Younger. In 774,
the Abbey of Fulda received Royal protection from Charlemagne. In the same
year, Fulda was assigned missionary territories in heathen Saxony. Sturmi later
established the Abbey of St Boniface at Hamelin. In 779, he accompanied
Charlemagne into Saxony but fell ill and died soon after returning to Fulda on
17 December 779, where he was buried in the Cathedral.
Fulda Abbey CathedralSturmi
was recognised as a Saint prior to the East–West Schism in 1054, hence the
Orthodox Church continues to honour him. He was formally Canonised in 1139 by
Pope Innocent II. His life was recorded in the Vita Sturmi by the fourth Abbot
of Fulda, Eigil of Fulda (died 822[1]), a relative of his, who had been a Monk
in Fulda for over 20 years under Abbot Sturmi.
Author: AnaStpaul
Passionate Catholic.
Being a Catholic is a way of life - a love affair "Religion must be like
the air we breathe..."- St John Bosco Prayer is what the world needs
combined with the example of our lives which testify to the Light of Christ.
This site, which is now using the Traditional Calendar, will mainly concentrate
on Daily Prayers, Novenas and the Memorials and Feast Days of our friends in
Heaven, the Saints who went before us and the great blessings the Church
provides in our Catholic Monthly Devotions. This Site is placed under the
Patronage of my many favourite Saints and especially, St Paul. "For the
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who move us and lead us, to where we had not expected to go.” Charles Cardinal
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all those who visit here will be abundantly blessed. Pax et bonum! View All Posts
SOURCE : https://anastpaul.com/2020/12/17/saint-of-the-day-17-december-saint-sturmi-of-fulda-c-705-779/
Sometimes a name just
sticks
Sturm wasn't very successful at converting Saxons, but is still called their apostle
By Tony Staley
Compass Editor
Sometimes the way the
church works seems contrary to our way of thinking. Consider for example, St.
Sturm (or Sturmi), who is known as the "Apostle of the Saxons."
A title like that would
lead most to believe that he converted thousands of Saxons to Christianity. In
truth, he had little success, for reasons that were probably beyond his
control. But the title sticks.
St. Sturm was born in 8th
century Bavaria to Christian parents. They placed him under the care of St.
Boniface, who sent him to the newly established Fritzlar Abbey, where he was
educated by St. Wigbert, an English missionary.
After Sturm's ordination,
Boniface sent him to work for three years as a missionary in Westphalia -- a
region in western Germany bordering the Netherlands -- in preparation for
evangelizing the Saxons. He then was a hermit at Hersfeld, until raiding Saxons
drove him from his unprotected hermitage.
Boniface then instructed
Sturm to start a monastery in Central Germany at Fulda, which became a seminary
and model monastery for all Germany.
In 744, Boniface named
Sturm abbot at Fulda. Four years later, he and two other monks left for Italy
so they could study the Benedictine life and establish it at Fulda. They spent
a year at Monte Cassino -- St. Benedict's abbey -- and other Benedictine abbeys
learning how the monks lived.
Before returning to
Fulda, Sturm met with Pope St. Zachary, who placed the monastery under the
jurisdiction of the Vatican, rather than under the bishop.
Under Sturm's leadership,
the monastery thrived. But after Boniface was martyred in 754, Sturm became
involved in a long feud with St. Lull, the new Bishop of Mainz, who insisted
that Fulda was under his jurisdiction.
In 763, Lull convinced
King Pepin to banish Sturm from Fulda. Lull named a new abbot, whom the monks
refused to accept. Eventually, Lull allowed them to elect their own abbot and
within two years they convinced Pepin to allow Sturm to return to Fulda.
Sturm's attempts to
convert the Saxons proved largely fruitless, mainly because of the 30-year war
waged against them first by Pepin and then, after his death in 768, by his son,
Charlemagne, and the harsh treatment they received after their conquest.
When Charlemagne left the
area to battle the Moors in Spain, the Saxons revolted and drove out the monks.
Charlemagne returned in 779 and, with Sturm accompanying him, subdued the
Saxons again.
Soon after, Sturm became
ill. He died in 779 on Dec. 17, the day on which we celebrate his feast. Sturm
-- the first German Benedictine -- was canonized in 1139.
St. Sturm's life invites
us to consider how often we could learn from our own failures and go on to
succeed.
(Sources: Butler's
Lives of the Saints, Dictionary of Saints and Voices of the
Saints.)
SOURCE : http://www.thecompassnews.org/compass/2001-12-14/01cn1214f2.htm
Skulpturengruppe
mit Bonifatius (Missio), Benedikt (Regula) und Sturmius (Fundatio) in der
Fuldaer Altstadt (Hessen, Deutschland)
Eigil: Life of Sturm,
early 9th Century
Talbot Introduction]
Though Eigil is called
"Saint ", his name is not to be found in any martyrology. He was born
in Norica of noble parents, and shortly after the martyrdom of St. Boniface he
was sent to Fulda to be educated under the supervision of his relative Sturm,
first abbot of the monastery. As he is careful to point out, he remained at his
side for twenty years. After Sturm's death in 779 the abbey was ruled first by
Bangulf, then by Ratgar, but the latter's mania for building impeded the
progress of the school and brought on other troubles which led to his
deposition and banishment. In his place Eigil was elected about the year 8I8,
and he continued in office until his death in 822. There is reason to believe
that Eigil shared in the movement which demanded the deposition of Ratgar and
which placed a request before Charlemagne in 8II for the enforcement of
stricter monastic discipline. But one of Eigil's first acts after his
installation as abbot was to demand the return of Ratgar from Louis the Pious.
The Life of Sturm was
written at the request of the virgin Angildruth. It contains interesting
details about the foundation of the Abbey of Fulda and the various changes that
took place there. Eigil's own biography was drawn up by his disciple Candidus
and survives in two forms: one in Prose the other in verse.
Sources. The first
edition of the Life of St. Sturm came from the hands of Chr. Browerus, Vita
Sancti Stumi Primi Abbatis Fuldensis, in Sidera Germaniae (Mainz,
161:6), pp. 5-24. The critical edition is found in Monumenta Gernurniae
Historica, Scriptores, vol. ii, pp. 366-77. This is, as far as I am aware,
the first English translation.
THE LIFE OF ST.
STURM
BY EIGIL, ABBOT OF FULDA
[181] I have always
known, O Angildruth, that you were fired with divine love and filled with a
desire for better things. And for this reason I comply with your request. For
you ask me to recount the life of the holy and venerable Abbot Sturm and to put
into writing the early beginnings of the monastery of the Holy Saviour which he
founded and which is known by the name of Fulda. You also ask me to describe
the events connected with the monastery as I have heard or seen them. As far as
my capabilities allow, I have carried out your request and I have compressed
into this little book both the early days and life of Sturm as reliable
witnesses have recounted them to me, and the foundation of the aforesaid
monastery. I have also added some details about the changes effected in the
course of time, such as I have heard from others or seen with my own eyes. For
I, Eigil, was his disciple for more than twenty years, and I was brought up and
trained in the observance of his monastery from childhood. Some of the events,
therefore, which I describe can be vouched for from my own experience.
So here you have what you
asked for, a slip of parchment inscribed with your name to be kept or laid
aside as you choose. It rests with you to answer for me to the criticisms of my
enemies: defend me as one moved more by goodwill than presumption, and sustain
me by your holy prayers with Christ as your true Spouse.
At the time the venerable
Archbishop Boniface set foot in Norica, imparting the faith to the priests and
people of the Church, suppressing there the errors of the heretics and curbing
with the true doctrine of Christ those people who, although already Christians,
were infected with the evil teaching of the pagans, certain nobles came to him
vying with each other to offer their sons to be brought up in the service of
God. Among those whom he accepted at the instance of his parents was Sturm, a
native of [182] Norica and a member of a noble Christian family. Leaving behind
all his relatives and following the Father of our redemption) he set out
joyfully on a journey with the bishop who had accepted him, much to the grief
of his father and mother. After they had traversed several provinces they
reached Frizlar in the land of the Hessians, where the bishop entrusted him to
the care of a certain priest named Wigbert. This holy priest took great pains
to instruct the boy Sturm in the service of God.
After he had learned the
psalms by heart and mastered many books by repeatedly going over them in his
mind, the boy began to understand the spiritual meaning of the Scriptures and
set himself to learn the hidden secrets of the four Gospels of Christ, and, as
far as he was able, to fix in his mind by colltinual reading the Old and New
Testaments. His meditation was upon the law of God, as Scripture says, night
and day. His understanding was profound, his thoughts full of wisdom, his words
of prudence. Pleasant in countenance, modest in bearing, goodmannered,
irreproachable in his conduct, charitable, humble, mild, ready to perform any
service, he drew to himself everyone's affection. After a certain length of
time he was, with common consent, ordained priest, and as opportunity presented
itself he began to explain to the people the hidden words of Christ. Through
the power of the Holy Ghost many miracles were wrought by him. Many times he
drove out evil spirits by his prayers from sinful Christians. Many tiInes he
cured souls that had been infected with the poisonous doctrines of error. Those
who were at enmity with one another were ordered by him to become reconciled
before the setting of the sun; and to all he taught patience, mildness,
humility, longanimity, faith, hope and charity.
When he had spent almost
three years of his priesthood preaching and baptizing he was divinely inspired
to undertake the rigorous life of a hermit. This idea haunted him at every
moment of the day, until on a divine impulse he opened his heart to his
spiritual master, the archbishop Boniface. On learning of his intention, the
holy man quickly saw that the Lord had deigned to move him by His grace, and,
seeing that the inspiration came from GodJ he encouraged him and became the
chief supporter in his [183] design. He therefore gave him two companions,
carefully instructed them and, after praying and giving them his blessing,
said: "Go to the solitude which is called Bochonia and see if the place is
fit for servants of God to dwell in, for even in the desert God is able to
prepare a place for His followers."
So the three of them set
out to find a place for a hermitage; and when they reached a wild and
uninhabited spot and could see nothing except earth and sky and enormous trees
they devoutly prayed to God to g ude their footsteps in the way of peace. After
three days they came to a place which is nowadays nalled Hersfeld; and when
they had explored all the district round about they asked Christ to bless it
and make it fit for them to dwell in. This is the spot on which the monastery
now stands. There they made small huts roofed over with the bark of trees, and
there they stayed for a long time serving God in fasts, watching and prayer.
Some time later, when
Sturm had settled down to the hermitical life, he left the solitude and went to
the holy archbishop Boniface, to whom he described in detail the situation, the
quality of the soil, the running water, the fountains and valleys and
everything else connected with his foundation. Boniface listened intently to
all he had to say, and after turning it over in his mind ordered him to remain
at his side for a time. They discussed together, among other things, the
abundant consolation to be found in Holy Scripture, and then the archbishop
said: "You have indeed found a place to live in, but I am afraid to leave
you there on account of the savage people who are close by, for, as you are
aware, there are Saxons not far from that place and they are a ferocious race.
Look for a spot farther away, deeper in the woods, where you can serve God
without danger to yourselves."
Thereupon blessed Sturm
meekly accepted the suggestion of the archbishop and, being anxious to discover
another site, set out eagerly for the hermitage. When he reached his companions
he found them in their huts anxiously awaiting his return. As soon as he saw
them he gave them greetings from the archbishop and brought them comfort by
telling them all about his journey, about the archbishop, and described in
detail all that the archbishop had said to him. Then he took the two brothers
with him and set off [184] upstream in a boat. As they glided along the
river Fulda they kept a sharp lookout for streams and fountains. They then
disembarked and traversed the country on all sides, looking at the soil, the
mountains, the hills, the heights and the valleys to see if the Lord would show
them a place in the wilderness fit for them to live in.
At last, on the third
day, they came to a spot where the river Luodera flows into the Fulda. But
finding nothing that suited their purpose, they turned downstream from there
and began to row back to their own hermitage, stopping for a short time on the
way at a place called Ruohenbach, where it seemed possible that servants of God
might be able to live. On the whole they thought that the archbishop might not
approve of it. Then, sailing back along the same river, after a short time they
arrived at their own poor huts. There they continued to pray to God to find them
a suitable site for a hermitage where they might be able to serve Him in
accordance with the requirements of the archbishop Boniface. Day and night they
persevered in fasting, watching and prayer, always keeping the memory of God
before their eyes and saying in their hearts: "I have set the Lord always
before me: because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved." The
praise of God was also ever on their lips and in their hearts, and they
fulfilled the saying of the psalmist: " I will bless God at all times: His
praise is ever on my lips."
Then the holy bishop
Boniface, mindful of his hermit Sturrn and pleased at what he had done to find
another site, sent for him and asked him to come quickly to his presence. The
messenger lost no time in coming and found him dwelling in the abovementioned
huts and greeted him, saying: "Our revered bishop has great desire to see
you. You should come because he has many matters to discuss." At these
words the holy man Sturm gave this humble reply: " I give thanks to God that
so great a bishop should be mindful of my lowly self and should deign to send
his messenger to me in this wilderness." Then calling his brethren to him,
he commanded them to show all kindness to the messenger. Carefully carrying out
his behest, they set a table before him and offered him such food as they had;
and when he had eaten, the [185] brethren asked his leave to withdraw. Then the
man of God summoned the messenger, thanked him for his labour and said:
"Greet the holy bishop Boniface in the name of his servants and say that I
will hasten to him as quickly as I can." Then he blessed hirn and allowed
him to return.
On the following day the
man of God asked the blessing of his brethren and set out at once and, taking
the road to Seleheim [near Amoeneburg], hastened to meet the bishop. On the
second day after he had set out he met him in the place we have already
mentioned, called Frizlar. When it was told the bishop that the hermit Sturm
had arrived he gave orders that he should be brought into his presence. When
this had been done Sturm fell prostrate at his feet and, greeting the bishop,
asked for his blessing. The bishop returned his greetings, blessed him and
ordered him to approach and, after kissing him, commanded him to sit at his
side. He rejoiced at his coming and asked him for the sake of the love he bore
him to relax somewhat his usual fast. The man of God, acting with great
discretion and out of reverence for his master the bishop, complied. "
Anything that you may command," said he, "I believe to be holy."
Presently the table was
set in the presence of the bishop, and Sturm ate the food which he had
commanded him to take. When he had eaten and the table was removed the bishop
rose, took him aside into a quiet place where they could be alone, and there
they talked for a long time about spiritual matters and about the Christian
life. For, as afterwards appeared, the bishop was very eager to establish
monastic life in the wilderness, and for this reason he enquired, among other
things, what had transpired in the hermit's search for a site. Sturm answered:
" We travelled upstream along the river Fulda for several days, but we
found no place which we could recommend to you." The holy bishop
understood from this that the place predestined by God had not yet been
revealed, and an interior prophetic voice told him: "A place has indeed
been prepared in the wilderness, and when Christ wills He will show it to His
servants. For this reason continue the search, knowing and believing that you
will certainly flnd it." And so, assuring Sturrn that a site would
eventually be found, and, encouraging him in his [186] love of the monastic
life and fortifying him against the attacks of the devil, he allowed him to
return to his hermitage. Coming to his cell, which had been built at Hersfeld,
already mentioned, he greeted his brethren and related to them the commands and
the promise of the bishop.
When he had rested with
them for a short time and recovered from his fatigue he saddled his ass and,
taking provisions, set out alone, commending his journey to Christ, who is the
Way, the Truth and the Life. Alone on his ass, he began his wanderings through
the pathless wilderness.
Then the insatiable
explorer, scrutinizing with his experienced gaze the hills and the plains, the
mountains and valleys, the fountains and streams and rivers, went on his way.
Singing psallns with his mouth, he raised his mind to God in prayer, staying in
no place except where night compelled him to stop. And wherever he spent the
night he cut down trees with a tool which he carried in his hand and made a
circular fence for the protection of his ass, so that it would not be devoured
by the wild beasts which were numerous there. He himself, making a sign of the
cross on his forehead, lay down to rest without fear. And thus the man of God,
accoutred with weapons of the spirit, covering his body with the breastplate of
justice, guarding his breast with the shield of faith protecting his head with
the helmet of salvation, girded with the sword of the Word of God, went forth
to the fray against the devil. One day, whilst he was ambling along, he came to
a road leading from Thuringia to Mainz which the merchants use, and in the
street which goes over the river Fulda he came upon a great number of Slavs
swimming in the river and washing themselves. When the ass on which he was
riding saw their naked bodies he began to quiver with fear, and even the man of
God could not bear the stench of them. They, on their side, like all heathens,
began to jeer at him, and when they tried to do him harm they were held back by
divine power and prevented from carrying out their intention. One of them, who acted
as their interpreter, asked him where he was going. He replied that he was on
his way to a hermitage higher up.
So the man of God
continued his journey through the frightfull [187] wilderness, seeing nothing
but wild beasts, of which there was a ' great number, birds flying, enormous
trees and the rough thickets of the forests, until on the fourth day he passed
the spot where the monastery now stands, and, climbing up a hill, reached the
confluence where the river Gysilaha flows into the Fulda. Continuing a little
farther, he came at sunset to the path which was called by the old name
Ortessveca. There he passed the night after providing protection for his ass
against attacks. Whilst he was busy there putting up the fence he heard afar
off the sound of water trickling, but he could not make up his mind whether the
noise was caused by man or beast. He stood stock still listening intently, and
again he heard the trickle of water. Then because the man of God did not wish
to shout, and knowing instinctively that a man was astir, he struck a hollow
tree with the weapon he was carrying in his hand. The other, hearing the sound
of the beaten tree trunk, came running towards him, crying out. When he came
near they saw and greeted each other. The man of God asked him who he was and
where he came from. The other replied that he was on his way from Wetteran and
that the horse he was leading by the halter belonged to his lord Ortis. And so,
talking, they passed the night together in that place, for the other man knew
the district very well; and when the man of God told him what he had in mind
and what he wished to do the other gave him the names of the various places and
explained where the streams and fountains were to be found. The place in which
they were resting was called Eihloh. The next morning when they rose they
blessed each other and immediately the layman set out on his journey to
Grapfelt.
But Sturm, the servant of
God, taking another direction and placing his trust in God, began to pick his
way through the wilderness alone. After he had made a circuit of Eihloh and
found it unsuitable for his purpose he went towards the torrent which even now
is called Grezzibach and spent some time there examining the site and the
quality of the soil. Then he turned back a short distance and came to the
blessed spot foreordained by God on which the present monastery is built. At
the sight of it Sturm was filled with great joy and continued his journey in
high spirits, [188] for he was convinced that through the merits and prayers of
St Boniface the place had been revealed to him by God. As he walked over the
ground and saw all the advantages the place possessed, he gave thanks to God;
and the more he looked at it from every angle, the more pleased with it he
became. So charmed was he with the beauty of the spot that he spent practically
a whole day wandering over it, exploring its possibilities. Finally he Uessed
it and turned his face towards home.
After two days' journey
the man of God arrived at Hersfeld, where he found his brethren engaged in
prayer. He told them of the new site and ordered them to set out with him at
once. Without further delay he asked the prayers of the brethren for himself
and set off to see the bishop. The journey took sevetal days, but when he came
into his presence and was kindly received by him he began to describe the place
he had found and to enlarge upon its advantages. "I think," he said,
"that I have found a site of which you will approve", and when he had
acquainted him with the lie of the land, the fertility of the soil and of the
supply of running water, which satisfies the needs of the monastery even at the
present time, the bishop was filled with enthusiasm. Both of them congratulated
each other and gave thanks to God: and then they embarked upon a long
discussion on the monastic life and its observances.
For a few days the bishop
entertained the herrnit in his house, and after some pleasant talks together he
took pains to speak to him on spiritual matters, stimulating him to a love of
the monastic life by examples taken from Sacred Scriptures. And so, instructed
and confirmed by sound doctrine and the teaching of Holy Writ, Sturm was
allowed by the bishop to return to his cell. Boniface on his part set out for
the king's court to seek confirmation for the appropriation of the land for the
monastery. Eventually Sturm returned to his brethren, who were dwelling in the
hermitage. But when he was on the point of taking them with him to the place he
had discovered, which was nine years after he first began to live the solitary
life, and of returning from Hersfeld, the devil, who is envious of good
designs, fearing the effect of their good lives in the wilderness, stirred up
the passions of wicked men to [189] prevent the servants of God from taking
possession of the site. Being unable to withstand their stubborn opposition,
the servants of God withdrew and settled in another place called Dryhlar.
St. Boniface, as we have
mentioned, went to Carloman, the King of the Franks, and addressed him with these
wise and humble words: "I believe that it would redound to your
everlasting reward if, God willing, and with your help, monastic life could be
established and a monastery could be founded in the eastern part of your
kingdom, a thing that has not been attempted before our tirne. For this reason
I beg your kind help in this project, so that in future and for ever a neverfading
reward may be laid up for you before Christ, the High King. We have found a
site suitable for monastic life in the wilderness which is called Bochon, near
the river Fulda, but this property belongs to you. I now beg Your Highness to
give us this place, so that under your protection we may sene Christ
there."
On hearing these words
the king was glad and called together the nobles of his court. He spoke to them
with approbation of the bishop's request and in their presence handed over to
him the property for which he had asked. " The place you seek and which,
as you say, is called Eihloh on the banks of the river Fulda, and any other property
I am supposed to possess there at this date, is granted whole and entire to
God, and all the land that lies north, south, east and west of that point for a
distance of four miles shall be included." A charter of this gift was
ordered to be drawn up, signed by the king's own hand, and all the nobles in
the vicinity of Grapfelt were summoned by messengers and asked to follow the
king's example, if by any chance they possessed any property in that quarter.
On the day appointed, when they had gathered together, the messengers of the
king addressed them. "All of you," they said, "have come here in
obedience to the king's command; he asks, or, more correctly, he requires each
one of you who has any claim to land in the place called Eihloh to give it to
the senants of God for the use of their monastery." On hearing this, they
eagerly abandoned in favour of Sturm whatever rights to property they had in
that place, and thus was God's will fulfilled.
[190] The donanon was
accordingly confirrned by all and passed frora the possession of men into the
possession of God. Blessed Sturm departed to his brethren at Dryhlar and after
a few days took seven of the brethren with hirn to the spot where the monastery
now stands. On the twelfth day of January in the year of the Incarn aton seven
hundred and fortyfour, during the reign of the two brothers Carloman and
Pippin, the twelfth indicoon, the brethren set foot for the first ame on this
holy spot preordained for this purpose by God. They prayed to the Lord to watch
over and protect it at all times by His invincible power, and then, sening Hirn
day and night in fasong, watching and prayer, they set to work, as far as they
were able, to cut down the trees and to dear the site with their own hands.
At the end of two months,
the venerable archbishop Boniface, accompanied by a great throng of men, came
to see them, and after inspecong all the ground and being made aware of all its
advantages and usefulness, he rejoiced in the Holy Ghost and gave thanks to God
for having granted to His servants so suitable a place to dwell in. The bishop
and the monks then agreed that a church should be built, and so he ordered all
the men who had accompanied him to the spot to cut down the woods and clear the
undergrowth, whilst he himself climbed the brow of a hill, which is now
called Mons Episcopi, and spent his ame praying to God and meditanng
on Sacred Scripture. This is the reason why the hill bears its name.
After a week of felling
trees and clearing away the brushwood the turf was piled up ready to make lime:
then the bishop gave the brethren his blessing, commended the place to God and
returned home with the workmen he had brought with him. The following year the
bishop came again to visit his new monastery, which by that name was called
Fulda, taking its name from the river which flowed close by; and after greeting
them remained with them for several days, during which ame he gave the newly
recruited monks instruction and established the observances of monastic life
according to the principles laid down in the Holy Rule. Whilst he was
explaining the Holy Rule to the brethren he read out the passage which states
that the drinking of wine does not [191] befit the vocaton of a monk, and so
they decided by comrnon consent not to take any strong drink that might lead to
drunkenness but only to drink weak beer. Much later this rule was relaxed at a
council held in the ame of King Pippin, when, owing to the increasing numbers
in the community, there were many sick and ailing among them. Only a handful of
the brethren abstained from wine and strong drink until the end of their lives.
Shortly afterwards the
bishop had a confidential talk with Sturm and gave him advice about the way to
govern others, and then, after addressing the brethren on the need for
obedience and submission, he commended them to Christ, bade them farewell and
departed. Every year he came to visit them in this way, and whenever he was
free from his episcopal duties, which were exacting, he came to stay with them
and worked with his own hands. And often he spent long hours on his beloved
hill, of which we have already spoken, meditating on the hidden truths of the
Scriptures.
When the brethren had
conceived a burning desire to follow the rule of the holy father St. Benedict,
and had striven to conform their ideas and actions to the discipline of the
monastic life, they formed a plan of sending some of their members to wellestablished
monasteries in other places so that they could become perfectly acquainted with
the customs and observances of the brethren. When this prudent plan was
submitted to the bishop he heartily approved of it and commanded Sturm to
undertake the experiment himself. All necessary preparations were made for the
journey, two other brethren were chosen to accompany him, and so, four years
after the foundation of the monastery, he set out for Rome. There he visited
all the monasteries and spent a whole year enquiring into the customs,
observances and traditions of the brethren who lived in them. In the following year,
much edified by the holiness he had met, he returned home. When he reached his
own country he was seized with sickness, and by divine providence was compelled
to remain in bed for four weeks at the monastery of Kitzingen. But he recovered
from his illness and set out to visit Bishop Boniface, who at that time was in
Thuringia. On seeing him, the bishop was greatly pleased, and, giving thanks
[192] to God for his safe return, asked him many questions about the places he
had seen. And when he noticed how shrewdly Sturm had observed the manners of
the people and the observance of the monks there, he said: "Go back to the
newly founded monastery at Fulda and as far as you are able establish monastic
diseiplille on the pattern of the monks you have seen there." Blessed
Sturrn begged the bishop's blessing, and, setting off at once to his solitude,
reached it after four days, full of joy at seeing his brethren once again. To
them he described what he had seen in Italy and the things he had learned from
the fathers of the monasteries in Tuscany, and by wise remarks and his personal
example stimulated them to follow in his footsteps. For whenever he suggested
the adoption of some point of monastic discipline he always took pains to do it
first himself so that no one should say: "Why are your words not confirmed
by deeds?"
At that time there was a
great desire in the community to adapt their mode of life to the observances
either described or shown to them or exemplified in the lives of the saints,
and they carried out in every detail the Rule of St. Benedict which they had
vowed to follow. So for many years they lived in fervour and holiness. Through
the coming of recruits the monastery inaeased, since many came to serve God
there and offered both themselves and their possessions. With this growth in
the community and the enlarging of their estates the reputation of Fulda spread
throughout the countryside, so that its good name reached the ears of brethren
in monasteries situated at great distances from it. And since a great number of
monks led there a strict life under the discipline of the Holy Rule, the bishop
was eager to visit them often; and as he was moved to pity at the sight of
their poverty, he gave them small properties in order to provide them with
necessary food.
Ten years after his first
visit to the holy place the archbishop Boniface took counsel with the king and
the other Christians and went into the distant parts of Frisia, which were
steeped in paganism. There by teaching and baptizing he gained a great number
of people to the faith of Christ. Some years later he departed from them and
returned unharmed to the Church in [193] Germany. But the following year he
went once more to the swampy homesteads of the Frisians, hoping to complete the
missionary work he had begun. On a certain day after his arrival, when he had
called the people together to listen to his teaching, they came, not humbly to
hear the Word of God, but stirred by an evil spirit. They rushed in during the
sermon brandishing weapons, slew the holy Christian bishop with the sword and
slaughtered all his companions. After the martyrdom of the bishop and of many
who were with him the brethren from the monastery of Trech in upper Frisia came
and took the bodies of the martyrs, placing some in tombs, bringing others with
them, among them being the bodies of Bishop Boniface, the deacons and priests
who suffered with him, and a certain bishop named Eoban, whose head, which was
cut off by the attackers, could not be found. When they came [to Trech] they placed
the body of St. Boniface together with the bier, on which it had been brought
by boat, in a small church, which was near by. The rest of the martyrs' remains
they buried. Then all the inhabitants of that place decided that the remains of
St. Boniface should always rest among them, for they thought that it would be a
great help to them to remain under the protection of so great a martyr. Fasting
and prayer was enjoined and they prayed to God that the holy martyr would deign
to remain in their midst. But the holy martyr wished his body to be taken to
the place of solitude which by the will of God he had chosen for himself. This
soon became clear, for, whilst they were trying to bear him to the other church
and place him in a tomb there, they put their hands to the bier but were unable
to move it. Many others joined forces with them, but even so they were unable
to raise the bier on which the holy body lay.
They understood,
therefore, that he did not wish to stay in that place, so they said that he
should be taken to the city of Mainz. Straightway they raised it without
difflculty, and, taking it to the river and placing it on board a boat, they
began to draw the boat along the Rhine and make upstream. When Sturm heard of
this he made haste from his Abbey of Fulda in the wilderness to meet them and
went along with them until they came after a quiet and [194] uneventful journey
to Mainz. Forthwith the priests, clergy and people with one voice declared that
it was not right to remove the holy martyr of God to another place but that his
body should rest where during his life he had held his episcopal see. A
messenger also came from the king's court bringing orders that the martyr's
body should remain in the city if he so wished.
But Sturm and those who
had gathered together from the monastery repeatedly declared that on many
occasions whilst the bishop was staying with them he had pointed out the place
where they should lay his body to rest and they had no doubts that he would
wish to remain at the monastery. But whilst they were arguing in this way, and
Lull, the bishop of the city, strongly forbade the body to be taken to the
solitude, the holy bishop appeared one night in a dream to a certain deacon and
said:
Why do you delay to take
me to my place at Fulda? Arise and bear me into the wilderness where God has
foreordained a place for me." And the deacon rose and recounted what had
been told him in the dream, first to Sturm and then to all the nobles. At this
all were struck with fear and did not dare to oppose any further the removal of
the holy martyr from that place. Lull, however, who was bishop there, did not
wish to believe in the revelation until the man who had seen the vision had
placed his hand upon the altar and taken an oath on the veracity of what he had
seen. Then, according to the power of God, whose will cannot be withstood, the
body of the blessed martyr was raised with great honour, borne to the river to
the accompaniment of hymns, placed on board a ship and rowed as far as Hohleim,
a village standing on the banks of the Moyn. From there, after a few days-that
is, thirty days after his death-the sacred remains of the bishop were carried
to the Abbey of Fulda and placed in a new tomb. On the following day Bishop
Lull departed together with the clerics and the throng of people who had come
with him. Then the venerable abbot Sturm and his brethren gave thanks to God
because they had been granted the presence of so powerful a patron as the holy
martyr St. Boniface in their midst.
After the coming of the martyr
the spot chosen by God began to increase, its reputation was enhanced and the
monastery grew [195] in numbers, because many nobles vied with each other in
going there and offered themselves and their goods to the Lord. So, day by day,
the number of monks grew apace, and under the protection of the Lord the
brethren who served God there preserved the strict observance of their holy
life with unabated and unflagging fervour. How many miracles were performed
there and are still performed to this day I leave to writers better than myself
to describe.
But Sturm, who was
beloved by all the community and revered by all the people, dutifully fulfilled
his ministry, setting himself as an example to the others, for he exhibited in
his conduct what he taught by his words. Lull, however, who was bishop there,
grew envious of his good reputation and allowed his jealousy to influence his
conduct towards him. Since Sturm preached the Word of God everywhere and at all
times and was listened to by all with rapt attention, the bitter enemy of the
human race, not enduring so great usefulness to remain among the people, began
to sow discord among the brethren and stirred up three false brethren to make
false accusations against Sturm in the presence of the king, Pippin. These men,
led astray by the persuasion of the devil, entered into a conspiracy and,
relying on the support of Bishop Lull, went to the king and accused the blessed
man of a trumpedup crime, saying that he was an enemy of the king. And when
the man of God presented hunself at the court he patiently bore their untruths
and made no attempt to exculpate hunself. "My witness," said he,
"is in heaven and He that voucheth for me is on high, and therefore I am
not put to confusion."
The will of the wicked,
however, prevailed, and King Pippin ordered the blessed man to be taken away
and sent with some of hus monks and clerics into exile at the great Abbey of
Jumieges, where he was welcomed with kindness and honour by the abbot who
governed that monastery. For two years he lived in exile there, beloved by all.
When the monks at the Abbey of Fulda heard this and it was told them that their
abbot had been taken away from them they were greatly troubled and grieved more
than one can say. Then there arose a great disturbance in the house of God:
some wished to leave the monastery, others to go to court, others[196] implored
God with fasting and prayer to show His mercy and corae to their aid. At that
time it was widely believed and rumoured that the blessed abbot Sturm had been
removed from the Abbey of Fulda at the instance of Bishop Lull: all men without
exception took this very ill and there was no Church in the eastern region
which did not bewail his exile.
In the meantime Lull, by
giving bribes, obtained from King Pippin permission to place the Abbey of Fulda
under his jurisdiction, and when this power was granted he installed there as
abbot a certain priest of his named Marcus who would obey him in everything;
but since the feelings of the brethren were turned against him because of the
love they bore to his predecessor, he remained a stranger to them, and their
manners did not agree. And because of this disagreement in outlook, though they
dwelt together in body, they were separated in mind. Living in this state of
disharmony, the brethren were always thinking how, through the grace of God,
they could recall their abbot Sturm, and at length, being unable to endure the
friction any longer, they hit on the plan of expelling Marcus, whom they had
unwillingly accepted as their abbot after Lull had appointed him. Therefore
they unanimously agreed to consider him no longer as their supenor. When he was
removed, all the brethren wished to leave the monastery and go to the court of
King Pippin to demand the retura of their abbot Sturm. When Lull heard of this,
he tried to calm them by persuasive words, promising them the power to appoint
as abbot any member of the community of their own choosing. As this proposal
was acceptable, the brethren elected a monk named Prezzold, a true servant of
God, possessed of every good quality, whom blessed Sturm had trained and loved
since he was a small boy. They appointed him as their abbot but with the sole
purpose in view of discussing together as the days went by how, vvith the help
of the holy martyr St. Boniface and the grace of Almighty God, they could
induce King Pippia to restore to them their former master Sturm. Prezzold
governed the brethren for no little time, uniting them together in charity and
cooperating with them on the method of persuading King Pippin to recall their
abbot to them.
[197] At length, when
Prezzold had given long consideration to the matter and the brethren were
stricken with grief at Sturm s absence, they implored God in unceasing prayer
to use His invincible power to bring their master back to them. And when they
had done this for a long time and all the churches, monastenes and convents in
the eastern parts had joined in continual prayer with them, God, the Comforter
of the lowly, heard the prayers of His suppliants. And He put it into the heart
of King Pippin to think about blessed Sturm. And he commanded him to be brought
with honour from his place of exile to the court. When he had come in haste to
the court he waited in the king's chapel for several days, praying to God and
waiting on the king's pleasure. It happened one day that as the king was going
out to hunt and, as was his custom, came at dawn to pray, the rest of the king
s servants were taking their rest after Matins. Sturm was praying in the chapel
alone, and, seeing the king about to enter, opened the doors for him and led
him to the altar with a lighted candle. When the king had humbly prayed to God
at the sacred altars, he rose and, gazing on Sturm, he said with a smile:
" God has brought us together at this moment. What the accusation was
which your monks made against you in my presence I cannot remember, and why I
was enraged against you I cannot recall.' Then without hesitation Sturm
answered: "Although I am not free from sin, never, O King, have I committed
any crime against you." Then the king said: " Whether or not you have
ever conceived an evil design against me or have done me any wrong, may God
forgive you as I do from my heart. For the future, enioy my favour and
friendship all the days of my life." And taking a thread from his cloak,
he let it fall to the ground and said: " Lo, as witness of perfect
forgiveness, I cast this thread from my cloak on the ground that all may see
that my former enmity against you is annulled." And so, reconciled and
firmly united in friendship, the king set out on the expedition he had
prepared.
After a short time, when
Prezzold and the rest of the brethren learned that their beloved master Sturm
had been received back into the king's favour and friendship, they thought of
going to the court and asking for their master. They sent deputies to the court
[198] humbly asking the king to send their abbot back to them. A everytlung
that God wills is done, they easily obtained their request. The king kindly
acceded to their wishes and promised to send Abbot Sturm to them-a result, we
are convinced, due to the many prayers of the servants and handmaids of God.
After a short time the king summoned Sturm to his presence and commended to him
the government of the Abbey of Fulda, which he had held before. He released him
from the jurisdiction of Bishop Lull and commanded him to return with all
honour to Fulda, there to govern the monastery with the privileges which
blessed Pope Zacharias the Supreme Pontiff, had formerly granted to Boniface.
The privilege just mentioned is preserved to this day in the monastery. He also
ordered him to consider the king as the abbey's sole protector. On receiving
this power from the king, Sturm returned to the monastery, bearing with him the
privilege which he accepted from the hands of the king.
The news spread at once
throughout all the provinces that Sturm would shortly return, and wherever the
monks and nuns heard of it they gave thanks to Christ. When the brethren were
told of his approach to the monastery they took up a golden cross and the
relics of the saints and went out in procession to meet him at some distance
from the abbey. Then they greeted him and those who had accompanied him, and
brought him to the monastery, rejoicing and singing hymns. And they praised God
who had restored to them the abbot they had long desired. So there was great
joy on all sides.
Sturm himself, having
given much thought to the question of how to make a new start, began by
correcting the faults of the brethren and restoring discipline. He put the
administration of the abbey on a better footing, embellished the church which
they had at that time, and repaired the monastic buildings by adding new
columns, great wooden beams and new roofs. Shortly afterwards he began to
wonder how he could carry out the prescription of the Holy Rule which says that
divers crafts should be exercised within the monastery in order to obviate the
necessity of the brethren's wandering abroad. So he collected together as many
workmen as he could. Then with his usual ingenuity, having [199]
surveyed the course of the river Fulda, he drew off a stream from it at some
distance from the monastery and made it flow through large canals underneath
the abbey workshops, so that the stream of waters made glad the city of God.
What great profit this enterprise conferred on the brethren and how great are
the advantages it brings to us even at the present time is obvious both to
those who see it and those who use it.
Over the tomb ofthe
blessed martyr Boniface he built a ciborium wrought of silver and gold, which
we call a requiem, and which, as the custom then was, was a work of
remarkable craftsmanship. It can be seen to this day, together with the altar
of gold, over the tomb of the martyr of Christ.
Because this upright and
perfect man of God was held in hugh esteem by all, and particularly by King
Pippin, he asked the king, as a token of the intimate friendship that existed
between them, to assign him the revenues and the royal possessions in Onamstat
as an alms for the monastery. He also begged him to confirm the gift by charter
according to the usual custom. On the death of Pippin in the year of the
Incarnation seven hundred and sixtyeight, in the twentythird year of his
reign, Charles, his son, succeeded to the kingdom. Since the young king wished
to gain the favour of all those who had been honoured by his father, he
bestowed large presents upon them. With the same end in view he summoned Sturm,
renewed ties of friendship with him and loaded him with honours and princely
gifts. At a certain time he was inspired by God to consider his eternal
welfare, and, calling Sturm to his side, he decided to transfer to the Abbey of
Fulda the vill of Hammelburg with all the revenues that pertained to it. This gift
was gratefully accepted by the brethren, who even now pray to the Lord for his
salvation. Thenceforward St. Sturm enjoyed the favour of King Charles as long
as he lived. It was at this time that Sturm went on an embassy from King
Charles to Thasilo, the head of the province of Norica, and established
friendly relations between them for several years.
After King Charles had
reigned prosperously for four years he began to consider how he might gain the
Saxon people to Christ, for they still remained savage and hostile to all their
neighbours [200] and were deeply attached to their pagan rites. He took counsel
with the senants of God and asked them to pray that the Lord would grant his
desire. Then he gathered together a mighty army, placed it under the patronage
of Christ, and, accompanied by bishops, abbots and priests and all true
believers, set out for Saxony. His purpose was to bring this people, which had
been fettered from the beginning with the devil's bonds, to accept the faith
and to subrnit to the mild and sweet yoke of Christ. When the king reached
Saxony he converted the majority of the people partly by conquest, partly by
persuasion, partly even by bribes and not long afterwards he divided the whole
of the province into episcopal sees and handed it over to the servants of God
to evangelize and baptize. The greater part of that territory with its people
was entrusted to Sturm. He accordingly undertook the labour of preaching,
employed every means in his power and so gained a great harvest for the Lord.
He seized every opportunity to impress on them in his preaching that they
should forsake idols and images, accept the Christian faith, destroy the
temples of the gods, cut down the groves and build sacred churches in their
stead. After he and his priests had spent much time in instructing them and had
built churches in each of the districts, the Saxons, who are a depraved and
perverse race, lapsed from the Christian faith and reverted once more to their
former errors. Then, when they had mustered an army, they streamed across the
borders and came as far as the Rhine, laying everything waste and slaughtering
all the inhabitants. On their return march they put to the sword everyone they
met with savage ferocity. Then they encamped near Lahngau at a short distance
from the monastery and planned to send a picked band of warriors from the army
to attack the abbey, to burn it to the ground with all its contents and to
slaughter all the servants of God. When this news came to the ears of Sturm he
summoned the brethren, acquainted them with their imminent danger and advised
them to take the body of the holy martyr [St. Boniface] and hasten to
Hammelburg. Sturm himself set off for Wedereib to see if he could possibly
prevent the soldiers from putting their plan into effect. We, his disciples,
took the body of the martyr from its tomb in which it had lain for twenty [201]
four years and began to leave the monastery with all the servants of God. On
the first night we rested at the next cell, where the waters of the Fulda and
the Fleden meet. Then early next day we reached Sinner on the far side and
there we pitched a tent in ~vhich we placed the sacred body of the martyr of
Christ, whilst the monks encamped around it. After spending three days in
tents, messengers came to us on the fourth day telling us that some of our
people in the district had banded themselves together and attacked the Saxons,
and that the Saxons had been beaten and put to flight. At this news, we took up
the bones of the blessed martyr and returned with joy to the monastery, where
we interred them once more in the place they had formerly occupied. Then we
gave thanks to the Lord Christ for restoring the peace and allowing us to dwell
once more in our monastery.
Then King Charles set out
a second time for that country to establish by force of arms the Christian
faith which had taken root there. He ordered Sturm, now weak and weary with
age, to remain with his companions at Heresburg and to keep guard over the
city. When everytiung had been arranged according to hus desire, the king, on
his return, commanded the holy man to remain for some days in the city already
mentioned. After this number of days had elapsed, the man of God returned to
the monastery accompanied by the royal physician, named Wintanus, who was to
attend him in his illness. One day he gave him some kind of potion as a remedy
for his sickness, but instead of dimirushing it rather increased it, so that
the painful disease grew stronger and more virulent. Sturm began to say with
some anxiety that the physician whose duty it was to cure him had inflicted
great harm upon him.
He therefore gave orders
to his attendants to bear him quickly to the church, to summon all the brethren
and to tell them that his death was imminent; then he asked them to pray
earnestly for him. When the community had gathered together, he had them
brought into the chamber where he was lying and addressed the assembled
brethren with these words: "My brethren, you are well aware of my last
wishes. You know how I have laboured, even till the present day, for your
profit and peace, particularly for the continuance of this monastery after my
death, so that you may be [202] able to serve God here with sincerity and
charity according to the will of Christ. Persevere, then, all the days of your
life in the ideal you have set before you. Pray to God for me; and if I have committed
any fault among you through human frailty or Wronged anyone unjustly, forgive
me as I also forgive all those who have offended or wronged me, including Lull,
who always took sides against me."
After these and some
other good words, he bade farewell to the brethren and sent them away. After
the brethren had departed, the holy man began rapidly to lose strength and to
hasten above. All were filled with grief; great sorrow afflicted the hearts of
the brethren, who implored God with tears to have mercy on him, and they
commended the death of their holy and revered abbot to the Lord. The next day,
which was the seventeenth of December, his weakness increased and his end
rapidly approached. Whilst we stood around his bed and saw how quickly his end
would be, one of us said: "Father, we have no doubt that you are going to
God and that you will enjoy eternal life. Therefore, we beg Your Paternity to
be mindful of us there and to pray for us, your disciples; for our confidence
is great that it will be to our profit to have sent on before us so powerful a
patron." And he, gazing upon us, said at once: "Show yourselves
worthy and so conduct yourselves that I shall be justified in praying for you.
Then I will do what you ask." After these words his holy soul was released
from the flesh and freed from the prison of the body. Full of good merits, it
passed to Christ, whose kingdom endures for ever and ever, Amen.
Source:
C. H. Talbot, The
Anglo-Saxon Missionaries in Germany, Being the Lives of SS. Willibrord,
Boniface, Leoba and Lebuin together with the Hodoepericon of St.
Willibald and a selection from the correspondence of St. Boniface, (London and
New York: Sheed and Ward, 1954)
The copyright status of
this text has been checked carefully. The situation is complicated, but in sum
is as follows. The book was published in 1954 by Sheed & Ward, apparently
simultaneously, in both London and New York. The American-printed edition
simply gave 'New York' as place of publication, the British-printed edition
gave 'London and New York'. Copyright was not renewed in 1982 or 1983, as
required by US Law. The recent GATT treaty (1995?) restored copyright to
foreign publications which had entered US public domain simply because
copyright had not be renewed in accordance with US law. This GATT provision
does not seem to apply to this text because it was published simultaneously in
the US and Britain by a publisher operating in both countries (a situation
specifically addressed in the GATT regulations). Thus, while still under
copyright protection in much of the world, the text remains in the US public
domain.
Some years ago, a
collection of such hagiographical texts, including some texts from Talbot, was
published:-
Thomas F.X. Noble and
Thomas Head, Soldiers of Christ: Saint and Saints' Lives from Late
Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages, (University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State
University Press, 1995).
Soldiers of Christ uses,
among others, the Talbot translated texts, but is much improved by additional
notes by the two editors, and by new translations of some parts. Readers from
outside the US should consult this volume, and readers in the US would find it
profitable to do so.
This text is part of
the Internet
Medieval Source Book. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and
copy-permitted texts related to medieval and Byzantine history.
Unless otherwise
indicated the specific electronic form of the document is copyright. Permission
is granted for electronic copying, distribution in print form for educational
purposes and personal use. If you do reduplicate the document, indicate the
source. No permission is granted for commercial use.
© Paul Halsall, October
1, 2000
SOURCE : https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/sturm.asp
Sturm:
One of Charlemagne’s Lieutenants in Spiritual Warfare
Posted by Kim Rendfeld in Medieval
History
When Charlemagne decided
to invade Saxony in 772, he took spiritual warriors in addition to those guys
with the spears and swords. Whether St. Sturm, the abbot of Fulda, was with
Charles during those battles is not clear, but the king of the Franks put him
in charge of the Christian mission in a large part of the conquered territory.
Charles’s wars against
Saxony were different than those his ancestors had fought. It was the first
time religion was part of the conflict. Perhaps, Charles wanted to protect
Church interests. Perhaps he thought Saxons were more likely to keep their
oaths if they put their souls on the line. Treaties were secured with vows that
invoked deities. To Charles, only one was valid.
Whatever his reasons,
Charles put his trust in Sturm, who had been a priest for about 40 years. He
had grown up near Saxon territory in the monastery at Fritzlar, where he was an
eager student. With the exception of a trip to Rome and two years in exile, he
had lived in the region most of his life and had advised Charles on his
relationship with the king’s first cousin Tassilo, the duke of Sturm’s native
Bavaria.
The most influential
person in Sturm’s life was St. Boniface, who had also tried to covert pagan
peoples. At Boniface’s urging, Sturm and two companions spent nine years in
forested wilderness seeking a suitable spot to start a new monastery. Medieval
folk depended on the forest for survival, but it was also the home of
predators, both beasts and evil spirits.
Boniface, then the
archbishop of Mainz, had rejected their first choice, which Sturm’s
hagiographer, Eigil, described as “a wild and uninhabited spot and [they] could
see nothing except earth and sky and enormous trees.” The reason, ironically,
was it was too close to pagan Saxons to be safe.
So Sturm tried again, and
he finally found the right place on the Fulda River. His contemporaries
probably saw it as the middle of nowhere. However, Boniface believed God had
picked the place and successfully appealed to Frankish Mayor of the Palace
Carloman to donate the land. Boniface later visited the site to give it his
blessing.
The year was 744, when the
Franks, under the rule of Carloman and his brother Pepin, were at war with the
Saxons. Again. Despite the battles in Saxony, some of which involved Carloman
and Pepin’s troublesome half-brother Grifo, the monastery at Fulda thrived, and
Sturm visited Rome to better learned the Benedictine way of life.
Tangling over Relics
In 754, Boniface was
martyred while trying to convert pagans in Frisia, and his body was taken back
to Francia. That was the beginning of Sturm’s political troubles.
When the relics reached
Mainz, its archbishop, St. Lull, also a disciple of Boniface, wanted the
martyr’s body to remain in his city. Sturm insisted that Boniface be taken to
Fulda, a wish his mentor had expressed while still alive. Martyr’s relics were treasured
in the Middle Ages, and they were attributed with miraculous powers. Pilgrims
would flock to those relics, which meant alms for the church housing them.
According to Eigil,
Boniface himself weighed in by appearing to a deacon in a dream and asking why
he wasn’t being taken to Fulda. Lull was not convinced until the deacon swore
at the altar. The relics went to Fulda, but Lull retaliated in a distinctly
medieval way.
Lull accused Sturm of
disloyalty to Pepin, now king and sole ruler of Francia. Sturm made no effort
to defend himself and placed his trust in God. Believing the accusers, Pepin
sent Sturm and some companions to the Abbey of Jumièges, where they were
treated well.
In the meantime, Lull had
managed to get Fulda placed under his jurisdiction and appointed a new abbot,
but the monks at Fulda refused to accept the bishop’s puppet. So Lull caved and
let them elect one of their own. They choose a monk whom Sturm had mentored
and, along with nuns in convents and the faithful at other churches, prayed for
Sturm to be restored to Fulda.
The prayers worked. Pepin
sent for Sturm and in a chapel told him he had forgotten what they were
quarreling over. Sturm replied he wasn’t perfect but has never committed any
crime against Pepin. To signify the reconciliation, the king pulled a thread
from his own cloak and let it fall to the floor.
So Sturm went back to
Fulda, and the monastery would claim Pepin as its sole protector, making it
independent of Mainz.
A New King and New
Missions
When Pepin died in 768,
he split the kingdom between sons Charles and Carloman (the Franks were fond of
recycling names). Seeking divine favor and earthly alliances, Charles gave
donations to Fulda. He also made Sturm an emissary between him and the duke of
Bavaria.
Eigil says Sturm
established friendly relations between the royal cousins for several years.
Well, not exactly. In fairness to Sturm, even the most gifted diplomat would
have difficulty with those two. Relations might have been good while Charles
was married to a Lombard princess, the sister of Tassilo’s influential wife.
When he assumed sole rule of Francia, Charles divorced the Lombard after only a
year and then overthrew his ex-father-in-law. The duchess of Bavaria never
forgave the Frankish king.
Sturm had other affairs
to deal with when Charles invaded Saxony four years into his reign and
destroyed the Irminsul, a pillar sacred to the Saxon peoples, the same way
Boniface had felled a tree sacred to pagans. The message: My God is stronger
than those devils you worship.
Sturm embraced his new
mission. He preached to the Saxon converts and exhorted them to destroy pagan
groves and temples and build churches instead.
But as soon as Charles
was occupied elsewhere, pagan Saxons attacked Christian sites. Then Charles
would send Frankish warriors to put down the rebellion. This cycle would repeat
itself for decades.
While Charles was in
Spain in 778, the Saxons devastated Christian holdings and killed
indiscriminately all the way to the Rhine. When Charles got word, he sent
soldiers to put down the rebellion, and the Saxons retreated. But the monks at
Fulda feared an attack and fled with Boniface’s relics. They spent three days
in tents in the forest until they learned that the locals had fended the Saxons
off.
Charles still wanted
Sturm to lead the Christian mission, but the aged man was ill. The king
assigned the royal physician to attend to him. One day, the physician gave
Sturm a potion to make him feel better, but the patient got worse and realized
he was going to die. He asked his brothers for forgiveness and in turn forgave
those who wronged him, including Lull.
Sturm died Dec. 17, 779.
The monks had no doubt that Sturm was going to heaven and would have a special
relationship with God.
This post was orginally
published Nov. 12, 2014, at Historical Fiction Research.
Sources
Eigil’s Life
of Sturm
Carolingian Chronicles,
which includes the Royal Frankish Annals and Nithard’s Histories, translated by
Bernard Walter Scholz with Barbara Rogers
Pierre Riché’s Daily
Life in the World of Charlemagne, translated by Jo Ann McNamara
Pierre Riché’s The
Carolingians: The Family Who Forged Europe, translated by Michael Idomir Allen
SOURCE : https://kimrendfeld.wordpress.com/tag/saint-sturm/
The
Altar of St Sturmi in Fulda Cathedral
Dom
St. Salvator zu Fulda, Altar des Gründerabtes, des hl. Sturmius
Santo Sturmio di Fulda Abate
Martirologio Romano: Nel
monastero di Fulda nell’Austrasia, in Germania, san Sturmio, abate, che,
discepolo di san Bonifacio, evangelizzò la Sassonia e fece costruire secondo
l’ordine del maestro questo celebre monastero, che governò come primo abate.
SOURCE : http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/81940
Heiliger Sturm,
Gründer-Abt von Fulda, + 17.12.779 - Fest: 17. Dezember
Man muss überlegen, ob
man richtig gelesen hat. Dieser Heilige heißt wirklich Sturm. Zwar wird er in
alten Büchern Sturmius genannt, aber diese Endung „ius“ ist nur ein
lateinisches „Hintendran“, das man dem Namen angehängt hat und der nicht einmal
so schön ist. Und wenn man das unnatürliche „Hintendran“ abschlägt, dann bleibt
wieder Sturm übrig, und das ist doch gar nicht mal so ein schlechter Name,
irgendwie ein Name, an dem noch Hand und Fuß ist, ein rasanter Name.
Eigentlich ist es schade,
dass der Name kaum noch Träger hat, denn auf manche Kinder würde er wie
zugeschnitten passen, auf jene Jungen und Mädchen nämlich, die, wenn sie eine
Treppe hinaufgehen, immer drei oder noch mehr Stufen zugleich nehmen, und auch
die, wenn sie die Treppe hinunter wollen, auf dem Treppengeländer
hinabrutschen. Diese und andere, die es ähnlich tun und die dem heiligen
Schutzengel dadurch viel Arbeit und Sorge bereiten, die müssten von Rechts
wegen alle Sturm heißen.
Genau so einer war auch
der heilige Sturm als Kind. Der Schutzengel hatte es wirklich nicht so leicht
bei ihm und musste haarscharf aufpassen, damit kein Unglück geschah. Der wilde
Junge war wie ein richtiger Sturm, er tobte und turnte, er ritt, rannte,
schwamm und sprang, so als wäre es seine liebste Beschäftigung. Gegen den
jungen Sturm hätten es auch die Stars im heutigen Sport schwer gehabt, denn die
sind ja oft nur noch Spezialisten in einer Sportart, entweder im Fußball oder
im Handball oder im Rad- und Motorradrennen oder im Hoch- und Weitsprung, der junge
Sturm dagegen war in allen Arten des damaligen Sports in gleicher Weise geübt.
Sturm war ein Bayer und
seine Eltern, die aus einem alten Adelsgeschlecht stammten, waren gute
Christen. Sie schickten ihren Sohn nach Fritzlar in Hessen auf die Domschule.
Vor noch nicht allzu langer Zeit hatte dort der heilige Bonifatius die
Donnereiche niedergehauen und die Leute zum christlichen Glauben bekehrt. Und
Bonifatius, dieser prachtvolle Hüne, der die Furcht nicht kannte, der war nun
so recht nach Sturms Geschmack. So einer wollte er auch werden, ein
draufgängerischer Held. Aber er wollte nicht einem Herrscher dieser Welt
gehorchen, sondern er wollte dem König Christus dienen und nachfolgen.
Bonifatius hatte jedenfalls seine helle Freude an dem quirligen Jungen und
weihte ihn selbst nach der Lehr- und Studienzeit zum Priester.
Am Anfang war Sturm als
Seelsorger bei den bekehrten Hessen tätig, aber dieses Leben gefiel ihm mit
jedem Tag weniger. Ihn befriedigte nicht die Ehre, die er als Priester von den
Menschen erhielt, ihn zog es viel mehr zu Abenteuer und Gefahr. Schließlich gab
Bonifatius dem Drängen des stürmischen jungen Mannes nach und schickte ihn als
Missionar an die Grenzen Sachsens, wobei er sich von ihm versprechen ließ, sich
nicht leichtfertig in Gefahr zu begeben, denn die Sachsen ließen mit sich weder
spaßen noch spielen.
So zog Sturm mit zwei
Freunden los und ließ sich in Hersfeld gleich vor der Nase der damals wilden
Sachsen nieder. Was er dort erlebt hat, ist nicht berichtet, so wie es ein Junge
überhaupt gerne verschweigt, dass er irgendwie in der Patsche saß. Es scheint
aber doch, dass Sturm sich damals die Hörner abgestoßen hat, denn als
Bonifatius den Tollkühnen zurückrief, folgte er sofort, und nach der Rückkehr
merkte man ihm an, dass der Sturm nicht mehr ganz so stürmisch tobte wie zuvor,
und wie sich übrigens mit der Zeit alle Stürme legen, so erging es auch dem
heiligen Sturm.
Sturm gründete das
Kloster Fulda und brachte es als Abt zu hoher Blüte und Ansehen. Von Fulda aus
errichtete er weitum im Kreis eine Missionsstation nach der anderen, und als
Karl der Große die Sachsen besiegen konnte, ging auch Sturm dorthin und erbaute
überall Missionskirchen, die er mit tüchtigen Mönchen aus dem Kloster Fulda
besetzte, so dass Sachsen allmählich christlich wurde.
Überall aber, wo im
deutschen Wald, der damals noch das ganze Land bedeckte, ein Missionskirchlein
entstand, da war dieses Gotteshaus wie eine brennende Kerze am Weihnachtsbaum,
die der heilige Sturm und seine Mönche entzündeten.
Der heilige Sturm gehört
mit dem heiligen Bonifatius, an dessen Seite er in Fulda die letzte Ruhestätte
gefunden hat, zu den großen Missionaren unseres Landes.
SOURCE : https://www.heiligen-legende.de/sturmius-von-fulda/
