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
Saint Sturmi of Fulda
21 August 2013, 11:59 am
Also known as
- Sturm,
Sturmio, Sturmius
- Apostle
of the Saxons
- Apostle of Germany
·
17 December
-
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
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
·
Bavaria, Germany
· 779 in
Fulda, Germany of
natural causes
- 1139 by Pope Innocent II
SOURCE : http://catholicsaints.info/tag/name-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).
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.)
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
Posted
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
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.
