Statue de Saint Gérard
de Brogne, fondateur de l'abbaye de Saint-Gérard,
place de Saint-Gérard,
Belgique
Saint
Gérard de Brogne
Fondateur de l'Abbaye de Brogne (+ 959)
Il commença d'abord par la carrière des armes, mais
quand son père mourut, il décida de se faire bénédictin, s'initia à la vie
monastique à Saint Denis près de Paris et fonda une abbaye sur son domaine
familial. Pendant vingt ans, à la demande du comte de Flandre, il réforma de
nombreuses abbayes qui étaient sous la juridiction du duc de Lotharingie ou
Lorraine. On ne sait s'il y parvint, mais du moins s'endormit-il en paix en
l'abbaye de Brogne dans la province de Namur à quelques kms au nord-est de
Maredsous. C'est au XVIIe siècle que la localité de Brogne prend le nom de
Saint-Gérard: ce moine doux et conciliant avait été canonisé en 1131, lors du
concile de Reims.
Voir aussi le site de l'Abbaye
saint Gérard de Brogne.
Au pays de Namur, en 959, saint Gérard, premier abbé
du monastère de Brogne, qu’il avait construit. Il travailla à restaurer la
discipline monastique en Flandre et en Lotharingie, et ramena plusieurs
monastères à l’observance primitive de la Règle.
Martyrologe romain
Saint Gérard de Brogne (+959)
Fêté le 03 octobre
Il commença d’abord par la carrière des armes, mais
quand son père mourut, il décida de se faire bénédictin, s’initia à la vie
monastique à Saint-Denis, près de Paris, et fonda une abbaye sur son domaine
familial. Pendant vingt ans, à la demande du comte de Flandre, il réforma de
nombreuses abbayes qui étaient sous la juridiction du duc de Lotharingie ou
Lorraine. On ne sait s’il y parvint, mais du moins s’endormit-il en paix en
l’abbaye de Brogne, dans la province de Namur, à quelques kilomètres au
nord-est de Maredsous. C’est au XVIIème siècle que la localité de Brogne prend
le nom de Saint-Gérard : ce moine doux et conciliant avait été canonisé en
1131, lors du concile de Reims.
Ne soyez ni trop riches ni trop nombreux, mes fils.
Souciez-vous de la qualité plus que du nombre ! Croyez-moi, la richesse et la
prospérité attirent infailliblement la convoitise des princes.
(Saint Gérard à ses
frères)
GÉRARD DE BROGNE
Nous sommes le 3
octobre. Nos calendriers indiquent que c'est le jour de la saint Gérard. Pour
préparer cette émission, nous sommes allés consulter Internet qui, le plus
souvent, nous donne de bonnes indications pour, au moins, commencer
correctement la vie du saint dont on rappelle ce jour-là la mémoire, et la
replacer dans l'Histoire. Las! Aujourd'hui, nous sommes bien embarrassés. Il y
a de nombreux Gérard... Lequel choisir? Oui, lequel choisir, d'autant plus que,
pour plusieurs d'entre eux, beaucoup de contradictions se manifestent. Quant
aux dates, mieux vaut n'en pas parler… Que faire? Abandonner Gérard? Nos amis
Gérard seraient bien déçus.
Que faire? Après
avoir lu et relu de nombreux textes, je me suis dit que le mieux serait d'abord
de présenter, rapidement car il est impossible de faire autrement, le
saint Gérard dont l'œuvre et la date de la mort sont à peu près sûrs: Gérard de
Brogne, fondateur de l'abbaye de Brogne, décédé un 3 octobre. Saint Gérard de
Brogne serait né vers 890. Il serait décédé vers 959. Il était le neveu de
l'évêque de Liège. Ses parents possédaient la terre de Brogne, dans la province de Namur à quelques kms au nord-est
de Maredsous. Ce grand domaine agricole, enclavé dans la forêt de Marlagne, était très étendu à cette
époque.
La vie de Gérard
commença d'abord par la carrière des armes, auprès du comte de Namur, Béranger.
Après la mort de son père, suite à une vision, il décida de se faire
bénédictin. Il s'initia d'abord à la vie monastique à Saint Denis près de
Paris, puis fonda une abbaye sur son domaine familial: l'abbaye de Brogne, dont
il devint l'abbé en 923. À la demande du comte de Flandre, Gérard fut conduit à
réformer de nombreuses abbayes de la région. Les princes de l'époque, en
effet, sans être des saints, veillaient à la bonne tenue des monastères dans
leurs états. Nous sommes presque certains que Gérard réforma l'abbaye de
Saint-Ghislain ainsi que les deux abbayes de Gand, Saint-Bavon et Saint-Pierre,
et celles de Saint-Bertin et
de Saint-Amand.
C'est sur la réforme
de Saint-Bertin, en 949, que nous sommes le mieux informés, grâce à
une chronique de Folcuin,
moine de cette abbaye, écrite en 961-962. Selon lui, Gérard, premier abbé du
monastère qu'il avait construit à Brogne, "travailla à restaurer
la discipline monastique en Flandre et en Lotharingie, et ramena plusieurs
monastères à l’observance primitive de la Règle."
On peut ajouter que
Gérard sut rétablir la discipline religieuse dans les monastères qui lui
étaient confiés, en expulsant parfois des moines récalcitrants. Par ailleurs,
l'œuvre de Gérard comporta également des aspects pratiques: renouvellement de
la vie intellectuelle et liturgique notamment, à quoi il faut ajouter la
prospérité matérielle des monastères. Gérard travailla aussi pour que
monastères recouvrent leur indépendance vis-à-vis des seigneurs locaux. En
effet Gérard prévenait ses moines: "Ne soyez ni trop riches ni trop
nombreux, mes fils. Souciez-vous de la qualité plus que du nombre! Croyez-moi,
la richesse et la prospérité attirent infailliblement la convoitise des
princes."
Gérard de Brogne, qui
malgré toutes ses responsabilités avait su rester un moine doux et conciliant,
s'endormit dans la paix dans son abbaye de Brogne. Il fut canonisé en 1131. Au
XIIème siècle, la localité de Brogne, prit le nom de saint-Gérard. Voilà pour
Gérard de Brogne, notre saint d'aujourd'hui. Mais comme nous ne voulons pas
faire de jaloux, nous allons citer quelques autres saints ou bienheureux
Gérard.
*****
Tout d'abord,
voici Saint Gérard de Clairvaux. Gérard de Clairvaux, frère
aîné de saint Bernard, aurait longtemps hésité à suivre son frère, chez les
cisterciens. Il serait mort en 1138, en Italie, alors qu'il accompagnait son
frère, saint Bernard, dans l'un de ses voyages.
Voici
maintenant Frère Gérard ou Pierre-Gérard de Martigues qui
aurait fondé, à Jérusalem, vers 1113, un hôpital destiné à accueillir les
pèlerins et à soigner les malades. Il fut aussi le fondateur de l'Ordre
souverain militaire, hospitalier de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem, de Rhodes et de
Malte, au début du 12ème siècle. Aujourd'hui, nous connaissons
cet ordre sous le nom d'Ordre de Malte. Nous ne savons presque rien de Frère
Gérard, sinon qu'il faisait l'admiration de tous ses aides et de ses confrères,
en raison de sa foi et de sa bonté. Il serait décédé le 3 septembre 1120. Le
Frère Gérard est considéré comme bienheureux par l’Église catholique.
Attention! En
raison d'une erreur de traduction, Frère Gérard de Martigues est souvent appelé
Gérard Tenque ou Tum, ou Tune, ou encore Thom. Cette erreur ne fut relevée
qu'en 1885, par Ferdinand de Hellwald.
Maintenant nous vous
devons quelques petites remarques:
1°Les restes de Frère
Gérard, probablement transférés, dès 1283, de Terre Sainte en Provence par les
Hospitaliers, ont été conservés à Manosque pendant tout le moyen-âge jusqu'à la
Révolution qui les détruisit; deux parcelles seulement furent sauvées et
restèrent à Manosque.
2°C'est une tradition
universelle qui a béatifié Frère Gérard, et c'est avec l'auréole de la sainteté
que son souvenir nous est parvenu. Les preuves absolues de la canonisation de
Gérard manquent; mais le culte séculaire dont il fut l'objet pendant tout le
moyen-âge est l'indice de la récompense céleste que la voix populaire attribua
à ses vertus. Pour Gérard, l'épithète persistante de bienheureux (beatus), sous
laquelle sa mémoire traversa les siècles, milite en faveur de sa canonisation.
On sait que pendant le haut moyen-âge le terme beatus équivalait à celui de
sanctus.
Nous avons trouvé un
autre Gérard: Gérard, moine bénédictin.
Le monastère de Seyr,
près de La charité sur Loire, fondé en l'an 700, avait été détruit à plusieurs
reprises par les Arabes et par les Barbares. Saint Hugues, abbé de Cluny,
envoya à Seyr, vers 1052-1056, le moine Gérard pour y fonder un nouveau monastère.
Les pères de ce monastère dont Gérard fut le premier prieur, dispensèrent aux
pauvres tant d'amour, que Seyr changea de nom pour s'appeler La charité sur Loire.
Si grande était la réputation de sainteté de ce moine Gérard, qu'il fut appelé
pour fonder de nouveaux monastères à Auxerre, Nevers, Bourges, Meaux, Paris,
etc. ... Lorsqu'il sentit sa fin approcher, il demanda à redevenir simple
religieux à la Charité-sur-Loire où il s'endormit dans la paix du
Seigneur.
Et nous avons encore
un autre bienheureux Gérard, contemporain, celui-là. Il s'agit du Bienheureux
Gerhard Hirschfelder, (1907-1942), victime du nazisme. Prêtre, il
résista au nazisme et mourut dans le camp de concentration de Dachau. Gerhard
Hirschfelder fut béatifié à Münster le 19 septembre 2010 par le cardinal
Meisner au nom du Pape Benoît XVI. Le 13 septembre 2010, le pape Benoît XVI,
dit de lui: ""En contemplant ces figures de martyrs, il apparaît
de façon toujours plus claire et exemplaire que certains hommes, en vertu de
leur conviction chrétienne, sont disposés à donner leur vie pour la foi, pour
le droit d’exercer librement leur croyance, pour la liberté d’expression, pour
la paix et pour la dignité humaine..."
Paulette Leblanc
Also
known as
Memorial
Profile
Born to the Belgian nobility; son of Stance and
Plectrude. Raised in a military atmosphere. Courtier to the Count of Namur. Disappointed by court life, and ashamed of the many privileges he
received from his family and military post, Gerard realized that he
was called to the monastic life.
He found Belgian monasteries too lax in their discipline.
While visiting France in 917 on a mission from the Count, Gerard decided the life of the monks of Saint Denis was right for him. He settled his worldly
affairs, and took vows at the monastery. There Gerard became an example to
other monks in following the Rule, and in his devotion to prayer. His life, and his encouragement of the
brothers, helped Saint Denis becoming an example for monasteries throughout Europe.
He was ordained, but wrestled with feelings of
inadequacy as a priest. After 11 years, the abbot asked Gerard to return home to form a monastery there. Abbot of the new monastery, he soon gained renown for his
strict observance of the Benedictine Rule. This led many religious and
political leaders to request that he reform monasteries throughout Flanders, Lorraine, and Champagne. Near the
end of his life Gerard returned to the monastery he built, and spent the rest
of his life there in solitude and prayer.
Born
Died
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-gerard-of-brogne/
Article
(Saint) Abbot (October 3) (10th century) An Official of noble birth at
the Court of the Prince-Counts of Namur, who relinquished
prospects of high advancement in the world to become a simple monk at Saint Denis near Paris. Sent back after five years to Namur, he spent the
rest of his life in reforming the discipline of the Flemish monasteries,
eighteen of which received his Rule. Having obtained the Papal approbation of
his Reform, he passed to his reward A.D. 959.
MLA Citation
- Monks of Ramsgate.
“Gerard of Namur”. Book of Saints, 1921. CatholicSaints.Info. 3 October 2016. Web. 3 October
2020. <https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-gerard-of-namur/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-gerard-of-namur/
Saint Gerard was of a
noble family of the county of Namur, France. An engaging sweetness of temper,
and a strong inclination to piety and devotion, gained him from the cradle the
esteem and affection of every one. Having been sent on an important mission to
the Court of France, he was greatly edified at the fervor of the monks of Saint
Denis, at Paris, and earnestly desired to consecrate himself to God with them.
Returning home he settled his temporal affairs, and went back with great joy to
Saint Denis’s. He had lived ten years with great fervor in this monastery, when
in 931 he was sent by his_abbot to found an abbey upon his estate at Brogne,
three leagues from Namur. He settled this new abbey, and then built himself a
little cell near the church, and lived in it a recluse until God called him to
undertake the reformation of many monasteries, which he did successfully. When
he had spent almost twenty years in these zealous labors, he shut himself up in
his cell, to prepare his soul to receive the recompense of his labors to which
he was called on the 3rd of October in 959.
Reflection – Though we
are in the world, let us strive to separate ourselves from it and consecrate
ourselves to God, remembering that “the world passeth away, but he that doth
the will of God abideth forever.”
St. Gérard, Abbot of Brogne
Born at Staves in the
county of Namur, towards the end of the ninth
century; died at Brogne or St-Gérard, 3 Oct. 959. The son of Stance, of the family of dukes of Lower Austrasia,
and of Plectrude, sister of Stephen, Bishop of Liège, the young Gérard, like most omen
of his rank, followed at first the career of arms. His piety, however, was admirable amid the
distractions of camp. He transformed into a large church a modest chapel situated on the estate of
Brogne which belonged to his family. About 917, the Count of Namur charged him with a mission to
Robert, younger brother of Eudes, King of France. He permitted his followers to
reside at Paris, but himself went to live at the
Abbey of St-Denis, where he was so struck by the deifying lives of the monks that, at the conclusion of his
embassy, with the consent of the Count of Namur and Bishop Stephen, his maternal
uncle, he returned to St-Denis, took the religious habit, and after eleven
years was ordained priest. He then requested to be allowed to
return to Brogne, where he replaced the lax clerics with monks animated by a true religious spirit. Thereupon he
himself retired to a cell near the monastery for more austere mortification. From this retreat he was summoned
by the Archbishop of Cambrai who confided to him the
direction of the community of St-Ghislain in Hainault. Here also he established monks instead of the canons, whose
conduct had ceased to be exemplary, and he enforced the strictest monastic
discipline. Gradually he became superior of eighteen other abbeys situated in the region between
the Meuse, the Somme, and the sea, and through his efforts the Order of St.
Benedict was soon completely restored throughout this region. Weighed down by
age and infirmities, he placed vicars or abbots in his stead, in the various abbeys with which he was charged, and
retired to that of Brogne. He still had courage to take a journey to Rome in order to obtain a Bull confirming the privileges of
that abbey. On his return he paid a final
visit to all the communities which he had reorganized, and then awaited death
at Brogne. His body is still preserved at Brogne, now commonly called
St-Gérard.
Clugnet,
Léon. "St. Gérard, Abbot of Brogne." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 6. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 3 Oct. 2020 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06465b.htm>.
Transcription. This article was
transcribed for New Advent by Gerard Loiselle.
Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil
Obstat. September 1, 1909. Remy Lafort, Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Copyright © 2020
by Kevin Knight. Dedicated to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary.
SOURCE : https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06465b.htm
St. Gerard, Abbot
THE COUNTY of Namur gave birth to this saint, who, being nearly related
to Haganon, duke of Lower Austrasia, and educated in the military service, was
preferred young to one of the most honourable posts in the household or palace
of Berenger, the sovereign count of Namur, whose court was one of the most
splendid in Christendom. An engaging sweetness of temper, and a strong
inclination to piety and devotion, gained him from the cradle the esteem and
affection of every one, and his courtesy and universal beneficence gave the
greatest charms to virtue, and made it shine forth by his whole conduct in the
most amiable light. He proportioned his profuse alms to the utmost extent of
his large revenues and estates, and knew no imaginary necessities which serve
so often for pretences to withhold charities, being sensible that a man gains
nothing by putting a cheat upon his own soul; for it is the truth that will
judge us, which can neither be altered nor weakened by the illusions of the
passions, or by the false prejudices of men. God blessed his fidelity by
pouring forth abundantly his choicest graces upon him. Gerard was enriched by
him with an extraordinary gift of prayer, and by this he obtained all other
graces. Such was his ardour and affection for this heavenly exercise, that he
seemed to pray everywhere, and at all times. One day, as he returned from
hunting, in which diversion he had accompanied his sovereign, whilst the rest
went to take some refreshment, he privately stole into a retired chapel at
Brogne, which was part of his own estate, and remained there a long time in
devout prayer. He found so much interior sweetness in that heavenly exercise,
that he rose from it with extreme regret, and said to himself: “How happy are
they who have no other employment but to praise the Lord night and day, to live
always in his sweet presence, and to consecrate their hearts to him without
interruption!” To procure this happiness for others, and this incessant tribute
and honour to the supreme majesty of God, he founded in that place several
canonries and prebends, and built there a fair church in 918. The earl, his
sovereign, who, from the experience which he had of his prudence and virtue,
placed in him an entire confidence, sent him to the court of France upon an
important commission. At Paris, leaving his attendants in the city, he retired
to the abbey of St. Denis, where he was exceedingly edified with the fervour
and solitude of the holy monks, and earnestly desired to dedicate himself to
God in that place. For the execution of this design the consent of his
sovereign was necessary; which, upon his return to Namur, he extorted from him,
though with great difficulty. His uncle Stephen being bishop of Tongres, he
went thither to receive his blessing and advice, and having settled his
temporal affairs, went back with great joy to St. Denis’s, to make the
sacrifice of himself at the foot of God’s altar. During his novitiate he spared
no mortification and self-denials that he might begin more perfectly to die to
himself: without which condition our virtues themselves are often false or
imperfect, being tainted with self-love; for, in the most holy functions, men
often seek to please themselves rather than God, and gratify some subtle
inordinate passion. When we seem to propose no other aim but God’s glory, the
deceitfulness of self-love is even more dangerous, because less capable of
discovery. So long as this principle of self-love resides and is cherished in
the heart, it prompts us to conceive a secret opinion of our labours, and to
seek an unwarranted delight in our endeavours. This shows itself by our want of
perfect humility and meekness, both towards others, and towards ourselves; by a
secret fretfulness, sourness, or discouragements into which we sometimes fall.
This source must be cut off, otherwise it will easily creep into and debase the
purity of our affections, and intention in our religious exercises themselves,
and will be an insuperable bar to our progress in divine love, and in the
perfect union of our affections to God in holy prayer
Gerard, after his religious profession, laboured every day with greater
fervour to carry on all Christian virtues to their noblest heights, and
especially those of humility, meekness, penance, obedience, and devout prayer,
the main helps by which divine charity is to be made daily more pure and
perfect in a soul. Gerard began his studies from the first elements, and went
through them with incredible patience and assiduity. Five years after his
profession he received priestly orders, though his humility was not to be
overcome in this promotion without great difficulty. When he had lived ten
years with great fervour in this monastery, in 931 he was sent by his abbot to
found an abbey upon his estate at Brogne, three leagues from Namur. He had no
sooner settled this new abbey, but finding the dissipation of receiving
visitants, and of the charge of a numerous community, to break in too much upon
his retirement, and to interrupt his prayer, he built himself a little cell
near the church, and lived in it a recluse. God, some time after, called him
again to the active life for the greater advancement of his glory, and Gerard
was obliged to take upon himself the reformation of the regular canons at St.
Guilhain, six miles from Mons, in which house he established the holy order of
St. Bennet, of which he became one of the greatest ornaments and propagators.
At the request of Earl Arnold I., surnamed the Great, whom the saint had
miraculously cured of the stone, and whom he had engaged to take up a
penitential course of life, which he held to his death, the general inspection
and reformation of all the abbeys in Flanders was committed to him; and he
introduced a new and most exact discipline in eighteen monasteries, namely, St.
Peter’s at Ghent, St. Bavo’s, St. Martin’s at Tournay, Marciennes, Hanon,
Rhonay, St. Vaast’s at Arras, Turhoult, Wormhoult at Berg, St. Riquier’s, St.
Bertin’s, St. Silvin’s, St. Samer’s, St. Amand’s, St. Ame’s, and St. Berta’s;
all which houses honour him as their abbot and second patriarch. The
monasteries of Champagne, Lorrain, and Picardy also chose him for their general
master and reformer; those especially of St. Remigius of Rheims, of Mouson, and
of Thin le Moutier call him to this day the restorer of their discipline, and
of the Order of St. Bennet. No fatigues made the saint abate anything of his
ordinary austerities, nor did his employs seem to interrupt the continual sweet
communication of his soul with God. When he had spent almost twenty years in
these zealous labours, and was broken with old age, he travelled to Rome, and
obtained of the pope the confirmation of all the reforms which he had
made. 1 After his return he made a general
visitation of all the monasteries that were under his direction; which when he
had finished, he shut himself up in his cell, to prepare his soul, by the most
fervent exercises of the pure love of God, to go to receive the recompense of
his labours, to which he was called on the 3rd of October in 959. The abbey of
Brogne is now united to the bishopric of Namur, erected by Paul IV.; but the
church of Brogne still possesses the treasure of his relics, and retains his name,
which is mentioned on this day in the Roman Martyrology, and others. See his
exact life in Mabillon, Act. Bened. t. 7.; also Gramaye in Historia et
Antiquitatibus comitatus Namurcensis, p. 72; Bie, the Bollandist, t. 2, Oct. p.
220, 320.
Note 1. His example inspired many others with the like zeal. In 1079, two
noblemen, named Sicher and Walther, founded the rich abbey of Anchin, near
Douay, in a place where St. Gordon, a holy hermit, had served God with great
edification. [
back]
Rev. Alban
Butler (1711–73). Volume X: October. The Lives of the Saints. 1866.
SOURCE :
http://www.bartleby.com/210/10/032.html
Pierre commémorative
dans son village natal de Stave
San Gerardo di Brogne Abate
Nobile del Lomacensis,
Gerardo, ancora giovanissimo, era stato preso da un grande ideale religioso.
Dopo un'iniziazione alla vita monastica a Saint-Denis, presso Parigi, aveva
fondato nelle proprie terre un'abbazia benedettina. Uomo virtuoso e monaco
esemplare, conosciutissimo dalle famiglie potenti delle regioni vicine al suo
monastero, attirò prestissimo l'attenzione dei principi, specialmente di
Gisleberto di Lotaringia e di Arnaldo di Fiandra che lo chiamarono per
risollevare i loro monasteri decaduti. Apostolo infaticabile, Gerardo
percorse per venticinque anni la Lotaringia e la Fiandra riformando una dozzina
di abbazie. Morí a Brogne nel 959. Il culto a Gerardo risale al 1131 e Brogne,
oggi Saint-Gérard, divenne rapidamente un luogo di pellegrinaggio. La festa del
santo è celebrata nelle diocesi di Namur, Gand e Liegi. Reliquie, considerate
come autentiche, si conservano a Saint-Gérard (casa parrocchiale e convento dei
Padri Assunzionisti), a Maredsous (abbazia), Aubange (casa parrocchiale) e Gand
(chiesa di Notre-Dame).
Etimologia: Gerardo = valoroso
con la lancia, dal tedesco
Emblema: Bastone pastorale
Martirologio Romano: Nel
territorio di Namur, nell’odierno Belgio, san Gerardo, primo abate del
monastero di Brogne da lui fondato, che si adoperò per il rinnovamento della
disciplina monastica nelle Fiandre e nella Lotaringia e riportò molti cenobi
alla originaria osservanza della regola.
iverse fonti ci informano
sulla sua vita ed attività. Prima di tutto la Vita Gerardi, la cui versione
attualmente conosciuta, come ha recentemente dimostrato il canonico J. M. De
Smet non è stata redatta, come s'è fin qui pensato, allo scopo di correggere i
difetti di un testo anteriore; essa non è che una "opera d'edificazione e
di polemica, spesso fantastica e talvolta francamente fraudolenta, redatta nel
1074-75; non ci insegna niente di valido su Gerardo.
Il nucleo su cui si è basato l'autore della Vita Gerardi è costituito dalla
Translatio S. Eugenli, redatta probabilmente nel sec. X, forse tra il 935 e il
937. L'Inventio S. Gisleni, scritta da un monaco che assistette all'incendio
del monastero di Saint-Ghislain nel 936 e fu testimonio di molti miracoli e i
Miracula Ranieri S. Gisleni, redatti verso la metà dell'XI sec. da un altro
monaco di Saint-Ghislain, ci informano sull'opera riformatrice di Gerardo nel
monastero stesso. L'Historia monasterii Mosomensis, composta verso il 1033 da
un monaco di Mouzon, e un atto ricopiato nel Libertraditionum di Saint-Pierre
di Gand testimoniano dell'attività del santo rispettivamente a Saint-Rémy e nel
contado di Fiandra.
Nobile del Lomacensis, Gerardo, ancora giovanissimo, era stato preso da un
grande ideale religioso. Dopo un'iniziazione alla vita monastica a Saint-Denis,
presso Parigi, aveva fondato nelle proprie terre un'abbazia benedettina. Uomo
virtuoso e monaco esemplare, conosciutissimo dalle famiglie potenti delle
regioni vicine al suo monastero, attirò prestissimo l'attenzione dei principi,
specialmente di Gisleberto di Lotaringia e di Arnaldo di Fiandra che lo
chiamarono per risollevare i loro monasteri decaduti. Apostolo infaticabile,
Gerardo percorse per venticinque anni la Lotaringia e la Fiandra, restaurando e
riformando una dozzina di abbazie. Morí a Brogne il 3 ottobre 959.
Il millenario della morte del santo fu occasione di un congresso storico che
tenne la sue assise a Maredsous nell'ottobre 1959, e a grandi manifestazioni
religiose a Saint-Gérard (prov. di Namur), sede dell'antica abbazia fondata dal
riformatore. Il culto a s. Gerardo risale al 1131 e Brogne, oggi Saint-Gérard,
divenne rapidamente un luogo di pellegrinaggio. La festa del santo è celebrata
nelle diocesi di Namur, Gand e Liegi al 3 ottobre, data nella quale è inserito
nel Martirologio Romano. Reliquie, consi derate come autentiche, si conservano
a Saint-Gérard (casa parrocchiale e convento dei Padri Assunzionisti), a
Maredsous (abbazia), Aubange (casa parrocchiale) e Gand (chiesa di Notre-Dame).
Autore: Albert D'Haenens
SOURCE :
http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/72650
Nacque a Stave verso l'890, piccolo
villaggio della contea delle Fiandre, figlio di Sancius parente dei duchi
di Austrasia, mentre per parte di madre era
parente del vescovo di Liegi Stefano di Tongern. La
famiglia lo aveva avviato molto giovane alla carriera militare e fu ammesso
come paggio presso la corte del signore di Namur Berengario, qui le sue doti
intellettuale e morali furono presto notate e in poco tempo ottenne incarichi
importanti nella gestione della contea di Namur.
Ma dopo la morte del padre prese
l'abito benedettino, dopo un'iniziazione alla vita monastica a Saint-Denis,
presso Parigi, dove fu anche ordinato sacerdote, fondò nelle proprie terre un'abbazia.
Uomo virtuoso e monacoesemplare, conosciutissimo dalle famiglie potenti delle
regioni vicine al suo monastero, attirò prestissimo l'attenzione dei principi,
specialmente di Gisleberto di Lotaringia e di Arnaldo di Fiandra che lo
chiamarono per riformare i loro monasteri decaduti. Apostolo infaticabile,
Gerardo percorse per venticinque anni la Lotaringia e la Fiandra, restaurando e
riformando una dozzina di abbazie.
Morí a Brogne il 3 ottobre 959.
Il culto a
san Gerardo risale al 1131 e l'antica Brogne cambiò il nome in Saint-Gérard e
divenne rapidamente un luogo di pellegrinaggio sulla
tomba del santo abate. La festa del santo è celebrata nelle diocesi di Namur,
Gand e Liegi al 3 ottobre, data nella quale è inserito nel Martirologio Romano.
Voir aussi :
Steven Vanderputten et Brigitte Meijns. « Gérard de Brogne en Flandre. État de la question sur les réformes
monastiques du Xe siècle », Revue du Nord, 2010/2 (n° 385) : https://www.cairn.info/revue-du-nord-2010-2-page-271.htm
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