John de Montmirail
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John de Montmirail (Monte-Mirabili) (born in 1165; died 29 September 1217 was a French nobleman who became a Cistercian monk.
[edit] Life
He was son of Andrew, Lord of Montmirail and Ferté-Gaucher, and Hildiarde d'Oisy, He was given a religious upbringing by his mother, and was well educated.
Whilst young he embraced a military career, and was presented at the Royal Court, where he formed a lasting friendship with Philip Augustus, later King of France. The dissipations of court life led him to neglect the training of his youth; even his marriage with Helvide de Dampierre, failed to effect a change.
In his thirtieth year he met Jobert, Prior of St-Etienne de Montmirail, and experienced a conversion. He built an hospital for the sick of all kinds, but the objects of his predilection were the lepers, and those hopelessly afflicted. He wore a hair-shirt, passing frequently entire nights in prayer. After a while, he entered the Cistercian monastery of Longpont, after having distributed amongst the poor all his possessions not needed by his wife and family.
Miracles were wrought at his tomb, and attracted pilgrims. Pope Leo XIII granted a special office in his honour for the diocese of Soissons.
[edit] References
- Ménologe Cistercien (Saint-Brieuc, 1898);
- Chalemot, Series SS. ... Ord. Cist. (Paris, 1670);
- Sartorius, Cistercium Bis-Tertium (Prague, 1700);
- Acta Sanctorum, September, VIII, 186 sqq.;
- Manrique, Annales Cistercienses, IV (Lyons, 1659).
[edit] External link
This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.
