William of Montevergine
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| Saint William of Montevergine | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1085 |
| Died | 25 June 1142 |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Feast | 25 June |
| Attributes | wolf; crosier |
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Saint William of Montevergine or William of Vercelli (Italian Guglielmo) (Latin Gulielmus) (1085 – 25 June 1142) was a Christian hermit and the founder of the Congregation of Monte Vergine, or "Williamites".
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[edit] Life
He was born into a noble family of Vercelli in north-west Italy and brought up by a relation after the death of his parents. He undertook a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Catholic tradition states that on his pilgrimage to Compostela, William, encircled his body with iron bands to increase his suffering.[1]
He then lived as a hermit on the summit of Monte Vergine (then known as Monte rgiliana) between Nola and Benevento. Here he attracted a number of followers and founded the Monastery of Montevergine.
While at Montevergine, William of Vercelli is stated as having performed miracles.[2] Roger I of Sicily served as a patron to William, who founded many monasteries for men and women in Sicily. The Catholic Encyclopedia states that Roger built a monastery opposite his palace at Salerno in order to have William always near him.[3]
He died at Santa Maria di Guglieto, a daughter house of Montevergine near Nusco, province of Avellino. Catholic tradition states that William foresaw his own imminent death “by special revelation”.[4]
[edit] References
[edit] References
- The Book of Saints, compiled by the Benedictine monks of St Augustine's Abbey, Ramsgate. London: Cassell, 1994. ISBN 0-304-34357-9.
- Guglielmo di Montevergine (da Vercelli) at the Santi e Beati website.
- This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913. [1]
[edit] Further reading
- Monastero e Santuario di Montevergine (Italian)
- Guglielmo di Montevergine (da Vercelli) at Santi e Beati (Italian)
