Saint Walter of Pontoise (french: Saint Gautier, Gaultier, Gaucher; – ) was a French
saint
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...
of the eleventh century. Born at
Andainville,
[Saint of the Day, May 8: ''Walter of Pontoise''](_blank)
''SaintPatrickDC.org.'' Retrieved 2012-03-05. he was a professor of
philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
and
rhetoric
Rhetoric () is the art of persuasion, which along with grammar and logic (or dialectic), is one of the three ancient arts of discourse. Rhetoric aims to study the techniques writers or speakers utilize to inform, persuade, or motivate parti ...
before becoming a
Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
monk at
Rebais
Rebais () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.
Etymology
Rebais has historically been attested in Latin as ''Rebascis'' in 635/636 and ''Rebascum'' in 1214. The toponym ''Rebais'' is ...
(diocese of
Meaux
Meaux () is a commune on the river Marne in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is east-northeast of the centre of Paris.
Meaux is, with Provins, Torcy and Fontainebleau, ...
). A story told of him is that while a novice, Walter took pity on an inmate at the monastery prison, and helped the prisoner to escape.
Philip I Philip(p) I may refer to:
* Philip I of Macedon (7th century BC)
* Philip I Philadelphus (between 124 and 109 BC–83 or 75 BC)
* Philip the Arab (c. 204–249), Roman Emperor
* Philip I of France (1052–1108)
* Philip I (archbishop of Cologne) (1 ...
appointed him
abbot
Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The fem ...
of a new foundation at
Pontoise
Pontoise () is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the " new town" of Cergy-Pontoise.
Administration
Pontoise is the official ''préfecture'' (capital) of the Val-d'Oise ''dépa ...
, despite Walter's protestations. The foundation of Pontoise was initially dedicated to
Saint Germanus of Paris but then was dedicated to
Saint Martin. The discipline at this new foundation was lax, and Walter fled the house several times to avoid this responsibility.
[San Walter (Gualtiero, Gualterio) di S. Martino di Pontoise]
/ref>
Walter left his position at Pontoise to become a monk at Cluny
Cluny () is a commune in the eastern French department of Saône-et-Loire, in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. It is northwest of Mâcon.
The town grew up around the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny, founded by Duke William I of Aquitaine in 9 ...
under Hugh
Hugh may refer to:
*Hugh (given name)
Noblemen and clergy French
* Hugh the Great (died 956), Duke of the Franks
* Hugh Magnus of France (1007–1025), co-King of France under his father, Robert II
* Hugh, Duke of Alsace (died 895), modern-day ...
but he was forced to return to Pontoise. A story told of him was that he once took the road to Touraine
Touraine (; ) is one of the traditional provinces of France. Its capital was Tours. During the political reorganization of French territory in 1790, Touraine was divided between the departments of Indre-et-Loire, :Loir-et-Cher, Indre and Vie ...
and hid himself on an island in the Loire
The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...
, before being led back to the abbey. He also escaped to an oratory near Tours
Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 ...
dedicated to Cosmas and Damian
Cosmas and Damian ( ar, قُزما ودميان, translit=Qozma wa Demyaan; grc-gre, Κοσμᾶς καὶ Δαμιανός, translit=Kosmás kai Damianós; la, Cosmas et Damianus; AD) were two Arab physicians in the town Cyrrhus, and were r ...
before being recognized by a pilgrim
A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on Pilgrimage, a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the a ...
there.
After being forced to return again, this time Walter decided to go to Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
to appeal directly to the pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
. Walter gave Pope Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII ( la, Gregorius VII; 1015 – 25 May 1085), born Hildebrand of Sovana ( it, Ildebrando di Soana), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 April 1073 to his death in 1085. He is venerated as a saint ...
his written resignation, but Gregory ordered him to assume his responsibilities as abbot and never leave again.
Thereafter, he campaigned against the abuses and corruptions of his fellow Benedictines, and was beaten and imprisoned. He resumed his work after being released. He founded, in 1094, at Berteaucourt-les-Dames
Berteaucourt-les-Dames ( pcd, Bértécourt-chés-Danmes) is a Communes of France, commune in the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
The commune is situated at the junction ...
near Amiens
Amiens (English: or ; ; pcd, Anmien, or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in the region of Hauts-de-France. In 2021, the population of ...
, a monastery for women, with the assistance of Godelinda and Elvige (also spelled Godelende and Héleguide).
Veneration
Walter was buried in the abbey at Pontoise. He was canonized by Hugh the Archbishop of Rouen
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rouen (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Rothomagensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Rouen'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. As one of the fifteen Archbishops of France, the Ar ...
in 1153, and was the last saint in Western Europe
Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context.
The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
to have been canonized by an authority other than the pope.[William Smith, Samuel Cheetham, ''A Dictionary of Christian Antiquities'' (Murray, 1875), 283.]
/ref>
/ref> “The last case of canonization by a metropolitan is said to have been that of St. Gaultier, or Gaucher, abbat icof Pontoise, by the Archbishop of Rouen, A.D. 1153. A decree of Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III (c. 1100/1105 – 30 August 1181), born Roland ( it, Rolando), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 September 1159 until his death in 1181.
A native of Siena, Alexander became pope after a con ...
, A.D. 1170, gave the prerogative to the pope thenceforth, so far as the Western Church was concerned.”[
During the ]French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
, his body was translated
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transla ...
to the cemetery of Pontoise, and was later lost. The College of Saint Martin of Pontoise, now an Oratorian foundation, celebrates his feast.
References
External links
Walter of Pontoise
Walter of Pontoise
San Walter (Gualtiero, Gualterio) di S. Martino di Pontoise
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walter Of Pontoise
French Benedictines
Benedictine abbots
Benedictine saints
Medieval French saints
French abbots
1030s births
1099 deaths
11th-century Christian saints