Alberic of Cîteaux (died 26 January 1109), sometimes known as Aubrey of Cîteaux, was a French

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

and

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 ...

, one of the founders of the

Cistercian Order The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Sain ...

. He is now honored as a saint.

Life

Alberic was a

hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Ch ...

in the forest of Collan in France who, along with five other

s, invited

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 ...

Robert of Molesme Robert of Molesme (1028 – 17 April 1111) was an abbot, one of the founders of the Cistercian Order and is honored as a Christianity, Christian saint. Life Robert was born about 1029 near Troyes, a younger son of Thierry and Ermengarde, no ...

to begin a new

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...

with them that would operate under the Rule of St. Benedict. Robert led these hermits to the forest of Molesme and established a religious settlement there in 1075,

Molesme Abbey Molesme Abbey was a well-known Benedictine monastery in Molesme, in Laignes, Côte-d'Or, Burgundy, on the border of the Dioceses of Langres and Troyes. History Molesme Abbey was founded in 1075 by Robert, a former prior of the Abbey of Montie ...

. Robert served as the first abbot, and Alberic as the prior. However, as the settlement's fame grew, gifts came in and the wealth attracted new monks more lax in their observance of the rule. The Molesme community was divided, and the monks opposed Robert and Alberic. Robert twice left the monastery to live as a hermit, and twice 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 ...

ordered him back to his community. During one of Robert's absences, the brothers imprisoned Alberic so that they might have their way. The stricter group left Molesme for Cîteaux. Initially, Robert was Abbot of Cîteaux with Alberic serving as prior. Gildas, Marie. "Cistercians." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 3. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908. 21 January 2020 However, the monks of Molesme petitioned Pope Urban II that Robert return to them and vowed obedience to the Rule of St. Benedict. In 1100, Robert left for Molesme and Alberic became the new abbot at Citeaux. Alberic is credited with attaining the Cistercian Order's legal foundation.

Pope Paschal II Pope Paschal II ( la, Paschalis II; 1050 1055 – 21 January 1118), born Ranierius, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 August 1099 to his death in 1118. A monk of the Abbey of Cluny, he was cre ...

granted this legitimacy with his Bull ''Desiderium quod'' (around 1100). Albéric also decided to move the monastery's buildings a kilometer to the north and initiated construction on the first abbey church. The Church was consecrated less than six years later. Alberic also introduced the use of the white Cistercian

cowl A cowl is an item of clothing consisting of a long, hooded garment with wide sleeves, often worn by monks. Originally it may have referred simply to the hooded portion of a cloak. In contemporary usage, however, it is distinguished from a clo ...

. It was given to him for the monks, according to legend, by the Virgin Mary as they were at choir praying vigils. Accordingly, the white cowl is one of Alberic's attributes in hagiographical paintings. Alberic and his religious established at Cîteaux the exact observance of the Rule of St. Benedict. In order to better observe the rule in regard to the Divine Office day and night, the monks associated with themselves lay brothers, to be chiefly occupied with the manual labor and material affairs of the order. Alberic's feast day, together with that of Robert of Molesme and Stephen Harding, is celebrated on 26 January."Solemnity of the Founders of Citeaux", New Melleray Abbey
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References

Sources

*Attwater, Donald and John, Catherine Rachel John, 1993:''The Penguin Dictionary of Saints''. 3rd edition. New York: Penguin Books

External links

Saint of the Day, January 26: ''Alberic of Cîteaux''
at ''SaintPatrickDC.org'' * {{DEFAULTSORT:Alberic French Cistercians Cistercian abbots general 11th-century births 1109 deaths Founders of Catholic religious communities 11th-century Christian saints 12th-century Christian saints Medieval French saints Cistercian saints