Vitalis De Mortain
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Vitalis of Savigny ( – 16 September 1122) was the
canonized Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of sa ...
founder of
Savigny Abbey Savigny Abbey (''Abbaye de Savigny'') was a monastery near the village of Savigny-le-Vieux (Manche), in northern France. It was founded early in the 12th century. Initially it was the central house of the Congregation of Savigny, who were Benedi ...
in
Manche Manche (, ; Norman language, Norman: ) is a coastal Departments of France, French ''département'' in Normandy (administrative region), Normandy on the English Channel, which is known as , literally "the sleeve", in French. Manche is bordered by ...
and of the
Congregation of Savigny The monastic Congregation of Savigny (Savigniac Order) started in the abbey of Savigny, situated in northern France, on the confines of Normandy and Brittany, in the Diocese of Coutances. It originated in 1105 when Vitalis of Mortain established ...
(1112).


Biography


Early life and work as chaplain

He was born in
Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
at Tierceville near
Bayeux Bayeux (, ; ) is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy in northwestern France. Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It is also known as the fir ...
about 1060–65 in a family not belonging to the nobility. His parents were Regefredus (Rainfredus) and Rohardis (Rohes) and he had at least one sister, Adeline, and a brother called Osbert who later also became a monk. Nothing is known of his early years; it is possible that he first went to the
Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...
monastery of Grestain, the family monastery of the local noble family of Conteville, before possibly studying in Bayeux or Liège. After ordination he pursued advanced studies before becoming
chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intellige ...
to Duke
William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...
's brother,
Robert of Mortain Robert, Count of Mortain, first Earl of Cornwall of 2nd creation (–) was a Norman nobleman and the half-brother (on their mother's side) of King William the Conqueror. He was one of the very few proven companions of William the Conqueror at t ...
(died 1090). The ''Vita'' (biography) of Vitalis tells that Robert was beating his wife, but Vitalis intervened and threatened to end the marriage if Robert did not repent. In another entry, Vitalis leaves Robert's service abruptly, and after being escorted back to him, Robert begs for Vitalis' pardon for his actions. Vitalis gained the respect and confidence of Robert, who bestowed upon him a
canonry Canon () is a Christian title usually used to refer to a member of certain bodies in subject to an canon law, ecclesiastical rule. Originally, a canon was a cleric living with others in a clergy house or, later, in one of the houses within the p ...
in the collegiate church of Saint Evroul at
Mortain Mortain () is a former commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Mortain-Bocage. Geography Mortain is situated on a rocky hill rising above the gorge of the ...
, which he had founded in 1082.Webster, Douglas Raymund. "St. Vitalis of Savigny." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 31 Jan. 2015
/ref>


Hermit, itinerant preacher and abbot of Savigny

Vitalis felt a desire for a more perfect state of life. He gave up his canonry in 1095, settled at Dompierre, 19 miles east of Mortain, and became one of the leaders of the
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 Chr ...
colony of the forest of Craon together with
Bernard of Thiron Bernard (''Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It has West Germanic origin and is also a surname. The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''bern ...
and Robert of Arbrissel. Here for seventeen years he lived an ascetic life, and was called Vital le Vieux ("Vitalis the Old") taken from his father's name. At the same time he concerned himself, like his mentor Robert of Arbrissel, with the salvation of the surrounding population, giving practical help to the outcasts who gathered round him. It is further known that he helped prostitutes into lawful marriages and that he showed special compassion to prisoners. He was also an itinerant preacher, remarkable for zeal, insensible to fatigue, and fearlessly outspoken; he is said to have attempted to reconcile
Henry I of England Henry I ( – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in 1087, Henr ...
with his brother,
Robert Curthose Robert Curthose ( – February 1134, ), the eldest son of William the Conqueror, was Duke of Normandy as Robert II from 1087 to 1106. Robert was also an unsuccessful pretender to the throne of the Kingdom of England. The epithet "Curthose" ...
. He seems to have visited England and a considerable part of western France, but Normandy was the chief scene of his labours. Between 1105 and 1120 he founded a monastery of nuns, Abbaye Blanche, at Mortain, with his sister Adeline—later canonized—as abbess. Between 1112 and 1122 Vitalis was abbot of the newly founded
abbey of Savigny Savigny Abbey (''Abbaye de Savigny'') was a monastery near the village of Savigny-le-Vieux (Manche), in northern France. It was founded early in the 12th century. Initially it was the central house of the Congregation of Savigny, who were Bene ...
whose protection was guaranteed by
Pope Calixtus II Pope Callixtus II or Callistus II ( – 13 December 1124), born Guy of Burgundy, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from February 1119 to his death in 1124. His pontificate was shaped by the Investiture Controversy ...
in
Angers Angers (, , ;) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Duchy of Anjou, Anjou until the French Revolution. The i ...
in September 1119. Vitalis died at Savigny, on 16 September 1122. At the time of his death, he was abbot of 140 religious, both men and women and some members likely from aristocratic families. Although Vitalis was recognised as a saint some time after his death by the local population, a request for formal canonisation in 1244 had no success and thus Vitalis was canonised only in 1738 by the Cistercian General Chapter.


Sources

Much about Vitalis is known from the vita written 50 years after his death by
Stephen de Fougères Stephen de Fougères (died 23 December 1178) household clerk to Henry II, king of England, author and bishop of Rennes. Career Stephen first appears in the retinue of the young King Henry II during his period of residence in England from 1155 to ...
who had been, like Vitalis himself, a canon at the Church of Saint-Evroult in
Mortain Mortain () is a former commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Mortain-Bocage. Geography Mortain is situated on a rocky hill rising above the gorge of the ...
before becoming
bishop of Rennes The Archdiocese of Rennes, Dol, and Saint-Malo (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Rhedonensis, Dolensis et Sancti Maclovii''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Rennes, Dol et Saint-Malo''; ) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in France. The dioces ...
. Stephen wrote in his prologue to this ''vita'' that his sources include vernacular writing, recollection of trustworthy men as well as Vitalis' mortuary roll, particularly the cover letter. This mortuary roll has been preserved more or less intact (although the cover letter has been lost), and is more than 9 meters long (see picture on the right). Other sources include
Orderic Vitalis Orderic Vitalis (; 16 February 1075 – ) was an English chronicler and Benedictine monk who wrote one of the great contemporary chronicles of 11th- and 12th-century Normandy and Anglo-Norman England.Hollister ''Henry I'' p. 6 Working out of ...
, the biography of Bernard of Tiron (written around 1147) as well as a treatise written by
Robert of Torigni Robert of Torigni or Torigny (; –1186), also known as Robert of the Mont (; ; also Robertus de Monte Sancti Michaelis, in reference to the abbey of Mont Saint-Michel), was a Norman monk, prior, and abbot. He is most remembered for his chronicl ...
.


Notes


Sources

* * {{Authority control Founders of Catholic religious communities French hermits French Roman Catholic saints 12th-century Christian saints Year of birth uncertain 1122 deaths