Saint Wolfgang of Pfullingen

He resisted his election greatly; but his abbot, without whose permission he would never consent to it, having approved it, he believed he was obliged to agree. After his consecration, the ceremony of which was performed by Frederick, Archbishop of Salzburg, he undertook the reform of his clergy and of the canonesses of his diocese, who, relying on their privileges, had almost banished the spirit of their vocation from their midst, and he achieved so much through his fervent exhortations, his tireless labors, and even through miracles, that he successfully completed these two tasks; he also cut out several abuses that were being committed among the country priests. He preferred to generously yield a portion of his income to establish a bishopric in Bohemia, which then depended on that of Regensburg and whose people were newly converted to the faith, rather than allow taxes to be imposed on them for the sustenance of the new bishop. He founded a monastery for nuns that served as an example to those who wished to reform themselves. He restored the monastery of Saint-Emmeram to its former sple ndor. This is Saint-Emmeran Abbey restored by Wolfgang and site of his burial. an abbey that the bishops of Regensburg, his predecessors, had obtained from the emperors and whose finest revenues they had united with their bishopric, without concerning themselves with regular observance or the sustenance of the monks. They did not even want there to be an abbot, for fear that he would expose their usurpation and reclaim the goods they had appropriated. Our holy prelate could not suffer this injustice; he brought in Romuald from the Abbey of Saint-Maximin in Trier, who had been chaplain to Archbishop Henry of whom we have spoken, and who was distinguished in his Order for his zeal for monastic discipline. He appointed him abbot of the monastery of Saint-Emmeram and returned to him all the lands that belonged to that abbey.

The care he took for those consecrated to God and the worship of His altars did not steal from him a single moment that he owed to the instruction of his people. He constantly traveled through all the places of his diocese in order to distribute to everyone the bread of evangelical doctrine. He preached in such a touching manner that his words penetrated to the depths of consciences. His discourses were popular and proportioned to the capacity of the most mediocre minds among his listeners. He proposed truths with extreme gentleness, without, however, diminishing any of their strength or pushing them to excessive rigor. In a word, the Holy Spirit had given him a grace of speaking in such a convincing manner that the historian of his life says it was impossible to hear him with attention without being penetrated by his arguments, and that rarely, or rather never, did one leave his pious exhortations without shedding tears.

If he was powerful in words, he was no less so in good works. Though he was a bishop, he never ceased to live as a religious. He never abandoned the habit of his Order, always consumed the same food, and faithfully practiced all the exercises and austerities of the cloister. Around midnight, he would go to the church where he remained for a long time in prayer, until, overcome by sleep, he would take a little rest, not on a soft bed, but fully clothed and in the same manner as he was accustomed to do in his monastery. In the morning, he celebrated the divine mysteries with such tender devotion that one could judge well, by his tears and sighs, that he was then immolating himself to the supreme majesty of God. He observed the regular silence exactly, preferring to spend his time reading holy books rather than in human conversations, which often consist of useless discourse. Nevertheless, when necessity compelled him to speak, he was very pleasant in his conversation and handled affairs with incomparable penetration and prudence. His table was a school of abstinence, from which the delicacy of dishes was banished. During his meals, he had Holy Scripture read, or some treatise of the Fathers, or some other work of piety. He never ate without having some poor people with him and always chose the most wretched of those who were at the door of his palace. He called them his masters and his brothers, and wanted them to be served as such. He had what remained of his table distributed to the others. He sent for those who did not appear, so that they too might have a share in his alms. During a great famine that afflicted a part of Germany, he laid in a supply of grain which he then distributed to those who had recourse to his charity.

As he had only accepted his bishopric with extreme reluctance, he resolved to leave it to lead a hidden life. Indeed, he secretly withdrew into the Noric Alps, buil t himself a sm Alpes Noriques Site of the eremitic retreat of Wolfgang. all hermitage there, and enjoyed the delights of solitude at his leisure. One cannot express the affliction of his flock when it saw itself deprived of such a holy pastor. He was sought everywhere to be recalled to his diocese; finally, after five years, God permitted him to be discovered by hunters. He was so exhausted by his fasts and austerities that he could almost no longer be recognized. He had great difficulty resolving to return to his diocese; but he could not refuse this grace to the prayers, tears, and groans of his sheep. The emperor, having learned of his return, called him to his side to use his counsel in matters of religion and ecclesiastical discipline as well as in the government of his states. These honors were unbearable to him; that is why, after having been at court for a short time, he managed to obtain permission to return to his church, where he gave new marks of his zeal for the salvation of his people and of his charity in relieving them in their miseries.

Among the gratuitous graces with which God honored him, one notes particularly that of performing miracles and the spirit of prophecy. He healed an infinite number of the sick by the laying on of his hands or with a piece of blessed bread that he gave them; he delivered several demoniacs, either by the virtue of his command or by the strength of his prayers. He raised the dead, healed the insane, and performed so many wonders that the author of his life admits that he would become tedious by their multitude if he wished to report them all. The most famous prediction he made is that which concerns the children o f Hen Henri Son of the Duke of Bavaria and future emperor, whose reign was predicted by Wolfgang. ry, Duke of Bavaria, who often sent them to him, as much to receive his blessing as to benefit from the holy instructions he gave them; for he usually called Prince Henry, king; Prince Bruno, bishop; Princess Giselle, queen; and Princess Brigitte, abbess. The event justified this prophecy: Henry was later emperor, the second of that name; he is the one whose life we gave on July 15; Bruno was Bishop of Augsburg; Giselle was married to the King of Hungary, and Brigitte was abbess of a monastery in Regensburg. This prophecy appeared so admirable that it was inserted into the lessons of his office, which was approved by the Congregation of Rites and which Pope Urban VII permitted to be celebrated as a pape Urbain VII Pope mentioned for the approval of the office (likely a textual confusion with Urban VIII). double throughout Germany.

The affairs of his diocese having obliged him to travel to Lower Austria, he fell ill on the way, at Puppi ng. For Pupping Place of death of Saint Wolfgang. eseeing that his hour was near, he instituted the poor as heirs to all his goods and had himself carried to the church of Saint Othmar, in which he had received a revelation that he was to die. There, being before the altar, he confessed, received Our Lord and Extreme Unction, and prepared himself for death by all the acts that detach a soul from the earth to reunite it with its principle. His servants wanted to close the doors, so that he might be more at rest, but he commanded them to leave them open, to give everyone the freedom to enter. Finally, after having exhorted those present to lead a truly Christian life, he closed his eyes and entered into a kind of sweet sleep, during which he expired in peace, on the last day of October, in the year 994. He had predicted, shortly before his death, that Hartwic, Archbishop of Salzburg, and Arabon, steward of the province, were soon to come. Indeed, on the very day of his passing, they arrived and took charge of his funeral. His body was carried to Regensburg and buried, according to his last will, in the monastery of Saint-Emmeran, where it remained in a vault until 1464; it was then taken out and placed in a reliquary by another Wolfgang, also Bishop of Regensburg. Pope Saint Leo IX, havi ng gone to Ge saint Léon IX Pope who visited the saint's sepulchre in 1049. rmany to make peace between Emperor Henry III and the King of Hungary, issued the decree of his canonization, because of the great miracles that were performed at his tomb.

He is represented: 1st in crozier and mitre, holding an axe, the instrument of his martyrdom, and a church; 2nd holding his crozier and an axe, and at his feet a dog or a wolf, attacked by a kind of demon.

His life is found in the fifth volume of Surius and in the first of the *Basilière sainte* by Radéaux. We have used both to compose this biography.