Blessed Leo of Saint-Bertin

This house, then directed by the wise and venerable Alvise, enjoyed a great reputation for regularity. The religious were formed there, in a short time, in the practice of all monastic virtues. Blessed Leo especially distinguished himself there so much by his prudence and his other qualities, that he was soon called to direct the abbey of Lobbes himself, in the diocese of Cambrai. He promptly re-established, through wise administration, the affairs of this monastery, which were in a bad state following long and stubborn wars that had devastated the country. In the course of the year 1138, Abbot Leo was called to the government of the monastery of Saint-Bertin, to which its importance, its celebrity, and its prosperity had caused the name of Monaste ry of monasteries to be Monastère des monastères Burial place of Saint Folquin. given. One sees the name of the new abbot appear in several acts of this period, but on which one has no details. The very year of his election to Saint-Bertin, he attended the synod held at Arras by Alvise, recently named bishop of this diocese. The synod finished, both went to Rome, to the sovereign Pontiff. The design of Blessed Leo, in undertaking this journey, was to make his abbey entirely free before that of Cluny, which claimed to have rights over it. Cluny Major Benedictine abbey of which Peter was the abbot. Furthermore, in the year 1145, Leo attended another synod held at Thérouanne by Milon, bishop of this diocese, in which the abbey of Saint-Bertin was located.

One finds, in the works of Saint Bernard, two saint Bernard Abbot of Clairvaux and spiritual master of Raoul. letters addressed by this illustrious abbot of Clairvaux to the dear and venerable Leo and to his entire community. The marks of affection and respect given by Saint Bernard to the blessed Leo and his community are the finest praise of the virtues and qualities that distinguished them.

When, in 1146, the Count of Flanders, Thierry of Alsa Thierry d'Alsace Count of Flanders and political ally of Milon. ce, departed for the crusade, he was accompanied by several prelates and abbots, among whom was the Blessed Leo. Alvise, Bishop of Arras, who was also part of this expedition, died in the city of Philippi, in Macedonia. As for the Abbot of Saint-Bertin, he had the consolation of reaching Jerusalem; however, the particulars of his journey and his stay in the Holy Land are unknown. It is only observed that upon his return, he himself brought to Bruges, to the church of Sain t-Blai Bruges Birthplace of Blessed Gauthier. se, the precious relic of the Holy B lood which the Count of Flander relique précieuse du Saint Sang Relic brought back from Jerusalem by Leo. s had obtained and which is still preserved today in that religious city.

Shortly after, the blessed Leo made a promise with Natal, abbot of the monastery of Rebais, by which they committed themselves, along with their religious, to pray mutually and in a special way for one another. These prayer communities were quite frequent in the ancient abbeys, and they were very well suited to maintaining the spirit of fervor and charity within them. The venerable abbot, already advanced in age, was thinking only of finishing his holy career in peace, when a frightful fire consumed almost his entire monastery (1152). Far from letting himself be discouraged by such an accident, he immediately set about repairing it, and with the help of a noble personage called William of Ypres, he rais ed this abbey fro Guillaume d'Ypres Noble who assisted in the reconstruction of the abbey following the fire. m its ruins. Providence granted him the consolation of seeing this work completed before his death, which occurred in the year 1163, on the 26th day of February. He was buried in the chapel of the Most Holy Virgin, rebuilt by his care after the fire that had consumed it.

Vies des saints d'Arras et de Cambrai by M. l'abbé Dextombes.