Blessed Lambert of Saint-Bertin

From then on, he set to work with activity to continue the constructions begun by his predecessors and he had the consolation of finishing them, so that the dedication of the Church was performed on June 1, 1106, by Saint John, Bishop of saint Jean, évêque de Thérouanne Bishop of Thérouanne, collaborator of Lambert in his reform. Thérouanne, and this church was magnificent in its construction and ornamentation. The monastery was no less remarkable, moreover, and all temporal affairs were put into perfect order.

But this was only the beginning and the lesser part of the Reform that the worthy abbot was contemplating. The spirit of poverty had disappeared from the monastery, vanity had crept in, and obedience was no longer known; a heroic remedy was needed. Seeing that his most pressing exhortations were without effect, Lambert left the abbey, in agreement with Saint John of Thérouanne, and went to shut himself away at Cluny, where he made his profession as a simple monk. Soon the religious religieux de Saint-Bertin Burial place of Saint Folquin. of Saint-Bertin returned to better sentiments: they insistently asked for their worthy abbot back, who consented to return to the monastery and brought with him religious full of fervor. However, the good resolutions did not persevere: there were tensions and struggles, it was even necessary to have recourse to the secular arm and expel the most obstinate; finally, the Reform was established in a serious and lasting manner, and soon everyone flocked to live this life of holiness. Where one would have recently barely found twelve monks, says an ancient author on this subject, one soon counted more than one hundred and twenty.

Lambert Lambert Abbot of Saint-Bertin and 12th-century monastic reformer. enjoyed his work for a fairly large number of years, and he had the consolation of establishing the Reform in other religious houses in the vicinity. He died in 1125, after having restored and, so to speak, founded anew this powerful monastery, which from then on, under the Rul e of Saint Benedict, Règle de Saint-Benoît Monastic rule adopted during the reform of Lambert. would continue to lead a life full of vigor and energy until the end of the 18th century, just as previously, and with various periods of laxity and fervor, it had produced abundant results for the good of religion for five centuries under the Rule of Saint Columbanus.

Abbot Van Drival, Canon of Arras, *Hagiologie diocésaine*. L'abbé Van Drival, chanoine d'Arras Canon of Arras and author of the diocesan Hagiology.