A nobleman from Amiens who became a hermit, Peter was the instigator and one of the leaders of the First Crusade following a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. After the capture of Jerusalem, he returned to Europe to found the Abbey of Neumoutier in present-day Belgium, where he died in 1115.
Guided reading
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BLESSED PETER THE HERMIT,
Origins and vocation
Coming from the nobility of Amiens, Peter abandoned a military career for eremitism before going on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Peter the Hermi Pierre l'Ermite Preacher of the First Crusade and founder of an abbey. t was from a noble family of Amiens and bore arms in his youth. Having subsequently renounced the world to become a hermit, he undertook the pilgrimage to Jerusalem and found the Holy Places in such a deplorable state that, upon his return, he spoke of it t o Pope Ur Urbain II Pope who preached the First Crusade. ban II. This Pontiff, moved by his account, charged him to go from province to province to incite the people to deliver the Christians of Palestine from the harsh oppression under which they were groaning.
The Call to the Crusade
Deeply moved by the state of the Holy Land, he obtained from Pope Urban II the mission to preach the deliverance of the Christians of the East.
His exhortations were so successful that they gave birth to the First Crus ade, led by Godfr première croisade Christian military expedition to the Holy Land. ey of Bouillon. Peter was tasked wi Godefroi de Bouillon Principal leader of the First Crusade. th commanding a portion of the expedition, and, after losing a part of his troops in various engagements with the Turks, he rejoined Godfrey and the other leaders in Constantinople.
The Expedition to the Holy Land
A major figure of the First Crusade, he participated in the sieges of Antioch and Jerusalem despite personal doubts.
Finding himself at the siege of Antioch in 1097, he wished to resign from a command he had only accepted reluctantly; he even proposed to leave the crusaders to return to solitude; but Tancred, foreseeing the bad effect his departure would produce, especially given that he was like the soul of the expedition, made him swear an oath not to abandon those who had placed their trust in him. He distinguished himself at the si ege of Jerusalem i siège de Jérusalem Holy city where the Cross was lost and subsequently recovered. n 1099, and, after the capture of this city, the new patriarch made him his vicar general during his absence.
Foundation and end of life
Returning to the West, he founded the abbey of Neumoutier in Flanders where he died in 1115, leaving behind a local cult.
He left the East at the beginning of the 12th century and foun ded the abbey of Neu abbaye de Neumoutier Monastery founded by Peter the Hermit near Huy. moutier near Huy, in Flanders. The monastery was o f the Order of Saint Au Ordre de Saint-Augustin Religious order occupying the priory during the Middle Ages. gustine, under the invocation of Saint John the Baptist. He founded i t at the expense of Lambert de Clermont Traveling companion and benefactor of Peter the Hermit. Lamber t of Clermont and Conan de Montzigu Traveling companion and benefactor of Peter the Hermit. Conan of Montzigu, his companions on his journey and return from Jerusalem, and entrusted it to canons regular. He died there on July 8, 1115. In 1242, his body was exhumed and transported to the crypt of the church. When it was repaired in the 18th century, his bones, placed in a box, were deposited in the sacristy. His name is found in the calendars of Flanders under July 8.
Sources
Reference to Migne's Hagiographic Dictionary.
Taken from Migne: Hagiographic and Abbey Dictionary.
Annexes & related entities
Structured data for exploration: events, miracles, quotes, places, attributes, patronages, and important entities cited in the text.
Key Events
- Military career in his youth
- Pilgrimage to Jerusalem
- Meeting with Pope Urban II
- Preaching of the First Crusade
- Siege of Antioch in 1097
- Siege of Jerusalem in 1099
- Appointed Vicar General of the Patriarch of Jerusalem
- Foundation of the Abbey of Neumoutier
- Translation of the relics in 1242