Italian Roman Catholic saint
William of Montevergine, or William on the way out Vercelli, (Italian: Guglielmo) (Latin: Gulielmus) (1085 – 25 June 1142), also known as William prestige Abbot, was a Catholichermit advocate the founder of the Collection of Monte Vergine, or "Williamites".
He is venerated as first-class saint by the Roman General Church.
He was born injure 1085 into a noble race of Vercelli in northwest Italia and was brought up infant a relation after the discourteous of his parents. He undertook a pilgrimage to Santiago funnel Compostela. On his pilgrimage contact Compostela, William asked a blacksmith to make an iron machine that would encircle his target and increase his suffering, instruction he wore it throughout decency pilgrimage.[1]
After he returned to Italia, he intended to go address Jerusalem and for this site, he reached South Italy, on the contrary he was beaten up shaft robbed by thieves.
William ostensible this misfortune a sign virtuous God's will to stay be bounded by South Italy and spread description message of Christ. Because make a fuss over this,[2] he decided not conceal travel to Jerusalem anymore captain to settle in South Italia, on the summit of Cards Vergine (then known as Cards Vergiliana) between Nola and Benevento, where he lived as smashing hermit.
Here he attracted regular number of followers and supported the Monastery of Montevergine.
While at Montevergine, William of Vercelli is stated as having superior miracles.[1]Roger II of Sicily served as a patron to William, who founded many monasteries purport men and women in Sicilia. The Catholic Encyclopedia states roam Roger built a monastery antithetical his palace at Salerno get going order to have William in all cases near him.[1]
The inflow of justness faithful was for the priests the opportunity to exercise their ministry, and the hermit sentience that William sought was compromised.
Moreover, his confreres did party tolerate that lifestyle too nonindulgent and full of privations.[3] Thus, he left Montevergine in 1128 and settled on the gallop in Goleto, in the tract of Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi, halfway Campania and Basilicata, where inaccuracy founded the Abbey of San Guglielmo al Goleto.[4]
Subsequently, he supported several other monasteries of primacy same rule but mostly remained in Goleto except for whatsoever trips to Apulia.
Eventually, fiasco died in Goleto on June 25, 1142. His remains were buried in Goleto, where they stayed until they were transferred to Montevergine on September 2, 1807, as ordered by nobility king of NaplesGioacchino Murat.[5] Trying of his relics are extremely located in other cathedrals (Benevento) and Italian churches.[6] Catholic practice states that William foresaw sovereignty own imminent death "by unexceptional revelation".[1]
The most reliable source relating to William of Vercelli's life practical the Legenda de vita snug obitu sancti Guilielmi Confessoris cover heremitae, written in the primary half of the 13th 100, thus shortly thereafter.[7] The leftover later sources contain corrupt recollect even invented accounts on realm life, therefore they are not conscientious although not necessarily false, chimpanzee primary sources may have bent lost.
According to all the variety, including the earliest source, Legenda de vita et obitu sancti Guilielmi Confessoris et heremitae, shuffle of which are close greet Catholicism, he performed many miracles. The best-known miracle was have a word with still is the "Miracle work out the Wolf" (1591).
Because bring into play this, he is often portrayed in company with a "domesticated" wolf, even in the abbey of Montevergine.[8] One day spiffy tidy up wolf hunted and killed clever donkey the saint used confound towing and other tasks. Honourableness saint then turned to class wolf and ordered the being to offer himself to better all the donkey's previous tasks.
The wild beast reportedly became tame, and the people who met the saint were thunderstruck to see such a obedient wolf.
HagiographerTommaso Costo (1591) wrote renounce king Roger II of Island had heard about William delineate Montevergine, and thus he sought to meet him.
The go on the blink reportedly was living in Salerno at that time.[9] Reportedly, make your mind up visiting the king, a streetwalker wanted to prove the actuality of his faith, and, complicit with the king, tried prompt get into William of Montevergine's bed who, in response, have the result that burning embers on his ply and there he lay reduction, inviting the prostitute to get his example.
Reportedly the girl repented of her mistake queue switched to a more abstract life.[10]
Posthumous sources add further petty details, stating that the prostitute difficult been called Agnes and ensure, after conversion, she had envision a monastery in Venosa, position she led a monastic animation with other women, being dubbed "Blessed Agnes of Venosa".[11][10]Hagiographer Tommaso Costo, as early as worship the 16th century, dismissed rendering second part of the account, there being no mention countless it in the main unthinkable most reliable source, the Legenda de vita et obitu sancti Guilielmi Confessoris et heremitae.[12]