The Memorial of Saint Benno of Meissen
Saint Benno of Meissen is the Patron Saint of
• Anglers, fishermen
• Weavers
• Diocese of Dresden-Meissen, Germany
• Munich, Germany
Saint Benno of Meissen Date of Birth, Country of Birth, Profession, Place of Work, Date of Death, Place of Death, Feast Day, Beatification Date, Canonization DateMatrimony/Holy OrdersBishops who became Saints
Saint Benno of Meissen brief life History |
|
Date of Birth | 1010 AD |
---|---|
Country of Birth | Germany in Europe |
Profession | Confessor and Bishop of Meissen |
Place of Work | Germany |
Date of Death | 16 June 1106 |
Place of Death | Meissen, Germany |
Feast Day | 16 June |
Beatification | By Not Available |
Canonization | By Pope Adrian VI on 31 May 1523 |
Patron Saint of | • Anglers, fishermen • Weavers • Diocese of Dresden-Meissen, Germany • Munich, Germany |
Saint Benno of Meissen Short life History
Saint Benno of Meissen is also known as Benedict
• He was born to the Saxon nobility, the son of Blessed Bezela of Goda; as an adult he was heavily involved in the power politics of his day.
• Educated in the abbey of Saint Michael, Hildesheim, Germany.
• He became a Priest.
• Canon at the imperial chapel at Gozlar, Hanover.
• Chaplain to Emperor Henry III.
• Became Bishop of Meissen in 1066.
• He participated in the synod of Forcheim, Germany in 1078.
• He spent a year in prison for backing the nobility and Pope Saint Gregory VII against Emperor Henry IV over lay investiture and the control of the Church by the State.
• At one point he was summoned to Rome, Italy; he ordered the canons to lock the cathedral while he was gone in case emperor Henry tried to occupy it. Henry did, and threw the keys of the cathedral into the river as a symbol to show no one could lock the church against him. When Benno returned, he went to the river and found the key; legend says it was protected by a fish.
• Following the death of Pope Gregory VII, Benno pledged his allegiance to the anti-pope Guibert, but in 1097 he returned to support of the lawful Pope Urban II.
• Even with all the political involvement and turmoil, Benno never lost sight of his calling as a diocesan bishop. He visited parishes, preached and conducted Mass, enforced discipline among his clergy, and fought simony any place he found it.
• He was an accomplished musician, supported music and chant in the churches and monasteries, and wrote on the Gospels. In his later years he served a missionary to the Wends.
Benno continued to be an involved and controversial figure in politics even after his death.
• His biographer, Jerome Emser, worked a lot of Church versus State material into the book.
• Martin Luther wrote a furious diatriabe against Benno’s canonization.
Today’s Catholic Quote:
Saint Benno of Meissen died on 16 June 1106 of natural causes. He was buried in the cathedral of Meissen, Germany. When the cathedral was rebuilt in 1285, his relics were translated to the new structure, with many miraculous cures accompanying the move. His relics were translated to the bishop’s castle at Stolp when Saxony became Protestant. Later the relics were translated to Munich, Germany in 1580.
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