NORBERTO, SANTO

NORBERT, Saint. — Founder of the Canons Regular of Prémontré (from which the Premonstratensians), now in the department of Aisne, born in Xanten, Duchy of Cleves, ca. 1080, of the noble Limburg family of Gennep, died 6 June 1134. He was first a worldly ecclesiastic, devoted to Emperor Henry V, whom he accompanied to Rome in 1111 on the occasion of his imperial coronation and the scandalous outrages inflicted upon Pope Paschal II.
Afterwards converted by a fright he experienced during a storm, he devoted himself to an ascetic life under the direction of Abbot Cuno of Siegburg and was ordained a priest. Encouraged by Gelasius II and his successor Callistus II, N. preached peace and concord in northern France and the Low Countries, especially at Antwerp. The bishop of Laon established him at Prémontré; from there, through numerous journeys, he populated the branches of Prémontré with white canons; at his death in 1130, there were 15; six years later they numbered about a hundred. Devoted first to poverty, then to the service of rural parishes, the Norbertines added to the Rule of St Augustine their own customs or statutes, which were drawn up in 1138 by Hugh of Fosses, successor of N. In 1126 N. became archbishop of Magdeburg, then chancellor of the Empire. A faithful supporter of Honorius II during the schism of Anacletus, he, like St Benedict, was one of the most influential ecclesiastics of his time. Feast day: 6 June.