St. Bernard of Clairvaux
Feast 08-20 · Canonized 1174
Patron of
About
Bernard was born in 1090 near Dijon, France, to a noble family. At twenty-two he entered the Cistercian abbey of Cîteaux, bringing with him some thirty relatives and friends, and three years later was sent to found the abbey of Clairvaux, which he led as abbot for the rest of his life.
Bernard became the most influential churchman of his age, a reformer of monastic life, a counselor of popes and kings, and a preacher of the Second Crusade. His writings on the love of God and his sermons on the Song of Songs shaped Western mysticism for centuries.
He died in 1153 and was canonized in 1174. He is venerated as a Doctor of the Church and is invoked by contemplatives and those seeking deeper prayer.
Prayer
St. Bernard, who entered Cîteaux with thirty companions and taught the world to love God, pray for contemplatives and beekeepers, that they may taste the sweetness of God and lead others to him. Amen.