St Bernards High School - Bernardian Yearbook (Fitchburg, MA)

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mA ae “I — mms SACS ZO FAN e Be ee —- to - 11535 val ces The extraordinary and unprecedented venturing of Pope Paul in leaving the Vatican and journeying first to the Holy Land, then to Bombay, and finally to the United States, has much in common with our own St. Bernard, although centuries of time separate them both. The same spirit of love animated both of them —first and foremost, love of God and then love of neighbor. Both would have preferred to remain within the enclosure of Vatican or monas- tery, but when the good of mankind was at stake, self was forgotten in securing the greater good of neighbor. Bernard, the son of the Lord of Fontaines, exchanged the life in his father’s castle and at the court of the Duke of Burgundy for that of a poor monk. But dear as his poor monastery was to him, he never hesitated to leave it when his presence and influence would be the means of se- curing peace and harmony among men. Unsurpassed as preacher, writer, reformer, mediator, diplomat and statesman; the champion of the rights of the Church and her teachings; the counselor of popes and princes; a peace- maker unrivalled in history; Bernard was, nevertheless, the champion of the poor and the suf- fering. As Abbot of Clairvaux, Bernard devoted himself with boundless zeal by word and example to the perfection of his monks. But these spiritual cares did not prevent his providing for the material wants of the country in seasons of distress. A long drought, followed by a terrible famine, had long desolated Burgundy. Thanks to St. Bernard and his monks, Clairvaux became a granary of plenty to all Burgundy and it is said that St. Bernard adopted as many as three thousand poor men, pledging himself to support them as long as the famine lasted. One day as Bernard was on one of his diplomatic missions in the cause of peace, he met a pro- cession leading a criminal to his death. Moved with compassion, he took hold of the cord by which the poor man was bound and led him to the palace of the Count of Champagne, where he pleaded for his life, even taking off his own tunic and clothing the criminal with it. Par- doned, Bernard brought this criminal to his monastery where, according to the chronicle, “this wolf was changed into a lamb.” While Bernard was occupied in France as preacher of the Second Crusade, Germany was troubled with violent disorders. The Second Crusade had no sooner been announced when a persecution of the Jews broke out in all the towns bordering the Rhine. Moved with the deep- est compassion, Bernard immediately wrote letters to Germany and as a result, the Jews found protectors on all sides. The bishops especially defended them, even sheltering them in their own houses. As the persecution still continued, Bernard, while in Germany, journeyed to Mentz, the center of the trouble. When it became known that the Abbot of Clairvaux was interfering in favor of the Jews, his life was in great danger. He sought out Rodolph, the German monk, who by his preaching, had stirred up the people against the Jews. Quietly taking the troublemaker a- side, Bernard represented to him the responsibility which he was assuming to himself and in the end prevailed upon him to return to his monastery, and the persecution ceased when he did this. FITCHBURG] 2 7 Gee] sn FITC.:.. Ru, M..SS.

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1966 Volume XXXVIII Published by the Senior Class ST. BERNARD’S HIGH SCHOOL FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS

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ST. BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX The Light of the 12th Century