Arnold of Soissons

Infobox Saint
name=Arnold of Soissons
birth_date=1040
death_date=1087
feast_day=8 July
venerated_in=Roman Catholic Church


imagesize=170px
caption=St. Arnold of Soissons is often depicted with a bishop's mitre and a mashing rake.
birth_place=Tiegem, Flanders
death_place=
titles=Bishop
beatified_date=
beatified_place=
beatified_by=
canonized_date=
canonized_place=
canonized_by=
attributes=As a bishop, with a mashing rake
patronage=hop-pickers, beer brewing
major_shrine=
suppressed_date=
issues=

Arnold (Arnoul) of Soissons or Arnold or Arnulf of Oudenburg [Arnold has no connection with Oudenaarde, where several barons bore the name "Arnulphus of Oudenaarde".] (ca 1040 — 1087) is a saint of the Roman Catholic Church, the patron saint of hop-pickers and Belgian brewers. Arnold, born in Brabant, the son of a certain Fulbertus ["a gentleman of Brabant" according to John McClintock, "Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature" 1889 "s.v." "Arnulph (St.)"; "a French nobleman" according to Alban Butler, "Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints" (1866), "s.v." "Arnoul, or Arnuphus, C.".] was first a career soldier before settling at the Benedictine St. Medard's Abbey, Soissons, France. He spent his first three years as a hermit, but later rose to be abbot of the monastery. His hagiography states that he tried to refuse this honor and flee—a standard literary trope (compare Jiménez de Cisneros)— but was forced by a wolf ["Arnulf" signifies " [noble] eagle-wolf".] to return. He then became a priest and in 1080, bishop of Soissons, another honor that he sought to avoid. When his see was occupied by another bishop, rather than fighting, he took the opportunity to retire from public life, founding the Abbey of St. Peter in Oudenburg. [At Oudenburg he is known as "Arnold of Oudenburg"; the abbey was demolished at the time of the French Revolution.]

At the abbey, he began to brew beer, as essential in medieval life as water. He encouraged local peasants to drink beer, instead of water, due to its "gift of health." During the process of brewing, the water was boiled and thus, unknown to all, freed of pathogens. This same story is also told of Arnulf or Arnold of Metz, another patron of brewers. There are many depictions of St. Arnold with a mashing rake in his hand, to identify him. He is honored in July with a parade in Brussels on the "Day of Beer."

Miracles that were reported at his tomb were investigated and approved by a council at Beauvais in 1121; Arnold's relics were translated to the church of Saint Peter, Aldenburg in 1131. [ [http://saints.sqpn.com/sainta2s.htm Patronm Saints Index: Saint Arnulf of Soissons] ] St. Arnold's feast day is 8 July.

ee also

*Arnulf of Metz - another patron saint of brewers

References

* [http://www.questia.com/library/book/the-invention-of-saintliness-by-anneke-b-mulder-bakker.jsp Anneke B. Mulder-Bakker, "The Invention of Saintliness," p. 58]
*H. Claeys, "Saint Arnold. Évêque de Soissons Apôtre de la Flandre. Fondateur de l`Abbaye d`Oudenbourg". 1889.

External links

* [http://www.beerhistory.com/library/holdings/patron_saints.shtml Arnold and other patron saints of beer]