Aibert

Infobox Saint
name=Aibert of Crespin
birth_date=1060
death_date=April 7, 1140
feast_day= April 7
venerated_in=Roman Catholicism


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birth_place=Espain, Belgium
death_place=Tournai, Belgium
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Saint Aibert, or Aybert, of Crespin was a Benedictine monastic and hermit revered for his intense life of prayer, asceticism and devotion to the Rosary.

Life

Aibert was born in 1060 in the village of Espain, near Tournai, in present-day Belgium. [Butler 1860, 70] From an early age, Aibert spent much of his time in private prayer. [Butler 1866, 70] [Roberts 2004, 189] Aibert would frequently pray late into the night and, when he could find no private place to pray, would withdraw to the barn to pray. [Butler 1866, 71] [Roberts 2004, 189] Aibert fasted frequently, eating only bread or an apple when working in the fields. [Erwin 2001] [Butler 1866, 71]

Moved by a wandering minstrel singing a hymn of lament to Saint Theobald, Aibert began to live a life of asceticism with a Benedictine priest named John near the abbey in Crespin. [Erwin 2001] [Butler 1866, 71] [Roberts 2004, 189] While Aibert and John shared a single cell, they survived primarily on uncooked herbs and, occasionally, bread. [Erwin 2001] [Butler 1866, 71] Roberts states that, "they chose to eat neither foods of animal origins, nor foods that had been cooked." [Roberts 2004, 189]

Aibert joined the abbey, becoming a Benedictine monk, ca. 1090. Sources are unclear as to whether Aibert joined the Abbey during or after living ascetically with Father John. Aibert spent either 23 or 25 years at the Crespin Abbey, being selected as provost and cellarer. [St. Aibert] [Bunson 2003, 50] [Erwin 2001] [Butler 1866, 72] [Roberts 2004, 189]

In 1115, Aibert was allowed to return to the solitary life of a hermit. [Butler 1866, 72] Aibert built a hermitage in the wilderness and was sought out by those seeking spiritual advice and healing. [Roberts 2004, 189] Sometime after returning to the wilderness, Aibert was ordained into the priesthood by Bishop Burchard of Cambrai. [Butler 1866, 72] Burchard was Bishop of Cambrai from 1115 to 1131] Aibert is noted to have said two masses each day until his death in 1140 at the age of 80. His feast day is April 7.

Rosary

Aibert is traditionally connected to the Rosary due to his veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Aibert is reported to have said 150 Hail Marys daily, “100 with genuflexions and 50 with prostrations.” [Herberman 1914, 111]

Notes

Foot Notes

References

*cite book | last = Bunson | first = Matthew | coauthors= Bunson, Margaret ; Bunson, Stephen | title = Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Saints | publisher = Our Sunday Visitor | location = Huntington | year = 2003 | isbn = 1931709750 | url= http://books.google.com/books?id=l-pwoTFp31kC&pg=PA50&lpg=PA50&dq=aibert&source=web&ots=H6oj8N1Dj7&sig=qR1k0MQrSb8Lbd14v7Qn-VPw4Ok&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result | accessdate=2008-07-11
*cite book | last=Butler | first=Alban | title=The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints v. 4| publisher=J. Duffy | year=1866 | url= http://books.google.com/books?id=FFw3AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA70 | accessdate=2008-07-11
*cite web | last=Erwin | first= Erica | coauthors=Schenkar, Kristin; McIndoe, Bryan | title=Famous Ascetics | work=Asceticism in Christian Theology | url= http://webpub.allegheny.edu/group/mystics/Mystics/Ascetic/famous_ascetics.html#crespin | accessdate=2008-07-11 | year=2001
*cite book | last=Herbermann | first=Charles | coauthors= Pace, Edward; Pallen, Condé; Shahan, Thomas; Wynne, John; MacErlean, Andrew | title=The Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and the History of the Church, Vol. VII | year=1913 | url= http://books.google.com/books?id=QVUsAAAAIAAJ&printsec=titlepage#PPA111,M1 | accessdate=2008-07-11
* cite book | last=Roberts | first = Holly | title = Vegetarian Christian Saints | publisher = Anjeli Press | location = City | year = 2004 | isbn = 0975484400 | url= http://books.google.combooks?id=ZEuamyoZIXwC | accessdate= 2008-07-12
*cite web | url= http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1190 | title=St. Aibert | accessdate=2008-07-11 | work= Saints & Angels | publisher=Catholic Online