St. Romuald

Saint Romuald

Abbot & Confessor

Romuald was born to a noble family in Ravenna in the middle of the tenth century. He grew up a worldly young man, eagerly indulging in aristocratic pursuits, until he witnessed his father Sergius kill a relative in a duel over a property dispute. Shocked, Romuald left for a Benedictine monastery to do penance, and soon discerned a vocation. Overcoming his father’s reluctance to lose his heir, Romuald entered the monastery. A few years later, he left after irritating fellow monks with his strictness, and joined a holy hermit named Marinus near Venice. Romuald, Marinus, and another holy abbot, Guarinus, assisted St. Peter Urseolus in secretly resigning his office as Doge of Venice and becoming a Benedictine monk. Eventually Romuald also influenced his own father to join a monastery, where he did much penance and died a holy death. Romuald spent many years in solitude, but also served briefly as a reluctant abbot, advised the Holy Roman Emperors Otto III and St. Henry II, and founded the Camaldolese Order, with several monasteries. He died in the year of Our Lord 1027, on June 19th, his feast in the modern calendar; today marks the translation of his incorrupt relics.

Traditional Roman Martyrology for February 7th

THE holy abbot Romuald, founder of the monks of Camaldoli, whose birthday is the 19th of June.

At London, in England, the birthday of the blessed bishop Augulus, who terminated his career by martyrdom, and deserved to receive an eternal recompense.

In Phrygia, St. Adaucus, martyr, an Italian of noble birth, who was honored by the emperors with almost every dignity. Whilst he was still discharging the office of quaestor, he was judged worthy of the crown of martyrdom for his defence of the faith.

Also, many holy martyrs, inhabitants of the same city, whose leader was Adaucus, just named. As they were all Christians, and persisted in the confession of the faith, they were burned to death by the emperor Galerius Maximian.

At Heraclea, in the reign of Licinius, St. Theodore, a military officer, who was beheaded, after undergoing many torments, and went victoriously to heaven.

In Egypt, St. Moses, a venerable bishop, who first led a solitary life in the desert, and being afterwards made bishop, at the request of Mauvia, queen of the Saracens, converted to the faith the greater part of that barbarous people, and, rich in merits, passed peacefully to his reward.

At Lucca, in Tuscany, the demise of St. Richard, king of England.

At Bologna, St. Juliana, widow.

℣. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.

℟. Thanks be to God.