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Saint Stephen Harding - March 28 Saint Stephen Harding Also known as Stephen of Citeaux Esteban… Etienne… Stefano… Stevan… Memorial 28 March formerly 17 April formerly 16 July formerly 26 January …More
Saint Stephen Harding - March 28

Saint Stephen Harding

Also known as

Stephen of Citeaux

Esteban…

Etienne…

Stefano…

Stevan…

Memorial

28 March

formerly 17 April

formerly 16 July

formerly 26 January

Profile

Born to the English nobility. After a somewhat mis-spent youth, he was drawn to religious life and entered the Benedictine Sherborne Abbey. Following the Norman conquest of England in 1066, Stephen left the monastic life, moved to Scotland and then to Paris, France to study. Pilgrim to Rome, Italy, seeking forgiveness for having abandoned monasticism. Monk at Molesme Abbey. With Saint Robert of Molesme, he helped begin the Cistercian reform by helping found Citeaux Abbey in 1098. Chosen abbot of the house in 1109, he came in with a reformer’s zeal and administrative skill. Accepted Saint Bernard of Clairvaux into the Order with all the reform and expansion that he and his brothers brought with them. Helped found a dozen other Cistercian houses. amd gave the statutes that started the Cistician nuns. His reform work aimed at simplicity in all things including liturgical rites, church decor, monastic dress, and life in the Order.

Born

c.1060 in Meriot, Sherborne, England

Died

28 March 1134 at Citeaux, France of natural causes

buried at Citeaux Abbey

Canonized

1623 by Pope Urban VIII
catholicsaints.info/saint-stephen-harding/
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Saint Stephen Harding