The English Premonstratensians

Extract

The Premonstratensian Order was founded in the early part of the twelfth century by St. Norbert. This remarkable man was born at Xanten, in the duchy of Cleves, in 1080. His family were highly connected, his father being Count of Gennep, and his mother a cousin of the Emperor Henry IV The aspirations of Norbert's early years seemed to mark him out for an ecclesiastical career, and as quite a youth, in accordance with an abuse of Church patronage unfortunately too common in those days, he was presented with a canonry in his native city. At the earliest possible age he was ordained subdeacon; but, being attracted by natural disposition to the gaieties of the world, for a long time he hesitated to enter the higher grades of the sacred ministry and passed his time mostly at the court of his cousin the Emperor, to whom he acted as almoner. In the thirtieth year of his age, however, his thoughts were turned to the more serious side of life by a narrow escape from death by lightning. After a prolonged preparation he received the sacred orders of deacon and priest, and spent a considerable period of strict retirement in the abbey of Conon. As a result of his reflections he resigned his canonry and other preferments, and in 1118 embraced a life of complete poverty in order that he might the better devote his life to the work of preaching to the poor. He commenced his new mode of work by an unsuccessful attempt to induce his brethren, the canons of Xanten, to embrace a life more in accord with the regular observances, to which they were bound, at least theoretically, by their name of ‘canons.’