medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (13. September) is also the feast day of:
Bernard the pilgrim (early 12th cent. ??). According to his perhaps
thirteenth-century _Acta et Miracula_ (BHL 1202; Bernardus conf. in
Latio), B. was a widely travelled pilgrim who on a return voyage (from
somewhere in the East, it would seem) came through Apulia to today's
Arpino (FR) in southern Lazio. Already worn out from his travels, B.
fell seriously ill and died here a few days later. The people of
Arpino, unaware of B.'s sanctity and treating him as an ordinary
foreigner, buried him in a roadside chapel between Arpino and today's
Rocca d'Arce (FR). After many days had passed B. appeared twice in
dreams to a man of Rocca d'Arce, identified himself by name, revealed
his burial location (which was still within the territory of Arpino),
and requested a translation to Rocca d'Arce. Persuaded by their
archpriest, the people of Rocca d'Arce removed B.'s body from the
aforementioned chapel, brought it to their church of the BVM, and buried
him there, raising an altar over his new resting place. While the theft
was taking the place all the bells of Arpino sounded on their own,
waking up the inhabitants who learned from an aged informer what was the
nature of their loss. So they built a church in B.'s honor, while at
Rocca d'Arce a variety of healing miracles proclaimed the presence of
that town's saint.
A note following the copy of B.'s Acta provided to the Bollandists by
the diocese of Sora added that B. was an Englishman. Few outside of
Frosinone province accept this claim. In what seems to be early modern
legend, his cult was associated with those of three other Vita-less
saints of the region who are now also said to have been Englishmen and
his companions on pilgrimage.
B. now resides in an early modern church dedicated to him. There was a
solemn recognition of his remains in 1901. For a very long time his
principal feast fell on 14. October, believed to have been the
anniversary of his translation to Rocca d'Arce; this is where he will be
found in the _Acta Sanctorum_. Rocca d'Arce now celebrates his feast
today. Views of his church and of the festivities in 2001 celebrating
the centenary of the recognition are here:
http://www.roccadarce.com/san_bernardo_pellegrino.htm
Included in these views is one of the display case containing B.'s
remains that was exhibited in 2001. Those interested in the burial
places of supposedly English saints, take note.
Best,
John Dillon
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