Sylvester Gozzolini
Encyclopedia
Sylvester Gozzolini (1177 – November 26, 1267) was an Italian saint, the founder of the religious order
known as the Sylvestrines
.
Born of the noble family of the Gozzolini at Osimo
, Marche
, he was sent to study jurisprudence
at Bologna
and Padua
, but feeling within himself a call to the ecclesiastical state, abandoned the study of law for that of theology
and Holy Scripture, daily giving long hours to prayer. On his return home we are told that his father, angered at his change of purpose, refused to speak to him for ten years. Sylvester then accepted a canonry at Osimo and devoted himself to pastoral work with such zeal as to arouse the hostility of his bishop, whom he had respectfully rebuked for the scandals caused by the prelate's irregular life.
Gozzolini was threatened with the loss of his canonry, but decided to leave the world on seeing the decaying corpse of one who had formerly been noted for great beauty. In 1227 he retired to a desert place about thirty miles from Osimo and lived there in the utmost poverty until he was recognized by the owner of the land, a certain nobleman named Conrad, who offered him a better site for his hermitage. From this spot he was driven by dampness and next established himself at Grotta Fucile, where he eventually built a monastery of his order.
In this place his penances were most severe, for he lived on raw herbs and water, and slept on the bare ground. Disciples flocked to him seeking his direction, and it became necessary to choose a rule. According to the legend, the various founders appeared to him in a vision, each begging him to adopt his rule. Gozzolini chose for his followers that of St. Benedict and built his first monastery on Montefano
, where he had first to destroy the remains of a pagan
temple.
In 1247, he obtained from Innocent IV, at Lyon
, a papal bull
confirming his order, and before his death founded a number of monasteries.
An account of his miracles and of the growth of his cultus can be found in Bolzonetti. His body was disinterred and placed in a shrine (1275–85) and is still honoured in the church of Monte Fano. Clement IV first recognized the title of blessed
popularly bestowed on Sylvester, who was inscribed as a saint in the Roman Martyrology by order of Clement VIII in 1598. His office and Mass were extended to the Universal Church by Leo XIII. His feast is kept on 26 November as a third class in the extraordinary form.
Religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
known as the Sylvestrines
Sylvestrines
The Sylvestrines are an order of monks under the Benedictine rule forming the Sylvestrine Congregation within the Benedictine Confederation. The order was founded in 1231 by Saint Sylvester Gozzolini....
.
Born of the noble family of the Gozzolini at Osimo
Osimo
Osimo is a town and comune of the Marche, Italy, in the province of Ancona, 15 km south of that town by rail. It is situated on a hill near the Adriatic Sea.Silk-spinning and the raising of cocoons are carried on.-History:...
, Marche
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
, he was sent to study jurisprudence
Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
at Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
and Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
, but feeling within himself a call to the ecclesiastical state, abandoned the study of law for that of theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and Holy Scripture, daily giving long hours to prayer. On his return home we are told that his father, angered at his change of purpose, refused to speak to him for ten years. Sylvester then accepted a canonry at Osimo and devoted himself to pastoral work with such zeal as to arouse the hostility of his bishop, whom he had respectfully rebuked for the scandals caused by the prelate's irregular life.
Gozzolini was threatened with the loss of his canonry, but decided to leave the world on seeing the decaying corpse of one who had formerly been noted for great beauty. In 1227 he retired to a desert place about thirty miles from Osimo and lived there in the utmost poverty until he was recognized by the owner of the land, a certain nobleman named Conrad, who offered him a better site for his hermitage. From this spot he was driven by dampness and next established himself at Grotta Fucile, where he eventually built a monastery of his order.
In this place his penances were most severe, for he lived on raw herbs and water, and slept on the bare ground. Disciples flocked to him seeking his direction, and it became necessary to choose a rule. According to the legend, the various founders appeared to him in a vision, each begging him to adopt his rule. Gozzolini chose for his followers that of St. Benedict and built his first monastery on Montefano
Montefano
Montefano is a comune in the Province of Macerata in the Italian region Marche, located about 25 km southwest of Ancona and about 13 km north of Macerata...
, where he had first to destroy the remains of a pagan
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
temple.
In 1247, he obtained from Innocent IV, at Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, a papal bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
confirming his order, and before his death founded a number of monasteries.
An account of his miracles and of the growth of his cultus can be found in Bolzonetti. His body was disinterred and placed in a shrine (1275–85) and is still honoured in the church of Monte Fano. Clement IV first recognized the title of blessed
Beatus
Beatus, meaning blessed in Medieval Latin, may mean:*a term in the Catholic Church for a person who has been beatified, the stage before being declared a saint.* A copy of the Commentary on the Apocalypse, Beatus, meaning blessed in Medieval Latin, may mean:*a term in the Catholic Church for a...
popularly bestowed on Sylvester, who was inscribed as a saint in the Roman Martyrology by order of Clement VIII in 1598. His office and Mass were extended to the Universal Church by Leo XIII. His feast is kept on 26 November as a third class in the extraordinary form.