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41-504: When Norbert of Xanten , founder of the Premonstratensian Order , was returning from Cologne in the year after its foundation with relics for his new church at Prémontré , Godfrey, Count of Namur, and his wife Ermensendis received him in their castle at Namur. He made such an impression on them that they asked him to found a house at Floreffe nearby. The charter by which they made over a church and house to Norbert and his order

82-606: A band of chosen religious of Floreffe, he journeyed to the Holy Land and founded the abbey of St. Habacuc (1137). Philip, Count of Namur, gave to Weric, the sixth abbot, a large piece of the True Cross which he had received from his brother Baldwin, Emperor of Constantinople . The chronicles record that twice, namely in 1204 and 1254, blood flowed from this relic on the Feast of the Invention of

123-532: A community that would be somewhat monastic as far as house ministry. The whole idea was that his active priests needed an ascetic and contemplative haven and that was the purpose of the abbey discipline. Norbert chose a valley in the Forest of Coucy (a grant from Barthélemy de Jur , the Bishop of Laon ), about 10 miles from Laon, named Prémontré . Hugh of Fosses, Evermode of Ratzeburg , Antony of Nivelles, seven students of

164-537: A number of miracles. In settlement after settlement he encountered a demoralized clergy, lonely, often practicing concubinage and feeling that the official Church cared little about them. In Paris he would have witnessed the Canons of St. Victor , who had adopted the ascetic ideals of William of Champeaux . At Clairvaux and Citeaux he would have seen the Cistercian reforms among the monks. He also became acquainted with

205-447: A state of worldliness. He declined higher religious roles because he didn't want the restraints that came with the positions. He later underwent a profound conversion after he was thrown from a horse when a bolt of lightning frightened the animal. Following this incident, he went to Xanten and pursued a devout, penitent life. He adopted such strict discipline that it killed his first three disciples. This may be why he failed to reform

246-641: A strict form of canonical life in various communities of canons in Germany ; in 1120 he was working in the now-extinct Ancient Diocese of Laon , in Picardy , northeastern France . There, in a rural place called Prémontré , he and thirteen companions established a monastery to be the cradle of a new order. As they were canons regular, they followed the Rule of St. Augustine , but with supplementary statutes that made their life one of great austerity. Common prayer and celebration of

287-691: A variety of scales (Averbode Abbey, Berne Abbey, United States , Australia ). In order to support themselves, the different communities have down the centuries, and in modern times, operated small-scale manual activities (SME) such as printing ( Averbode Abbey , Tongerlo Abbey , Berne Abbey ), farming ( Kinshasa , Ireland , Postel Abbey ), forestry ( Schlägl Abbey , Geras Abbey , Slovakia ), and cheese-making (Postel Abbey). They have also entered agreements with breweries (Tongerlo Abbey, Postel Abbey, Park Abbey, Leffe , Grimbergen ) and undertaken artistic bookbinding (in Oosterhout ). Other activities have included

328-530: Is St. Norbert College, the only Norbertine higher education institution in the world. The Order has several abbeys of women who, though technically called canonesses, follow the life of an enclosed religious order and are therefore more commonly termed Norbertine nuns . Like the Norbertine communities for men, those for women are autonomous. Unusually, within the religious communities of the Catholic Church ,

369-428: Is common for a foundation of canonesses to have links not only with other canonesses, but also with a community of canons. The Premonstratensians were among the religious orders with their own rite who kept this rite after Pope Pius V suppressed such rites with a continuous tradition of less than two hundred years. The Premonstratensian Rite was especially characterized by a ritual solemnity. The Premonstratensian Rite

410-435: Is dated 27 November 1121, so that Floreffe is, chronologically speaking, the second abbey of the order. Norbert laid the foundations of the church, which was called Salve ("Save"); the abbey was named Flos Mariae (the "Flower of Mary"). The chronicles of the abbey relate that while celebrating mass at Floreffe, Saint Norbert saw a drop of blood issuing from the sacred host onto the paten. Distrusting his own eyes, he said to

451-690: Is produced for the abbey by Brasserie Lefebvre , it is available in various styles: blonde, double, triple, blanche and prima melior. Despite its name, the abbey has no ties with the cheese of the same name . [REDACTED]  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain :  Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). " Abbey of Floreffe ". Catholic Encyclopedia . New York: Robert Appleton Company. 50°26′01″N 4°45′28″E  /  50.4335°N 4.7579°E  / 50.4335; 4.7579 Norbert of Xanten Norbert of Xanten , O. Praem (c. 1075 – 6 June 1134) (Gennep-Magdeburg), also known as Norbert Gennep ,

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492-565: Is the only institution of higher education sponsored by the Order. Elsewhere they also sponsor/operate schools or serve in pastoral care capacities at parish schools. Schools founded or sponsored by the order include: Northern Ireland 's Historical Abuse Inquiry investigated reports that Brendan Smyth , a member of the Norbertine Order, was allowed to continue paedophilia for more than four decades, even after Smyth himself had admitted in 1994,

533-659: The Diocese of Laon in France. On Christmas Day, 1120, Norbert established the Canons Regular of Prémontré . For a Rule of life, Norbert chose the Rule of St. Augustine as was common among communities of priests -‘canons’. In addition he adapted some of the customs of the Cistercians. Even more of these would be brought in later by Norbert's successor, Abbot Hugh of Fosse. In effect he produced

574-693: The Wends and the bringing of Christianity to the territories around the Elbe and the Oder . In time, mitigations and relaxations emerged, and these gave rise to reforms and semi-independent congregations within the Order. The Norbertines arrived in England about 1143, first at Newhouse in Lincoln, England ; before the dissolution under Henry VIII there were 35 houses. Soon after their arrival in England, they founded Dryburgh Abbey in

615-547: The schism following the election of Pope Innocent II in 1130, Norbert supported Innocent and resisted Antipope Anacletus II . In Norbert's last years, he was chancellor and adviser to Lothair II, the Holy Roman Emperor, persuading him to lead an army in 1133 to Rome to restore Innocent to the papacy. When Norbert died in Magdeburg on 6 June 1134, both the canons at the cathedral and the canons at St. Mary's Abbey claimed

656-568: The "Apostle of Antwerp". In 1126 Pope Honorius II appointed Norbert to the Archbishopric of Magdeburg , where he put into practice the precepts he instituted at Prémontré. Several assassination attempts were made as he began to reform the lax discipline of his see. He was instrumental in protecting the Church's rights against the secular power during the Investiture Controversy . In

697-518: The Borders area of Scotland , which was followed by other communities at Whithorn Priory , Dercongal Abbey and Tongland Abbey all in the Borders area, as well as Fearn Abbey in the northern part of the nation. Like most orders they were almost completely devastated by the successive onslaughts of the Reformation, French Revolution, and Napoleon, but then experienced a revival in the 19th century. By

738-566: The Cistercian administrative system that created an international federation of monasteries with fair amount of centralized power, though local houses had a certain amount of independence. These reforms, written up in their “Charter of Charity” would affect him significantly in his own future work. At the Council of Reims in October 1119, Pope Calixtus II requested Norbert to found a religious order in

779-462: The Eucharist was to be the sustaining dynamic of the community. In 1126, when the order received papal approbation by Pope Honorius II , there were nine houses; others were established in quick succession throughout western Europe, so that at the middle of the fourteenth century there were some 1,300 monasteries for men and 400 for women. The Norbertines played a predominant part in the conversion of

820-465: The Holy Cross , the miracle being witnessed by the religious and by a large crowd of people. At the suppression of Floreffe Abbey, the relic was removed to a place of safety. When, years later, the Norbertine canons, who had been expelled from France, bought an old Augustinian monastery at Bois-Seigneur-Isaac , it was restored to them. Floreffe Abbey founded a number of other religious houses, including

861-521: The Norbertine Order has always seen the spiritual life of the canonesses as being on an equal footing with that of its priests and lay brothers . In the Middle Ages , the Premonstratensians even had a few double monasteries , where men and women lived in cloisters located next to each other as part of the same abbey, the communities demonstrating their unity by sharing the church building. Today, it

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902-525: The Premonstratensian Rite was the celebration of a daily votive Mass in honor of the Virgin Mary in each of its abbeys and priories. Since Norbertine abbeys (and most priories) are autonomous, practices and apostolates are different, depending on the needs of the local Church. Some houses are contemplative in character whilst others are highly active in pastoral ministry. However, each is guided by

943-922: The Premonstratensian order. Premonstratensian The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré ( Latin : Candidus et Canonicus Ordo Praemonstratensis ), also known as the Premonstratensians , the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland , as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit ), is a religious order of canons regular of the Catholic Church founded in Prémontré near Laon in 1120 by Norbert of Xanten , who later became Archbishop of Magdeburg . Premonstratensians are designated by OPraem ( Ordo Praemonstratensis ) following their name. Norbert

984-745: The Rule of Saint Augustine and the Constitutions established by the General Chapter , which is held every six years. The general Chapter includes representatives from both male and female communities. The head of the Order, termed Abbot General, resides in Rome , and he is assisted in his duties by the Definitors (High Council) as well as commissions established for various aspects of the Order's life such as liturgy and inter-abbey communications. As of 2012, there were Premonstratensian abbeys or priories throughout

1025-620: The United Kingdom, South America, Zaire, South Africa, India and Australia are involved in education, parochial ministry, university chaplaincy also youth work. St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin , is the first institution of higher education to be founded by the Norbertine order . St. Norbert College also houses the Center for Norbertine Studies, a collaborative partnership between the college and

1066-512: The United States of America to minister to Belgian immigrants in northern Wisconsin. De Pere, Wisconsin became the site of the first Norbertine Abbey in the new world. By their nature as canons regular the Premonstratensians have always engaged in pastoral work of various kinds, including what would now be called retreat centres (nearly everywhere), and care for pilgrims (as at Conques ) and, like many religious houses, have often run schools on

1107-525: The abbeys of Postel and Leffe . Louis de Fromantau, elected in 1791, was the fifty-fifth and last abbot of Floreffe. When the French Republican army invaded Belgium the religious were expelled, and the abbey was confiscated along with all its possessions. Put up for sale in 1797, it was bought back for the abbot and his community by Canon Richald masquerading as a Republican. After the Concordat of 1801

1148-427: The abbot and a few of the monks returned to the abbey, but the difficulties were so great that after the death of the last of them the abbey became the property of the Bishop of Namur , who set up a seminary here. The seminary is no longer in operation. It has become a school (elementary and secondary). Much of the earlier buildings survives and the authorities of the school welcome visitors. The abbey beer "Floreffe"

1189-505: The beginning of the nineteenth century the order had become almost extinct, only eight houses surviving, all in the Habsburg monarchy . However, there was something of a resurgence, and at the start of the twentieth century there were 20 monasteries and 1000 priests. As of 2005 , the number of monasteries had increased to nearly 100 and spread to every continent. In 1893, Father Bernard Pennings and two other Norbertines from Berne Abbey arrived in

1230-605: The body. The two parties resorted to Lothair III who decreed the body should be buried in the Norbertine Abbey. In 1524, Martin Luther preached in the city and, as a result, Magdeburg became a Protestant city. Numerous attempts were made over the centuries by the Abbey of Strahov in Prague to retrieve Norbert's body. Only after several military defeats at the hand of Emperor Ferdinand II

1271-507: The canons of Xanten , who denounced him as an innovator at the Council of Fritzlar in 1118. He then resigned his benefice, sold all his property and gave the proceeds to the poor. He visited Pope Gelasius II , who gave him permission to become an itinerant preacher and he preached throughout lands in what is now western Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and northern France, being credited with

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1312-459: The celebrated school of Anselm , and Ralph of Laon were among his first thirteen disciples. By the next year the community had grown to 40. They all took their vows and the Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré was founded. The young community at first lived in huts of wood and clay, arranged like a camp around the chapel of Saint John the Baptist , but they soon built a larger church and a monastery for

1353-483: The deacon who assisted him: "Brother, do you see what I see?" "Yes, Father" answered the deacon, "I see a drop of blood which gives out a brilliant light". The altar stone on which the saint celebrated mass is still preserved at Floreffe. Saint Norbert made Richard, one of his first disciples, the first abbot. The second abbot, Almaric, was commissioned by Pope Innocent II to preach the gospel in Palestine . Accompanied by

1394-543: The new order, but Norbert counseled him to remain a layman and marry. Norbert prescribed a few rules and invested Theobald with the white scapular of the order, and thus, in 1122, the Third Order of St. Norbert was instituted. He continued to preach throughout France, Belgium and Germany and was successful in combatting a eucharistic heresy in Antwerp proposed by one Tanchelm . In commemoration of this, Norbert has been proclaimed

1435-735: The religious who joined them in increasing numbers. Going to Cologne to obtain relics for their church, Norbert is said to have discovered, through a dream, the spot where those of Ursula and her companions, of Gereon , and of other martyrs lay hidden. In 1125/6, the constitution for the order was approved by Pope Honorius II . Norbert gained adherents in Germany, France, Belgium and Hungary, and houses of his order were founded in Floreffe, Viviers, St-Josse, Ardenne, Cuissy, Laon, Liège, Antwerp, Varlar, Kappenberg, Nagyvárad ( Oradea / Großwardein ) and elsewhere. Count Theobald II of Champagne wanted to enter

1476-568: The running of an astronomical observatory (Mira, Grimbergen). In 2015 there were some 1000 male and 200 female members of the Order. The Feast of All Norbertine Saints and Blesseds is celebrated internally on November 13. The Norbertines have also had a major presence in the area of Green Bay, Wisconsin , owning WBAY television and radio stations until the mid-1970s. The Nobertines ran two local boys high schools until 1990 and still run four local schools in De Pere and Green Bay. Among these schools

1517-1299: The world: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the USA. There are seven circaries (Premonstratensian term for an ecclesiastical province ): Anglica Circary Bohemica Circary Brabantica Circary Gallica Circary Germanica Circary Hungarica Circary Portuguesa Circary Norbertine Blesseds include Beatrice of Engelport (+1275, f. Mar. 12/13) Bronislava of Poland (or of Zwierzniec) (+1259, f. Aug. 30), Gerlach of Valkenburg (+1172, Jan. 5), Gertrude of Aldenberg (Altenburg), Abbess (+1297, f. Aug. 13), Hugh of Fosse (+1164, f. Feb. 10), Hroznata of Teplá (+1217, f. Jul. 14), Jakob Kern of Geras (+1924, f. Oct. 20), Oda of Bonne Rivreuille (+1158, f. Apr. 20), Peter-Adrian Toulorge of Blanchelande , Martyr (+1793, f. Oct. 13), and Ricvera of Clastres (+1136, f. Oct. 29). Norbertines celebrate "all Norbertine Saints and Blesseds" on Nov. 13. St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin , United States,

1558-586: Was Archbishop of Magdeburg , founder of the Premonstratensian order of canons regular , and is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church . Norbert was canonized by Pope Gregory XIII in the year 1582, and his statue appears above the Piazza colonnade of St. Peter's Square in Rome. St. Norbert pursued worldly pleasures in the early part of his life. Even after he was ordained a subdeacon, he continued to live in

1599-450: Was a friend of Bernard of Clairvaux and was largely influenced by the Cistercian ideals as to both the manner of life and the government of his order. As the Premonstratensians are not monks but canons regular, their work often involves preaching and the exercising of pastoral ministry; they frequently serve in parishes close to their abbeys or priories. The order was founded in 1120. Saint Norbert had made various efforts to introduce

1640-644: Was also characterized by an emphasis on the Paschal mystery unique among the Latin rites. This was especially seen in the solemnity with which the daily conventional High Mass and office was celebrated during the Easter octave, especially vespers which concluded with a procession to the baptismal font, a practice paralleled among the Latin rites only in similar processions still found in the Ambrosian Rite . Another unique practice of

1681-500: Was the abbot of Strahov able to claim the body. On 2 May 1627 the body was finally brought to Prague where it remains to this day, displayed as an auto-icon in a glass-fronted tomb. Norbert was canonized by Pope Gregory XIII in the year 1582, and his statue appears above the Piazza colonnade of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Premonstratensian (or Norbertine) Canons in Europe, the US, Canada,

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