Bernard entered the reformed Benedictine monastery of Cîteaux at the age of about twenty-two, bringing more than thirty companions, including several relatives, with him. He was soon sent to found a new monastery at Clairvaux, which grew rapidly under his leadership and became the motherhouse of a wave of new Cistercian foundations across Europe, numbering in the hundreds by the time of his death.
Bernard's eloquence and spiritual authority extended far beyond his monastery: he mediated disputes between popes and kings, preached the Second Crusade at the request of the pope, and wrote extensively on mystical union with God, especially in his commentaries on the Song of Songs, which remain classics of Christian mysticism. Known as the 'Mellifluous Doctor' for the sweetness of his eloquence, he was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1830.
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
Monk, Mystic, and Doctor of the Church
A Cistercian abbot whose eloquent preaching and mystical writings on the love of God made him the most influential churchman of twelfth-century Europe.
- Born
- 1090
- Died
- 1153
- Birthplace
- Fontaine-lès-Dijon, France
- Died in
- Clairvaux, France
- Country
- France
- Canonised
- 1174-01-18
- Century
- 12th century
Why People Pray to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux is invoked by those seeking deeper union with God in prayer, and by monks, writers, and mediators.
