Saint Norbert of Xanten

Life story

Norbert was born around 1075 in Xanten on the lower Rhine, into a noble family. He received minor orders, held church benefices and lived at the court of Emperor Henry V. He did not live a committed religious life until about 1115, when an event, according to tradition a violent thunderstorm, changed his course. He was ordained a priest in 1115, sold his property and began travelling as a barefoot preacher.

In 1120, at the suggestion of Bishop Bartholomew of Laon, he and a group of followers settled in the valley of Prémontré in the forest of Coucy. There they formed a community following the Rule of St Augustine, joining shared life with pastoral work. This was the start of the Premonstratensian Order. Pope Honorius II approved it in 1126, and new houses spread quickly across France, Germany and the Low Countries.

In that same year Norbert was elected archbishop of Magdeburg. He brought his own brethren into the diocese, tried to restore clerical discipline and to recover church property that had been seized, and met strong opposition, at one point nearly suffering violence. He also supported Pope Innocent II in the schism with his rival Anacletus II and accompanied King Lothar III in matters concerning the papacy.

He died in Magdeburg on 6 June 1134. His remains were later moved to Strahov Monastery in Prague, where they are still kept. Pope Gregory XIII canonised him in 1582. The Premonstratensian Order remains active in many countries, and its members are often called Norbertines.

Works and witness

• Ordained a priest in 1115 and took up itinerant preaching
• Founded the community of Prémontré in 1120, beginning the Premonstratensians under the Rule of St Augustine
• Order approved by Pope Honorius II in 1126
• Archbishop of Magdeburg from 1126 until his death
• Canonised in 1582

Saints from the same country

Saint Ambrose, Saint Hildegard of Bingen, Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), Saint Bruno of Cologne

References

• Martyrologium Romanum
• Vita Norberti (medieval life of Norbert)
• Dicastery for the Causes of Saints – biographical profile

Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.