Alferius

Saint Alferius
Saint Alferius
Born	930; Salerno
Died	12 April 1050 (aged 119 or 120)
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Canonized	cultus confirmed in 1893 by Leo XIII
Feast	April 12

Alferius (Italian: Sant'Alferio) (930–1050) was an Italian abbot and saint.

Life

Alferius was born in Salerno to the noble Pappacarbona family.^[1] He spent many years in service to Guaimar. Prince of Salerno. In 1002, Alferius was named to head a delegation from his city to King Robert II of France. Taking ill during the journey, he convalesced at the monastery of S. Michele della Chiusa. While there, he met Odilo of Cluny and vowed to become a monk himself if he recovered.^[2] He spent some time at Cluny before returning to Salerno.

Around 1020, he withdrew to the foot of Monte Finestra, southwest of Cava, where he lived a life of contemplation and prayer. At the beginning of the 11th century, a nucleus of hermit monks, attracted by the famed saintliness of Alferius, joined him.^[3] In 1011, he founded the monastery of La Trinità della Cava.^[4] It followed the Benedictine rule.

Veneration

The first four abbots of Cava were officially recognized as saints on December 21, 1893, by Pope Leo XIII.^[5] The first four abbots are Alferius; Leo I (1050–79); Peter of Pappacarbone (1079–1123); and Constabilis.

Notes

^ Holweck, Frederick George. A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints, B. Herder, 1924, p. 50
^ "Alferius", The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature. (James Strong and John McClintock, eds.); Harper and Brothers; NY; 1880 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ Oldfield, Paul. Sanctity and Pilgrimage in Medieval Southern Italy, 1000–1200 Cambridge University Press, 2014. p. 85 ISBN 9781139915793
^ Monks of Ramsgate. "Alferius". Book of Saints, 1921. CatholicSaints.Info. 27 May 2012 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ San Constabile (Costabile)

Bibliography

Joseph Ratzinger: Sainti. Gli autentici apologeti della Chiesa., Lindau Edizioni, Torino 2007. ISBN 978-88-7180-706-5

External links

(in Italian) San Alferio
Alferius of La Cava

[1] Holweck, Frederick George. A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints, B. Herder, 1924, p. 50

[2] "Alferius", The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature. (James Strong and John McClintock, eds.); Harper and Brothers; NY; 1880 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[3] Oldfield, Paul. Sanctity and Pilgrimage in Medieval Southern Italy, 1000–1200 Cambridge University Press, 2014. p. 85 ISBN 9781139915793

[4] Monks of Ramsgate. "Alferius". Book of Saints, 1921. CatholicSaints.Info. 27 May 2012 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[5] San Constabile (Costabile)

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