Saint Who?
Saints Who Achieved Sanctity Young
Saint Rupert of Bingen
Layman (8th century) Feast: May 15
Saint Hildegard of Bingen wrote the earliest biography of Rupert. He was the son of a duke, but his pagan father died when he was only an infant. He was then raised by his wealthy but pious mother, Bertha.
Bertha taught her son the faith and the practice of Christian virtue. She was astonished when her young son demonstrated how well he had absorbed her lessons. For example, when mother and son were walking through the streets one day, a group of ragged children came to beg for alms. Rupert encouraged his mother to be generous with them by excitedly pointing out, “Look, Mother! Those are all your children!” Later, when Bertha told Rupert she planned to use her money and lands to build a new church, he immediately reminded her, “But first of all we must obey God and give our bread to the hungry and clothe the naked.” Moved by her son’s words, Bertha decided to build hospices for the poor.
Bertha took twelve-year-old Rupert with her when she went on a pilgrimage to Rome. When they returned, she built more churches and then gave away all their possessions. Rupert left to live as a hermit in the hills—on a spot now called Rupertsberg in his honor—and died when he was about twenty years old.
Heavenly Father, do not let us forget
to share our gifts with the poor.
