Meinrad of Einsiedeln, OSB Hermit M (RM)
(also known as Maynard, Meginrat)
Born at Solgen (Sulichgau near Wurtemberg), Swabia; died at Einsiedeln, Switzerland, c. 861-63. The abbey of Saint Meinrad at Einsiedeln near Lake Zurich takes its name from this saint. It's interesting that several sources (who may have copied from each other or another single source) say that Saint Meinrad was born of the noble Hohenzollern family. Farmer reports that his parents were free peasants. In either case, he was educated, professed, and ordained at the abbey of Reichenau, Switzerland. He had some teaching assignment near the upper lake of Zurich.
Meinrad's soul, however, longed for solitude, and to devote itself to contemplation. He looked for and found the perfect place in a forest. With the permission of his superiors, about 829, Meinrad went to live as a hermit at the place. Like many hermits before him, Meinrad practiced austerity. Word of his holiness spread and attracted many visitors. So many that he found it necessary to move to a remoter spot, where the abbey was built 40 years after his death.
On January 21, 861, courteously received two visitors, whom he fed and provided shelter although he knew them to be ruffians. They were robbers who murdered Meinrad with clubs upon finding he had no tangible treasure. Because Meinrad was a holy man, he was regarded as a martyr. The thieves were found, judged, and executed. Meinrad's body was enshrined at Reichenau, where it was venerated.
Beginning about 900 with Blessed Benno, a succession of solitaries occupied his hermitage (which is what the name 'Einseideln' means), and eventually, in the 10th century, a regular Benedictine monastery was established there. It became a great monastery and pilgrimage center that has an unbroken history of over 1,000 years. The statue of the Blessed Virgin in the huge church is said to have belonged to Meinrad himself. He is the patron of Einsiedeln (Switzerland) and Swabia (Germany) (Attwater, Attwater2, Benedictines, Coulson, Encyclopedia, Farmer, Walsh).
In art Saint Meinrad is generally grouped with Saint Benedict, holding a club and ciborium. Sometimes he may be pictured (1) beaten to death with clubs by two men; (2) as a monk with a tau staff going into the wilderness; (3) with two ravens near him, or pursuing his murderers; or (4) eating fish with a widow (Roeder).
San Meinrado (Meginrado) di Einsiedeln Eremita e martire
† Einsiedeln, Svizzera, 861
Martirologio Romano: Tra i monti intorno al lago di Zurigo nell’odierna Svizzera, san Meinrado, sacerdote, che, dedito dapprima alla vita cenobitica, poi a quella eremitica, fu ucciso dai briganti.
San Meinrado (o Meginrado) nacque da una famiglia di contadini a Sulichgau, nei pressi di Wurtemberg in Germania. Entrò nel monastero benedettino di Reichenau in Svizzera, ove ricevette l’ordinazione presbiterale. Divenne poi insegnante vicino al lago di Zurigo. Sognando una vita di solitudine, verso l’829 i suoi superiori acconsentirono al suo passaggio alla vita eremitica e si stabilì dunque in una vicina foresta. Divenne ben presto famoso per la santità e l’austerità che contraddistinguevano la sua vita. Cominciando ad affluire numerosi i visitatori, Meinrado preferì trasferirsi in un luogo ancora più isolato, nei pressi di Einsiedeln, ove rimase per venticinque anni sino alla morte. Due briganti, convinti che il santo eremita nascondesse un tesoro, andarono a trovarlo spacciandosi per pellegrini e ricevettero cortese accoglienza. Non trovando però alcun tesoro, lo bastonarono a morte per poi darsi alla fuga.
La leggenda vuole che i due ladri vennero inseguiti da altrettanti corvi fino a Zurigo e qui gracchiando avvertirono le autorità. Furono dunque catturati e messi al rogo. Le spoglie mortali di Meinrado furono ritrovate e traslate a Reichenau per ricevere solenne sepoltura. Nonostante non fosse propriamente morto in odio alla fede, si sviluppò nei suoi confronti un culto quale martire. Quarant’anni dopo, un sacerdote di nome Benno tornò ad occupare l’eremo che era stato di San Meinrado. Convinto poi ad accettare la sede episcopale di Metz, preferì in seguito fare ritorno ad Einsiedeln per dare vita ad un monastero benedettino ancor oggi fiorente.
Autore: Fabio Arduino