ON BLESSED ADELBERT,
COUNT OF OSTREVANT IN BELGIUM.
AT THE END OF THE 8TH CENTURY.
PrefaceAdelbertus, Count of Ostrevant, in Belgium (Blessed)
G. H.
Ostrevant, or Austrovandia, or Ostrovandia, an illustrious territory, enclosed by the rivers Sauchy, Scarpe, and Scheldt, where those flow into this one at Bouchain and Mortagne, Blessed Adelbert the husband of Saint Regina, seems to have received its name because it was the border of Austrasia, to whose kingdom Cambrai with the neighboring Hainaut was subjected. Of this Ostrevant, Blessed Adelbert is reckoned Count, with his wife Saint Regina, founder of the monastery of Denain on the Scheldt, in the territory of Ostrevant, between Valenciennes and Bouchain: in which monastery Saint Ragenfredis, their daughter, presided over the holy nuns as Abbess. Arnold Rayssius in the Hierogazophylacium Belgicum p. 2000 writes this concerning these three. father of Saint Ragenfredis: "At Denain, in the most celebrated and noble Benedictine Abbey near Valenciennes, the bodies rest of Blessed Adelbert, Count of Ostrevant, who died on the 10th day before the Kalends of May; of Blessed Regina, wife of Adelbert, foundress of this monastery, who died on the Kalends of August (correct to July): of Blessed Ragenfredis the Abbess, daughter of Blessed Adelbert and Regina, their sacred bodies at Denain who died on the 8th day before the Ides of October. These three bodies rest in the high altar in silver reliquaries: Saint Ragenfredis in the middle, Blessed Adelbert on the right side, but on the left Blessed Regina: and the Office for these three is held among the veiled Virgins under the double rite." So Rayssius. Henry Doutreman, in part 3 of the History of Valenciennes chapter 5, at the high altar, reports the origin of the solemn procession, which was instituted at Valenciennes in the year 1008, and is held every year, with sacred Relics brought from everywhere, which, as they were carried about in the year 1563, he broadly describes, and narrates that then four notable reliquaries had been brought from Denain: of which the first was of Saint Adelbert, Count of Ostrevant; the second of Saint Regina his wife, founders of the church and monastery of Denain, and parents of ten holy Virgin daughters. The third reliquary contained the body of Saint Ragenfredis, At Valenciennes carried in procession. firstborn of the said ten Virgins, and first Abbess of Denain. The fourth was furnished with various relics of the Ursuline Virgins. Molanus in the Auctarium of Usuard in the later edition writes this: "In Hainaut, at the monastery of Denain, memories in the calendars. the death of Saint Adelbert, Count of Ostrevant and Confessor, not however canonized: whose body rests in the high altar in a silver tomb." William Gazet in the Ecclesiastical History of Belgium p. 154 celebrates Saint Adelbert, Count of Ostrevant, husband of Saint Regina, with a similar eulogy, who in favor of the ten daughters they had begotten, built the monastery of Denain, in the diocese of Arras, near Valenciennes, where their bodies were raised. Later Martyrologists generally follow: Saussay, Willot, and others.
[2] A certain Life, transcribed from a MS. Passional of the monastery of Bödeken of the Regular Canons of the diocese of Paderborn, our John Gamans sent to us. But in it many things are controversial, In the MS. Life here omitted among which is that it is said that he was elected as Bishop of Cambrai, in which dignity, having been established, he had survived only one year with three days. Which things concerning this Saint Adelbert seem to have been transferred from Saint Ablebertus, Bishop of Cambrai, whose Acts we gave on January 15, He is said to be Bishop of Cambrai, and we said that he is also called Adelbertus, Albertus, Emebertus. Another controversy is that Saint Adelbert is said to have served for a long course of time at Tournai a certain baker, who loved him much for his humble service: then on the Mount of the Holy Trinity to have lived a life of great austerity. But Molanus writes this about Saint Ablebertus: "Near Tournai and Antoing is the village of Saint Adelbert, which is commonly called Mount-of-the-Holy-Trinity. But the Pastor asserts that the village is so called because Saint Adelbert, Bishop of Cambrai, is believed to have dwelt there. He also asserted that his feast was celebrated in his Church." [and is said to have lived before at Tournai and on the Mount of the Holy Trinity.] Thus Molanus on January 15. But since these controversial things occupy the principal part of the said Life of Saint Adelbert, Count of Ostrevant, we omit inserting it in our work, until a greater light may shine from elsewhere. We have proposed our doubt on February 6 in the history of the translation of Saint Vedastus, from the Life of Saint Autbertus by the author Fulbert, namely whether Saint Emebertus, Bishop of Cambrai, is distinct from Saint Ablebertus or Adelbertus, because from the day of the burial of Saint Vedastus, up to the time of blessed Autbertus there are said to have been six Bishops, with whom he himself ascended as the seventh to the Pontifical summit: these six interposed cannot be held unless Ablebertus or Adelbertus is established as distinct from Saint Emebertus, or certainly some other is interposed. But this Ablebertus so distinguished, because he lived in the seventh century, can contribute nothing to this Adelbert, Count of Ostrevant, who flourished in the eighth century. At that time the 15th Bishop Albericus presided: whether from that name Albertus and Adalbertus should be formed, and whether what is said here about Saint Adalbert the Count can be attributed to him, we leave to learned men in the dioceses of Cambrai, Arras, and Tournai to discuss. Some also interpose Saint Theofridus, from Abbot of Corbie made Bishop of Cambrai, whom others call of Amiens, others of Albi.
[3] There were printed in the year 1625 the proper offices of particular Saints of the Abbatial Church of Denain, Epitome of the life from the proper office, before approved by the commission of the Bishop of Arras by Matthias Navaeus, Doctor of sacred Theology of Douai: among which on this April 22 are proposed three Lessons of Saint Adelbert to be recited at Matins in the second Nocturn: which we give here, but collated with those which are contained a little more fully in the Annals of Hainaut, extracted from the books of Jacques de Guise, and printed in French in three volumes in the year 1531: where in volume 2 from folio 47 there is treatment of the monastery of Denain: and some things are added here in the notes.
COMPENDIUM OF THE LIFE
From the Lessons of the Church of Denain.
Adelbertus, Count of Ostrevant, in Belgium (Blessed)
FROM THE LESSONS.
[1] There flourished in the time of King Pippin of the Franks, who was the father of Charlemagne, Adelbert and Regina, holy spouses, among the nobles of the court Adelbert, Count of Ostrevant, not the least of the family of the Franks, most wealthy in riches and abundance of estates: nor only most illustrious in nobility of blood; but also in every sort of uprightness of manners and by the splendor of most noble acts lovable to all. He, not burning with the ardor of luxury, but moved by the love of begetting offspring, sought as his wife the niece of the said King Pippin, by her own name Regina, and with God granting obtained her. Joined therefore in the bond of love, their marriage was honorable according to the precept of the Apostle: in which mutually exhorting each other to a good life, with conjugal chastity, with abundance of alms and constant bestowal, devoted to alms, striving to please the divine sight, from day to day they enlarged the zeal of holy devotion: they refreshed the poor, clothed the naked, visited the sick; and they embraced with the breast of natural piety all whom want was pressing and the prejudices of the violent were oppressing, as far as possible for them;
by the bestowal of their substance and by salutary counsels, they relieved from pressing misery. Heb. 13:4 But since they administered to the Lord Jesus all the things which with prompt devotion they were conferring on the needy, they acquired for themselves the blessing of supernal felicity, that they might be worthy to obtain the kingdom prepared for all the Saints from the beginning of the world, and be remunerated in perpetuity with an unfading inheritance. To these therefore, chastely joined in the bond of wedlock according to the fear of God, and by the exercises of the said virtues faithfully and constantly serving the heavenly commands, that it might clearly be evident what great and what manner of fruit would result from this connection, they are said to have begotten ten daughters from the blessing of supernal power there was born to them a venerable line and offspring, namely a ten holy virgins, whom the parents instructed according to the law of the Lord, and took care to have them taught in b liberal disciplines and in the readings of divine letters. Their names are these: Saint Ragenfredis, Celestina, Rose, Ambrosia, Ava, Euphrosyna, Helena, Neptalina, Paulina, and Carola. They also built by the Scheldt river in a place of the diocese of Arras, which is called Denain, a monastery in honor of the Mother of God and likewise a church in veneration of Saint Martin. In that place they established a numerous number of holy nuns, over whom presided blessed Ragenfredis the daughter, they built the monastery of Denain, and there they rest. and a flock of Clerics of God, with revenues and estates decently bequeathed for the service of God. Their tombs are seen in the parochial church, but their bodies have been raised, and they rest in the high altar of the monastery in silver reliquaries: Saint Ragenfredis in the middle, Blessed Adelbert on the right side, but on the left Saint Regina.