ON BL. GILES OF SAN MARTÍN DE CASTAÑEDA, ABBOT, IN THE DIOCESE OF ASTORGA IN SPAIN,
ABOUT THE YEAR MCCIII.
COLLECTION.
The Blessed one's cult, his distinction from others of the same name, and his elogium.
Giles, abbot of San Martín de Castañeda in the kingdom of León. (Bl.)
Written by J. V.
This is the third abbot Giles whom we exhibit on this day, having been taught of his cult by Angel Manrique in tome 3 of the Cistercian Annals at the year 1203, chapter 8, number 7, The Blessed one's cult from Manrique; the monastery over which where he has this: In the same monastery of St. Martin (de Castañeda, otherwise de Lacu, in the diocese of Astorga) two other men are reported to have flourished, Giles and another whose name has perished, of signal sanctity, first monks, then, when already grown in the cenobitic life, living in the desert; where both persevered until death. And of the companion indeed a slight memory remains; of Giles a celebrated one, a chapel having been erected in his honor at the town of Casaium, and many sick flocking thither, but chiefly the deaf, to receive the health they desire. There exist and are preserved, authentically proved, several miracles which God works through this Saint even in our times. Him Miraeus adorns with the title of Blessed in the Origins of monastic orders, book 5, chapter 15, and Bucelin in the Benedictine Menology, page 609. Chalemot in the Series of the Saints &c. of the Cistercian Order, page 286, calls him only venerable: In Spain, the venerable Giles, first abbot of Castañeda in the diocese of Astorga, a man of wonderful integrity, who long flourished there with unusual sanctity: yet, the dignity being abdicated in course of time, like a soldier retired he led a private and anchoretic life: and at last, consumed by a happy death, he merited to be reckoned among the Saints of the Cistercian Order by Henriquez on the first of September in these words: In Spain, blessed Giles, Cistercian monk and first abbot of the monastery of San Martín de Castañeda, who, that dignity being laid down after some years, chose the anchoretic life, and, full of days, fruitful in merits, and shining with the ornaments of all virtues, made an end of living, and flew away to the heavenly fatherland. Then of the monastery he notes the following: This convent, built in the diocese of Astorga, was first inhabited by the black Benedictine monks; whom the Cistercians succeeded: and at length, being handed over to the reformed Religious of the same institute, it is possessed by them until this present day. Of its antiquity consult Mabillon at the year 941, or tome 3 of the Annals, page 458.
[2] Chalemot follows Henriquez in his error, when he names Giles the first abbot, he presided as abbot: the place where he is venerated is obscure. not having inspected, as I judge, the cited passage of Manrique, where he has besides this: Henriquez ascribes Giles to the first day of September in his Menology; but when he makes him the first abbot of the house, he goes far astray from the true tradition and, what is more, from the documents also. For according to Yepes in the general Chronicle of the Order of St. Benedict, tome 5, folio 93, when Peter Christian, after he had been abbot three years, was taken to the bishopric of Astorga, Martin succeeded him in the abbacy; and at length St. Giles succeeded Martin, who, that he might lead an anchoretic life, betook himself into solitude. From which it is plain that the Blessed one was an abbot, although Manrique does not express it. The same writer assigned above the place ennobled by the Blessed one's cult, the town of Casaium, or, as the index has it, Cassarum; but neither name is to be found among the geographers. Whence we conjecture that the annalist meant to designate an ignoble little town, which the chorographical maps do not exhibit, situated on the mountains next to the monastery, where the Blessed one, as Bucelin testifies, established a solitary life: which seems verisimilar enough. If the learned men of Spain shall suggest anything more certain about Casaium or Cassarum, it will be a pleasure to us to be taught by them. Meanwhile we have asked, in letters given to the abbot of the said monastery on the first of November 1743, for the Blessed one's Life or manuscript Acts, if any are held, a notice of the place or places where he is venerated, and likewise the miracles wrought by his intercession, which, as the cited Manrique testifies, exist and are preserved, several of them authentically proved; but until now we have received nothing. Wherefore we would have the learned reader warned that what precedes concerning the Blessed one's cult rests chiefly on the credit of Manrique.
[3] The year of his death and his distinction from other Gileses; his elogium The year of the Blessed one's death I find assigned by no one except by Sigismund Alberti in the chronologico-geographical Catalogue of the Saints, Blessed, and Servants of God of the Cistercian Order, in these words: B. Giles, a Spaniard by birth, monk of Castañeda in the diocese of Astorga, the first of September, about the year MCCIII. From which we judge his distinction from the others of the same name to appear clearly enough: and indeed of Giles the abbot in the province of Narbonne the matter is clear of itself, and of the other Giles, companion of St. Arcanus, we proved it above on page 307. But since authentic Acts of our Blessed one are not at hand, we shall reprint his elogium from Bucelin, such as he inserted it into the Benedictine Menology, pages 609 and following, citing Yepes, Aubert Miraeus, and Chrysostom Henriquez, tome 2 of the Saints of the Order &c. In Spain, of blessed Giles, abbot of blessed Martin de Castañeda. He, in his very youth having embraced the yoke of the Lord, gave his name to our most holy Father Benedict under the most choice reformation of our Cistercians; being most highly regarded, even while still of youthful age, for the praise not only of piety but of learning also. Being appointed abbot of St. Martin in the kingdom of Castile *, he wonderfully that dignity, as he was most thoroughly furnished with all the more excellent endowments of mind,
made illustrious, and, having gained with wondrous art and benevolence not only his own monks, but also those most deeply infected with the stain of sins who ran to him as to a most experienced physician, by most honeyed words and chiefly by his own example he called them back to sounder things, and claimed a great number of them for heaven; nay, he clothed very many with the cowl and formed most perfect monks.
[4] At length, the burden of the abbatial dignity being laid down, being taught by the Holy Spirit, from Bucelin. he followed after those things which edify, and, being emulous of the better gifts, with Mary he chooses the best part, and, having obtained leave from his superiors that he might more quietly have leisure for the contemplation of divine things, he established a solitary life on the mountains next to the monastery. And from the time, says the author of the life (namely Chrysostom Henriquez in book 2 of the Fasciculus of the Saints of the Cistercian Order, page 262), when he withdrew himself from the conversation of all, he gave himself so far to the contemplation of heavenly things that, from the excess of spiritual consolation, he seemed to ascend into heaven with his mind, and, as though stripped of the contagions of mortality, to be present at the angelic choirs. But at length, full of days, fruitful in merits, and shining with the ornaments of all virtues, he made an end of living, nay, merited the beginning of true life, when the fame of his sanctity had procured no ordinary honor for those places.
Annotata* read Castañeda
* rather, of León