Presbyters Uniwersytet Warszawski
ID
ER 782
A young man named John seeks the monastic life and joins the monk Valerius in his hermitage in Bierzo (Iberian Peninsula). Later, John builds a new monastery, and is there ordained a presbyter. Valerius of Bierzo, "Replicatio sermonum", 2nd half of the 7th century.
A young man called John refuses to marry and joins Valerius in his hermitage on a mountain in Bierzo. They are attacked by robbers and separated. John goes back to the hermitage on the mountain, whereas Valerius is led forth to another place by the faithful who have helped him.
 
7. Cumque ille post haec perditam recepisset salutem, et ad meum, sicut pridem, properaret obsequium, ira zelo diaboli indurata est corda pravorum hominum, ut nequaquam eum permitteret meum demum adire consortium. Et dum ego supra dicto ordine ad idem loca, duce Domino, in cellula beatissimi Fructuosi fuissem perductus, et ille non fuisset permissus. Et quia de saepe dicto monte me discedente recessit et assiduus populi concursus, cum autem de stercora animalium dudum occurentium hominum deliciosus in eodem loco excrevisset foenus, veniens ignis per desertum per idem foenum ingressus, cuncta habitacula cum ipsa concremavit ecclesia. Post haec praefatus Johannes ad radicem ejusdem montis deorsum sibi, opitulante Domino, novum construit monasterium in quo eum episcopus ordinavit contra voluntate sua presbyterum.
 
(ed. C.M. Aherne 1949: 130, 132)
A young man called John refuses to marry and joins Valerius in his hermitage on a mountain in Bierzo. They are attacked by robbers and separated. John goes back to the hermitage on the mountain, whereas Valerius is led forth to another place by the faithful who have helped him.
 
7. And when he [John] had regained his lost health, imperiled after  these events, and was hastening to my service as before, anger hardened the hearts of the wicked men with diabolical jealousy so that in the end they would under no consideration permit him to share my lot. While I, as mentioned in the afore-named Ordo, was led by the Lord's guidance to the same place, the cell of blessed Fructuosus, he was not permitted to go. And because I departed from this mountain, the attentive crowd of people withdrew, but since from the manure of animals of the men coming here for some time, lush grass had sprung up in that place, fire coming from the desert through the same grass burned all the dwellings together with the church itself. After these things the aforesaid John constructed, with the Lord's help, below at the foot of the mountain a new monastery, in which the bishop ordained him a presbyter against his will.
 
(ed. C.M. Aherne 1949: 130, 132)

Discussion:

The church that has burnt was the church of Saint Felix mentioned by Valerius earlier in the story.

Place of event:

Region
  • Iberian Peninsula
City
  • Castro Pedroso

About the source:

Author: Valerius of Bierzo
Title: Replicatio sermonum, Further account
Origin: Iberian Peninsula
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian
"Replicatio sermonum" is the second part of the autobiographical trilogy written by the eremitical monk from the region of Bierzo (Iberian Peninsula) Valerius. He relates the sufferings, attacks of the devil and conflicts he was involved during his monastic life. The exact dates of Valerius life, as well as the dates of the composition of his works cannot be established; it can only be said that he lived and worked in roughly the second half of the seventh century. Apart from the autobiographical writings he composed six short works: De vana saeculi sapientia, Vita et epistola beatissimae Egeriae, De genere monachorum, Dicta beatum Valeri ad beatum Donadeum scripta, De Bonello monacho, and De caeleste revelatione. On Valerius of Bierzo see Aherne 1949, Collins 1986, Díaz y Díaz 2006, Martín 2011.
Edition:
Edition and translation:
Valerius of Bierzo, Ordo querimoniae, [in:]  C.M. Aherne, Valerio of Bierzo, an Ascetic of the Late Visigothic Period. A Dissertation, Washington D.C. 1949, 68-109
Bibliography:
J.L. Avello Álvarez, "Los suevos y visigodos en la provincia de León", Memorias de historia antigua 11-12 (1990), 295-316.
R. Collins, "The Autobiographical Works of Valerius of Bierzo their structure and purpose”, [in :] Antigüedad y cristianismo: Monografías históricas sobre la Antigüedad tardía, 1986, 425-442.
M.C. Díaz y Díaz, Valerio Del Bierzo: su persona, su obra, León 2006.
M. Gómez Moreno, Catálogo monumental de España. Provincia de León (1906-1908), v. 1, Madrid 1925.
J.C. Martín, "¿Valerio en Compludo? Examen crítico de los opúsculos autobiográficos (CPL 1282-1284) y las Visiones del más allá (CPL 1277-1279) de Valerio del Bierzo”, Veleia 23 (2006), 327-338.

Categories:

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος
Monastic or common life - Hermit
Monastic or common life - Cenobitic monk
Reasons for ordination - Involuntary ordination
Ecclesiastical administration - Construction/Renovation
Relation with - Bishop/Monastic superior
Conflict - Violence
Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: M. Szada, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER782, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=782