Saint of the Day: Bl. Marianus Scotus of Regensburg

Abbot (d. ca. 1088)

His life

+ Marianus (or Marion) received the monastic habit at a young age and, in 1067, seeking the “white martyrdom” of the Irish monks (choosing a vocation to leave Ireland to serve as a missionary), he set out on pilgrimage to Rome—a destination which he never reached.

+ Welcomed by the bishop of Regensburg, he and his companions entered the Benedictine monastery at Michelsburg. He later established a new monastery near Regensburg dedicated to Saint Peter, serving as the community’s first abbot.

+ A talented scribe, he made use of many ancient and medieval sources in his studies, and he corrected numerous errors in pre-existing texts. A manuscript, written by Marianus himself in 1078, has survived and is housed in the Imperial Library in Vienna.

+ Blessed Marianus died around the year 1088.

For prayer and reflection

“Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice.”—Psalm 112:4-5

Prayer

Grant us, O Lord, that amid the uncertainties of this world we may cling with all our heart to the things of heaven, for through the Abbot blessed Marianus you have given us a model of evangelical perfection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

(from The Roman Missal: Common of Holy Men and Women—For an Abbot)

Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.