St. Albert of Jerusalem

Biography

St. Albert (c. 1150–1214) was born in northern Italy, probably at Gualtieri, near Reggio Emilia. He joined the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross at Mortara and was elected their prior. In 1184 he became bishop of Bobbio and soon afterward bishop of Vercelli, which he governed for some twenty years. Respected for his wisdom and fairness, he was often entrusted by the popes with delicate missions of mediation, and he helped make peace between rival cities of northern Italy. Around 1205 Pope Innocent III named him Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. Because Jerusalem was then under Muslim rule, he lived at Acre, on the coast of the Holy Land. There a group of Latin hermits living on Mount Carmel asked him for a rule of life. Between 1206 and 1214 Albert wrote for them a short Rule centered on prayer, silence, meditation on the Word of God day and night, and life in community around a common chapel. This Rule, later adapted and approved by the popes, remains the foundation of the Carmelite Order. On September 14, 1214, the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Albert was killed during a procession at Acre by a man he had removed from office for misconduct. The Carmelites honor him as their lawgiver.

Patronages

Symbols