Sylvester was born in 1177 to the noble Gozzolini family, of Gislerio Guzzolini and Bianca, of Osimo, Italy. Little is known of his early life. He did study law at Bologna and Padua, but became interested in theology. The story is told that when he switched his studies to theology and sought the priesthood, his father was so infuriated that he refused to speak to Sylvester for ten years.
After ordination Sylvester was a canon at Osimo where he worked diligently to bring the Gospel values to his people. His zeal did get him into difficulties with his bishop who lived a lax and disedifying life. When Sylvester respectfully rebuked him for his behavior, the bishop threatened to remove him from his post.
In 1227, Sylvester, who had long been drawn to the contemplative life, is said to have had a vision of the decaying body of a very handsome man. He resigned his rich post and became a hermit 30 miles from Osimo in a very lonely spot. He subsequently moved to Grotto Fucile and was soon surrounded by disciples who were drawn to his simple and holy life.
In 1231 He built his first monastery in a pagan ruins at Monte Fano near Fabriano, Italy. He chose a very austere interpretation of the Rule of St. Benedict as the rule for his monks to follow, and thus was born the Syvestrine order. This community was approved by Pope Innocent IV in 1247.
Sylvester governed his community for 36 years with great wisdom, prudence and love. At his death in 1267 there were 11 monasteries, either new or reformed, under his rule and guidance. These would later increase to 56 throughout Italy, Portugal and Brazil. Sylvester was canonized by Pope Clement VIII in 1598.
Today the congregation is part of the larger Benedictine Confederation, and while small, has monasteries in Italy and Ceylon. They are identified by their dark blue habits. While we don’t have a lot of historical data about Sylvester, what we do have gives us a picture of a man of great courage and simplicity. He faced the anger of his noble father to pursue a call to the unpopular service of God. He was not afraid to confront sin and was willing to give up his comfortable and rich position to live a life totally dedicated to prayer and service to God.
An account of his miracles and of the growth of his cultus can be found in Bolzonetti. His body was disinterred and placed in a shrine (1275–85) and is still honored in the church of Monte Fano. Clement IV first recognized the title of blessed popularly bestowed on Sylvester, who was inscribed as a saint in the Roman Martyrology by order of Clement VIII in 1598. His office and Mass were included in the General Roman Calendar in 1890 by Leo XIII with the rank of Double (third-class feast in the 1960 reform of Pope John XXIII), for celebration on 26 November, reducing to the status of a commemoration the celebration of Saint Peter of Alexandria, whose feast-day 26 November had been previously. In 1970, the celebration of Saint Sylvester Gozzolini was removed from the General Roman Calendar and left to local calendar as not of really universal importance. (keep phasing them out, I always say)
When, at the funeral of a certain dead nobleman, he saw the decaying corpse of the handsome man who had been his neighbor, he said: "“I am what this man was; what he is, I shall be"”; and soon, from a desire for greater perfection, he withdrew into solitude and there devoted himself to vigils, prayers and fasting.
That he might hide more completely from men’s eyes, he changed his location several times. Finally he went to Monte Fano, a place deserted at that time, where he built a church in honor of St. Benedict and laid the foundation of the Congregation of the Sylvestrines. There his monks saw in him a wonderful model of holiness; he was famous for the spirit of prophecy, for power over demons and for other gifts, which in his deep humility he always kept hidden.
He fell asleep in the Lord in the year of salvation 1267.
O God who bestowed upon Saint Sylvester zeal for the sweetness of solitude and for the labors of the cenobitical life, grant us, we beseech You, to seek You always with a sincere mind and in humble charity hasten toward the eternal tabernacles. (antiphon)
On the Benedictine liturgical calendar the 13th century founder and abbot St Sylvester Guzzolini (1177-1267), is recalled.
A few marks of this saintly abbot’s spirituality would be his emphasis on the mysteries of the Passion of Our Lord, a filial devotion to the Blessed Virgin, and the intense love of the Most Holy Eucharist. You can see the two of these marks expressed in parting by Claudio Ridolfi in 1632.
Historically, some will remember that St Silvester founder of the so-called Blue Benedictines (from the color of their habit) or what became known as Silvestrines. The Benedictine way of life proposed by St Sylvester was confirmed by Pope Innocent IV in 1247. As a founder of a new expression of Benedictine monasticism Sylvester wanted his community to focus on contemplation thus being places of away from the cities, and he wanted relatively small communities of men who lived very modestly (even quite poor) in contradistinction to the large monasteries of his time that had power and wealth and little regard for the Holy Rule. Today, this congregation of Benedictines is relatively small and not too well-known.
St Sylvester teaches us through his example and living the three marks noted above: attend to the Cross, be in relation to the Mother of God, and prepare your heart to receive the Lord in the Eucharist worthily.
COLLECT
O most merciful God, Who, when the holy Abbot Sylvester was piously pondering over the vanity of earthly things whilst he stood by an open grave, didst vouchsafe to call him to the desert, we supplicate Thee that, despising earthly things, after his example, we may forever enjoy Thy presence. Through our Lord...
After ordination Sylvester was a canon at Osimo where he worked diligently to bring the Gospel values to his people. His zeal did get him into difficulties with his bishop who lived a lax and disedifying life. When Sylvester respectfully rebuked him for his behavior, the bishop threatened to remove him from his post.
In 1227, Sylvester, who had long been drawn to the contemplative life, is said to have had a vision of the decaying body of a very handsome man. He resigned his rich post and became a hermit 30 miles from Osimo in a very lonely spot. He subsequently moved to Grotto Fucile and was soon surrounded by disciples who were drawn to his simple and holy life.
In 1231 He built his first monastery in a pagan ruins at Monte Fano near Fabriano, Italy. He chose a very austere interpretation of the Rule of St. Benedict as the rule for his monks to follow, and thus was born the Syvestrine order. This community was approved by Pope Innocent IV in 1247.
Sylvester governed his community for 36 years with great wisdom, prudence and love. At his death in 1267 there were 11 monasteries, either new or reformed, under his rule and guidance. These would later increase to 56 throughout Italy, Portugal and Brazil. Sylvester was canonized by Pope Clement VIII in 1598.
Today the congregation is part of the larger Benedictine Confederation, and while small, has monasteries in Italy and Ceylon. They are identified by their dark blue habits. While we don’t have a lot of historical data about Sylvester, what we do have gives us a picture of a man of great courage and simplicity. He faced the anger of his noble father to pursue a call to the unpopular service of God. He was not afraid to confront sin and was willing to give up his comfortable and rich position to live a life totally dedicated to prayer and service to God.
An account of his miracles and of the growth of his cultus can be found in Bolzonetti. His body was disinterred and placed in a shrine (1275–85) and is still honored in the church of Monte Fano. Clement IV first recognized the title of blessed popularly bestowed on Sylvester, who was inscribed as a saint in the Roman Martyrology by order of Clement VIII in 1598. His office and Mass were included in the General Roman Calendar in 1890 by Leo XIII with the rank of Double (third-class feast in the 1960 reform of Pope John XXIII), for celebration on 26 November, reducing to the status of a commemoration the celebration of Saint Peter of Alexandria, whose feast-day 26 November had been previously. In 1970, the celebration of Saint Sylvester Gozzolini was removed from the General Roman Calendar and left to local calendar as not of really universal importance. (keep phasing them out, I always say)
When, at the funeral of a certain dead nobleman, he saw the decaying corpse of the handsome man who had been his neighbor, he said: "“I am what this man was; what he is, I shall be"”; and soon, from a desire for greater perfection, he withdrew into solitude and there devoted himself to vigils, prayers and fasting.
That he might hide more completely from men’s eyes, he changed his location several times. Finally he went to Monte Fano, a place deserted at that time, where he built a church in honor of St. Benedict and laid the foundation of the Congregation of the Sylvestrines. There his monks saw in him a wonderful model of holiness; he was famous for the spirit of prophecy, for power over demons and for other gifts, which in his deep humility he always kept hidden.
He fell asleep in the Lord in the year of salvation 1267.
O God who bestowed upon Saint Sylvester zeal for the sweetness of solitude and for the labors of the cenobitical life, grant us, we beseech You, to seek You always with a sincere mind and in humble charity hasten toward the eternal tabernacles. (antiphon)
On the Benedictine liturgical calendar the 13th century founder and abbot St Sylvester Guzzolini (1177-1267), is recalled.
A few marks of this saintly abbot’s spirituality would be his emphasis on the mysteries of the Passion of Our Lord, a filial devotion to the Blessed Virgin, and the intense love of the Most Holy Eucharist. You can see the two of these marks expressed in parting by Claudio Ridolfi in 1632.
Historically, some will remember that St Silvester founder of the so-called Blue Benedictines (from the color of their habit) or what became known as Silvestrines. The Benedictine way of life proposed by St Sylvester was confirmed by Pope Innocent IV in 1247. As a founder of a new expression of Benedictine monasticism Sylvester wanted his community to focus on contemplation thus being places of away from the cities, and he wanted relatively small communities of men who lived very modestly (even quite poor) in contradistinction to the large monasteries of his time that had power and wealth and little regard for the Holy Rule. Today, this congregation of Benedictines is relatively small and not too well-known.
St Sylvester teaches us through his example and living the three marks noted above: attend to the Cross, be in relation to the Mother of God, and prepare your heart to receive the Lord in the Eucharist worthily.
COLLECT
O most merciful God, Who, when the holy Abbot Sylvester was piously pondering over the vanity of earthly things whilst he stood by an open grave, didst vouchsafe to call him to the desert, we supplicate Thee that, despising earthly things, after his example, we may forever enjoy Thy presence. Through our Lord...
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