ANTHELM OF CHIGNIN, ST.

Carthusian reformer; b. Chignin, Savoie, France, 1107; d. June 26, 1178. Having become a Carthusian at the charterhouse of Portes, 1136–37, he was sent to rebuild the damaged La Grande-Chartreuse. He became its seventh prior (1139) and the first minister-general of the Carthusian Order (1142). He revived discipline and restored prosperity, creating five new charterhouses; but encountering difficulties with Pope Eugene III, he resigned in 1151. Anthelm served as prior at Portes from 1152 to 1154, and then was made bishop of Belley, France, in 1163 by alexander iii, whom he had supported against the emperor's papal candidate. He was appointed legate to Henry II of England in the hope that he might reconcile the king with Thomas becket, but Anthelm was unable to go. In 1175 Frederick barbarossa bestowed on him and his bishop successors the title of Prince of the Holy Roman Empire. His cult has been observed by the carthusians since 1607. The elevation of his relics took place at Belley in 1630.

Feast: June 26.

Bibliography: Acta Sanctorum June 7:201–219. guillaume, chartreux de portes, Vita Sancti Antelmi Bellicensis Episcopi Ordinis Cartusiensis = Vie de saint Antelme, évêque de Belley, chartreux, Latin and French text, tr. j. picard (Lagnieu, France 1978). l. marchal, Vie de Saint Anthelme (Paris 1878). s. autore, Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques, ed. a. baudrillart et al. (Paris 1912) 3:523–525. j. l. baudot and l. chaussin, Vies des saints et des bienhereux selon l'ordre du calendrier avec l'historique des fêtes (Paris 1935–56) 6:444–447. r. aigrain, Catholicisme 1:625–626. h. wolter, Lexicon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner (Freiburg 1957–65) 1:603. a. butler, The Lives of the Saints, ed. h. thurston and d. attwater (New York 1956) 2:650–652. l. rÉau, Iconographie de l'art chrétien (Paris 1955–59) 3.1:99–100. c. vens, Bibliotheca sanctorum 2:48–50.

[É. brouette]