EBERHARD OF EINSIEDELN, BL.

Abbot; d. August 14, 958. He was born in Swabia of a ducal family and became provost of the cathedral of Strasbourg while still a young man. After establishing a reputation for competence and piety, he gave up this office in 934 to join his friend benno of metz in the hermitage of einsiedeln. As the community grew, Eberhard gave his personal wealth for the building of a monastery, which was named Our Lady of the Hermits, and he became the first abbot of the new foundation. The abbey church was consecrated in 948 by conrad of constance and ulric of augsburg. Generosity and prosperity were characteristic of the community under his direction, especially during the great famine of 942. His tomb became a place of pilgrimage, but the relics were lost during the French Revolution.

Feast: Aug. 14.

Bibliography: o. ringholz, Geschichte des fürstlichen Benediktinerstiftes U. L. F. von Einsiedeln (New York 1904), onlyv.1 pub. a. butler, The Lives of the Saints, ed. h. thurston and d. attwater, 4 v. (New York 1956) 3:330. a. m. zimmermann, Kalendarium Benedictinum: Die Heiligen und Seligen des Benediktinerorderns und seiner Zweige, 4 v. (Metten 1933–38) 2:572–574. l. berra, a. mercati and a. pelzer, Dizionario ecclesiastico, 3 v. (Turin 1954–58) 1:923. r. henggeler, Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie ecclésiastiques, ed. a. baudrillart (Paris 1912–) 14:1288–89. r. tschudi, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner, 10 v. (2d, new ed. Freiburg 1957–65) 3:628.

[j. f. fahey]