Saint William of Vercelli

Abbot, Founder of Montevergine
(1085–1142)

Saint William was born in 1085 at Vercelli in Piedmont, northern Italy, and was orphaned at a very young age. He was raised by devout relatives who gave him a Christian education, and from his earliest years he was drawn toward a life of prayer and penance. As a young man he undertook a pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint James at Compostela in Spain, making the long journey barefoot and in great austerity, and this pilgrimage deepened his desire for a life entirely consecrated to God.

On his return he attempted to reach the Holy Land but was prevented by illness, and he understood from this disappointment that God was directing him toward the life of a hermit in his own homeland. He withdrew to the mountains of southern Italy, settling first on Monte Solicoli near Nola, where he lived in complete solitude and severe penance. His holiness soon attracted disciples, and though he tried to remain hidden, word of his life spread and pilgrims and those seeking spiritual direction found their way to his remote cell.

He was eventually guided to Monte Vergine, a rugged mountain in Campania, where he built a chapel in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary and established a monastery. The foundation quickly attracted many fervent souls, and from this beginning grew the Congregation of Monte Vergine, which still exists today. William governed this community with great wisdom, combining monastic tradition with a particular fervour of Marian devotion that has characterised his spiritual family ever since.

He also founded several other monasteries and spent much of his life travelling through southern Italy on foot, preaching, reconciling enemies, and serving the poor. He enjoyed the confidence and friendship of several kings of Sicily and Naples, who sought his counsel in matters both spiritual and temporal. He consistently refused all ecclesiastical honours, desiring only to remain a simple monk and servant of the poor.

In the last years of his life William retired to the monastery of Goleto, which he had founded for women religious, and died there on June 25, 1142. He was canonised by Pope Alexander III in 1218. His shrine at Montevergine in Campania continues to be a major place of pilgrimage, especially for the people of that region who honour the Blessed Virgin under the ancient image kept there.