Benedictine Oblate Journal by Henry

 Adalbold II of Utrecht (975-1026) was a contemporary of St. Henry (973-1024). Adalbold was the Bishop of Utrecht from 1010 to 1026. He knew Henry and wrote a biography of him. Only 3 years of this biography survive, the years 1002 to 1004. It has been translated into English by D.P. Curtin and published in 2010 by Dalcassian Press as "On the Deeds of St. Henry." The following is a quote from that book.  In 1002: "...he (Henry) held the duchy in the Bavarian kingdom, ruled the people peacefully, increased peace, augmented the resources of the churches, and magnified laws and religious observances." Adalbold tells of how Duke Hermann, who opposed Henry being made king, had entered Strasbourg with an army and had desecrated the church there and taken spoils because the Bishop of Strasbourg supported Henry becoming king. At a later time, when Hermann went into hiding with his men to avoid battle with Henry, some advised Henry to go to Constance to repay Hermann for wha...

 Saint Henry had brother named Bruno who became the Bishop of Augsburg. Henry also had a sister who became a nun and another sister, Blessed Gisela, who became an abbess after the death of her husband. Henry came from a devout Christian family.  Bruno of Augsburg - Wikipedia Gisela of Hungary - Wikipedia In 1003, Bruno supported a revolt against his brother, Henry. The revolt failed and Bruno fled to Bohemia and then stayed with his brother-in-law, King Stephen 1 of Hungary (Gisela's husband). In 1004, Bruno and Henry were reconciled with help from Stephen. This is one example of Henry's willingness to forgive and not to seek revenge. 

 The following is a Google translation of a German language article about Saint Henry. The article can be found here:    Hl. Heinrich II., Kaiser - Informationen über die Heiligen des Tages - Vatican News Henry was born in Bamberg in 973 as the son of the Duke of Bavaria. His life remains incomprehensible if one does not start from the profoundly Christian upbringing that he enjoyed from an early age. Henry was educated by the Hildesheim monks and later entrusted to the holy bishop Wolfgang in Regensburg. After the death of his father, he became Duke of Bavaria, King of East Franconia in 1002, and King of Italy two years later. His brother Bruno turned his back on court life to become Bishop of Augsburg. One sister became a nun, the other married the future St. Stephen of Hungary. In 1014, Pope Benedict VIII crowned Henry Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.   The connection with Cluny  Henry's contribution to the ecclesiastical reform, which originate...

The following is from "Commentary for Benedictine Oblates on the Rule of St. Benedict" by G. A. Simon. This was written in French in 1934. Canon G. A. Simon was a Priest Oblate of St. Wandrille's Abbey. This book was translated to English by Leonard J. Doyle, an oblate of St. John's Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota, in 1946. It received the Nihil obstat from Basil Stegmann, O.S.B. and the Imprimi potest from Abbot Alcuin Henry Deutsch, O.S.B., Abbot of St. John's Abbey, and the Imprimatur from Bishop Joseph Busch, Bishop of the Diocese of St. Cloud, Minnesota, in 1947. The 1950 edition from St. John's Abbey was reprinted in 2024 by Our Lady of Clear Creek Abbey.  The following quote is from the original Introduction of the book, dated 1934, and can be found on page 12 of the 2024 edition. The history of St. Henry, Emperor, is well known. When he asked Richard, Abbot of St. Vannes, to receive him as a monk, the Abbot had him come to Chapter and put this question ...

 The following is translated from the Bamberg Archdiocese website. Saint Henry II Saint Henry II and Saint Cunegonde Emperor Henry II, patron saint of the diocese Solemnity (13 July) St. Henry II is the patron saint of the diocese. He came from the family of the Dukes of Bavaria, became German king in 1002 and crowned emperor in 1014. He secured external and internal peace for the empire, promoted ecclesiastical reform, founded the diocese of Bamberg, founded many monasteries and died on 13 July 1024. He is buried with his wife, St. Cunegonde, in Bamberg Cathedral. Life and work of Henry II and Kunigunde Emperor Henry and his wife Kunigunde were already an extraordinary ruling couple during their lifetimes. Henry and Cunegonde were both educated – and very pious. Both advocated church reform, convinced with a consistent church attitude and their zeal for foundations and tried to bring about peace. Heinrich's education Henry, born around 973 near Regensburg as the son of the Bavaria...

 The following is translated from this German page. Much more information can be found on Henry by searching for "Heinrich II" or "Kaiser Heinrich".  Heinrich and Kunigunde - katholisch.de Every city has its own heroes. In Bamberg, there is an imperial couple: Henry II (c. 973-1024) and Kunigunde (c. 980-1033). Henry came from a Bavarian side line of the Ottonians and had to overcome many resistances until Pope Benedict VIII crowned him emperor in Rome in 1014. Unlike previous Roman-German queens, Kunigunde was also crowned separately and thus also claimed political influence. In order to stabilize the empire, Henry took part in campaigns – during his absence, the educated Kunigunde took over the affairs of government. Finally, the imperial couple decided to establish a bishopric in Bamberg in order to reorganize the Upper Main area and strengthen the Slavic mission. Until the founding of the diocese, the city had been a personal wedding gift for the empress. The tw...

 Here is the stained-glass window of St. Henry at the Archabbey Church at St. Meinrad. 

I am a Benedictine Oblate of St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana. Henry is my oblate name. An oblate gets to choose a new name. It is similar to when we chose a confirmation name. A monk or a nun also gets a new name. They actually use their new name. My legal name remains the same. Henry is added as a middle name and is only used with the Benedictines, and even then, it is rare.  I chose Henry for several reasons. He is a patron saint of oblates. He was married. He had secular duties. He was German. Also, my father's middle name was Henry. My Grandfather's middle name was Henry. My Great Grandfather's first name was Henry. There is a stained-glass window at the Archabbey Church of St. Henry. In my novice year study materials, St. Henry was recommended as a Saint to learn about. I became an oblate in 2024. That was 1000 years after Henry's death in 1024.   After becoming an oblate and taking the name Henry, I tried to learn about St. Henry. It was difficult to get beyond h...