Oblate

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 to him: "Will you, following the Rule and following the example of Jesus Christ, be obedient until death?" Upon the affirmative reply of the "postulant," the Abbot continued: "I hereby receive you as a monk and from this day I charge myself with the care of your soul. For that reason I want you to do, with the fear of God, everything that I shall order you to do." The Emperor having acquiesced once more, the Abbot declared: "I want you, therefore, to return and govern the empire which God has entrusted to you, and by your constancy in administering justice to procure in so far as you are able the welfare of the whole state."

During his life the Oblate remained, as much as he could, under the direction of the monks. St. Henry frequently consulted the Abbot Richard. 

End Quote

The Richard here is Richard of Verdun. 

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