St. Bernard Ptolemy, Founder of the Olivetans (21 August): Butler's Lives of the Saints

About this sermon

St. Bernard Tolomei was born in Siena in 1272 and baptized with the name John. Educated by his Dominican uncle, he earned a doctorate in law and held important municipal offices in Siena. Then, in 1312, his life changed dramatically. Instead of delivering a philosophical lecture, John preached on contempt of the world, resigned his public office, and withdrew into solitude. He was soon joined by Ambrosio Piccolomini and Patricio Patrizi, and together they embraced a penitential life of prayer and austerity. After their orthodoxy was questioned, Pope John XXII summoned the hermits to Avignon. Cleared of suspicion, they were instructed to adopt an approved monastic rule. They received the Rule of St. Benedict, and John took the religious name Bernard. From this small community grew the Congregation of Our Lady of Monte Oliveto, the Olivetan Benedictines. Their observance was rigorous, their growth rapid, and new monasteries soon followed. When plague struck near Siena in 1348, Bernard and his monks devoted themselves to caring for the sick and burying the dead. Eventually Bernard himself contracted the disease and died after giving his life in service to others. A remarkable story of conversion, monasticism, sacrifice, and charity. #StBernardTolomei #CatholicSaints #LivesOfTheSaints #Benedictines #Olivetans #CatholicHistory #SaintOfTheDay #SensusFidelium 00:00 St. Bernard Tolomei — Founder of the Olivetans 00:17 Birth in Siena & Early Education 00:25 Doctorate in Law & Public Office 00:32 His Sudden Conversion 00:41 Abandoning the World for Solitude 00:49 Joined by Two Companions 00:57 Accused of Madness & Subversion 01:05 Summoned Before Pope John XXII 01:20 Receiving the Rule of St. Benedict 01:34 John Becomes Bernard 01:41 Birth of Monte Oliveto 01:47 Rigorous Benedictine Observance 02:02 Rapid Growth of the New Community 02:11 Papal Confirmation of the Order 02:20 Serving Victims During the Plague 02:29 Bernard Contracts the Disease 02:38 His Death in 1348 02:45 Veneration Among the Olivetans 03:08 Conclusion https://sensusfidelium.com/the-lives-of-the-fathers-martyrs-and-other-principal-saints/august/saint-bernard-ptolemy/ Get Butler's Lives of the Saints here: https://loretopublications.idevaffiliate.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=102&url=1 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 Support Catholic Businesses here - https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ Sensus Fidelium Press - https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ Sensus Fidelium Apps - https://sensusfidelium.tv/ Support Sensus Fidelium - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 🙏🏻PLEASE HELP OUR CHANNEL GROW 🙏🏻 ▶ 1. Become a Channel Patron: https://www.patreon.com/SensusFidelium ▶ 2. Visit the website https://www.sensusfidelium.com for Gueranger, Saint of the Day, Apologetics, Meditation by the Saints, Scripture Study and more. ▶ 3. Subscribe to Other Video Platforms 🔴 SpiritusTV - https://spiritustv.com/@SensusFidelium 🔴 BitChute --- https://www.bitchute.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium/ 🔴 Rumble --- https://rumble.com/c/c-298311 🔴 My Catholic Tube - https://mycatholictube.com/videos/sensus-fidelium-channel/ 🔴 LBRY.tv --- https://lbry.tv/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 ODYSEE - https://odysee.com/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 UGETube - https://videos.utahgunexchange.com/@Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 BrandNewTube - https://brandnewtube.com/@SensusFidelium 🔴 GabTV - https://tv.gab.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 GloriaTV - https://gloria.tv/Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 Brighteon - https://www.brighteon.com/channels/sensusfidelium ▶ 4. Paypal, Bitcoin, Anedot, Stripe, Square & PO Box donations - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ ▶ 5. YouTube: Click Subscribe, then Click "Notification Bell" = 🔔 Please "Like" our videos so that Youtube shares it to others by clicking the "Like" thumbs-up under the video = 👍🏻 ▶ 6. Please share this video 📲, and help others find Christ inside the Catholic Church! Please share this video on Facebook and Twitter using the share button. ▶ 7. Follow on Social Media: 🔴 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SensusFidelium/ 🔴 Twitter: https://https://twitter.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 YouTube: Click Subscribe, then Click "Notification Bell" = 🔔 🔴 Parler: https://parler.com/profile/Sensusfidelium/posts 🔴 SP3RN: https://www.sp3rn.com/community/pages/14-sensus-fidelium 🔴 GAB: https://gab.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 Bastyon: https://bastyon.com/sensusfidelium 🔴 GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/sensus_fidelium 🔴 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sensusfidelium/ 🔴 Telegram: https//t.me/RealSensusFidelium 🔴 Truth Social - @SensusFidelium ▶ 8. Follow on iTunes: 🔴 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sensus-fidelium-catholic-podcast/id1477010758