April 12 Saint Alferius of La Cava

St. Alferius lead the model life of a nobleman in tenth century Italy. He was learned, acted as an ambassador for the duke of Salerno, Italy, traveled all over southern Italy. When he became seriously ill in Chiusa, Italy  he was taken to the local monastery. Like many a sickly person, he made the  clichéd pact that if he recovers he will join religious life. He did recover and he followed through on his promise to God. He became a monk in France and then was sent to his hometown of Salerno to reform the monasteries and local priests. He met with little success so he became a hermit in the foothills of Salerno.

His gentle teachings and wisdom earned a rather large following. He chose twelve of his favorite students and started his own monastery. The abbey became the motherhouse for scores of others in the region; this network of houses became a powerful force for civilization and religion in Sicily and southern Italy. Alferius lived to be 120, governing the abbey until the day he died, on Holy Thursday. On that day, he celebrated mass, and washed the feet of his brothers, including the future Pope Blessed Victor III. Twelve of the abbots of his monastery have gone on to be beatified.