Hieronymites
Encyclopedia
Hieronymites, or the Order of St. Jerome , is a common name for several congregations of hermit
s living according to the Rule of St. Augustine
, with supplementary regulations taken from the writings of the 5th-century monk and scholar, St Jerome. The principal group with this name was founded in Spain in the 14th century. Their traditional habit
is a white tunic
with a brown, hooded scapular
and a brown mantle.
Established near Toledo
, the Order developed out of a spontaneous interest by a number of eremetical
communities in both Spain
and Italy
in imitating the life of St. Jerome. This way of life soon became popular in both Spain
and Portugal
. Two of these hermits, Pedro Fernández y Pecha and Fernando Yáñez y de Figueroa, decided it would be more advantageous to live a more regular way of life in a community, under an authorized monastic Rule. Under their leadership, the Monastery of St. Bartholomew was then founded in Lupiana
, with Fernández y Pecha acting as their first Prior
. On 18 October 1373 Pope Gregory XI issued a Papal Bull
recognizing them as a religious order
, under the Rule of St. Augustine
. The Constitutions included the teachings of their patron saint
. By 1415 there numbered 25 houses following this spirit; in that year, they were united by the Pope and given the status of an exempt Order, free from episcopal
jurisdiction.
The Order, from its outset, enjoyed great favor from the King of Spain, and soon possessed some of the most famous monasteries in the Peninsula
, including the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Guadalupe
in Extremadura
, the Royal Monastery of Belem near Lisbon
, and the magnificent monastery built by Philip II of Spain
at the Escorial.
Though their way of life was very austere, the Hieronymites also devoted themselves to study and to active ministry, possessing great influence both at courts of Spain
and Portugal
. In the 16th century, they were a major supporter of the efforts of St. John of God
, who established the great nursing Order in Grenada
bearing his name. They went to both Spanish and Portuguese America and played a considerable part in bringing Christianity
to the peoples of the New World.
The Hieronymite nun
s, founded in 1375, also became numerous in the Iberian Peninsula.
in the Caribbean
was entrusted to them for pastoral care
by Cardinal Cisneros, who sent a small party of three monks to Hispaniola
. They were originally sent to deal with the issue of accusations against the Spanish colonists of atrocities against the native population. These charges had been most vocally leveled by the noted priest, don
Bartolomé de las Casas, who was a secular priest at the time. Unfortunately, they appear to have been ineffectual in preventing the abuses which de la Casas had charged.
The leader of the monks, Luis de Figueroa, was later named the third Bishop of Santo Domingo in 1523, which at the time also covered the islands of Cuba
and Puerto Rico
. He died, however, in 1526, before he could be consecrated
as a bishop
. Another member of the Order, Juan de Arzolaras (or Alzóloras), served as Archbishop of Santo Domingo (1566-1568), before being transferred to serve as the Bishop of the Canary Islands.
in 1835 by the Spanish
government. At that time, there were 48 monasteries with about a thousand monks. The fate of the monastery buildings was diverse: most fell into ruins, others were given to other religious Orders; still more became breweries, barns, or holiday homes.
However, according to Canon Law
, only the Holy See
may suppress a religious order, and the Holy See possesses the right to restore that order should it see fit.
In 1925, the Hieronymite nuns (who were not affected by the suppression), petitioned the Holy See for a restoration of the men's branch. This was granted, with a new community of monks being established at the Monastery of Santa Maria del Parral
in Segovia
. However, the troubles of the Republic
of 1931 and of the subsequent Spanish civil war
of 1936-1939 prevented any real progress until the general government of the Order was constituted in 1969.
As of 2010 two communities exist, one at Santa Maria del Parral and the other in San Jeronimo de Yuste (Cáceres). The Hieronymite Order is a monastic one, now purely contemplative. Through solitude and silence, assiduous prayer and healthy penance, the Order attempts to bring its monks into closer union with God. The Hieronymite is conscious that the more intensely he dedicates himself to the monastic life, the more fruitful becomes the life of the Church as a whole. Hieronymites believe that their prayer can have a profound impact on the world outside the monastery.
This is the environment in which the life of the Hieronymite monk is developed, with the morning usually spent in manual work--the normal means of support for monks, while afternoons are dedicated to contemplation
, prayer
and study. Throughout the course of the day, the monks also gather for the singing of the Liturgy of the Hours
as well as the celebration of the Eucharist
. The Hieronymite strives to allow these moments of prayer to flow through his way of life, so that his goal is to express his life in complete charity towards all people.
Hieronymites believe this inwardly directed manner of life is an exquisite and effective form of apostolic outreach. They believe that in the middle of a restless world, there are those who are called by God to spend some time living in monastic solitude. For this reason, Hieronymite monasteries readily welcome visitors who are guaranteed silence and prayerful support.
As of 2010, there were 11 monks in the Order, of whom 4 were priests. This is down from a high of 21 monks in 1990.
This first foundation was the origin of the Monastery of San Pablo of the "beatas de San Jerónimo", as they began to be called. Their continued observance of their rules and sanctity led to their spread in various places throughout the Iberian Peninsula. There are presently 17 monasteries of the nuns of the Order, all in Spain.
in 1377, this congregation established nearly fifty houses, of which only two survive, one in Rome
and one in Viterbo
, Italy
.
was established in 1406: they had forty houses but in 1668 they were united with those of Pisa.
----
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
s living according to the Rule of St. Augustine
Rule of St. Augustine
The Rule of St. Augustine is a religious rule employed by a large number of orders, including the Dominicans, Servites, Mercederians, and Augustinians.-Overview:...
, with supplementary regulations taken from the writings of the 5th-century monk and scholar, St Jerome. The principal group with this name was founded in Spain in the 14th century. Their traditional habit
Religious habit
A religious habit is a distinctive set of garments worn by members of a religious order. Traditionally some plain garb recognisable as a religious habit has also been worn by those leading the religious eremitic and anachoritic life, although in their case without conformity to a particular uniform...
is a white tunic
Tunic
A tunic is any of several types of clothing for the body, of various lengths reaching from the shoulders to somewhere between the hips and the ankles...
with a brown, hooded scapular
Scapular
The term scapular as used today refers to two specific, yet related, Christian Sacramentals, namely the monastic and devotional scapulars, although both forms may simply be referred to as "scapular"....
and a brown mantle.
Origins
Toledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
, the Order developed out of a spontaneous interest by a number of eremetical
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
communities in both Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in imitating the life of St. Jerome. This way of life soon became popular in both Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. Two of these hermits, Pedro Fernández y Pecha and Fernando Yáñez y de Figueroa, decided it would be more advantageous to live a more regular way of life in a community, under an authorized monastic Rule. Under their leadership, the Monastery of St. Bartholomew was then founded in Lupiana
Lupiana
Lupiana is a municipality located in the province of Guadalajara, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 227 inhabitants....
, with Fernández y Pecha acting as their first Prior
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
. On 18 October 1373 Pope Gregory XI issued a Papal Bull
Papal bull
A Papal bull is a particular type of letters patent or charter issued by a Pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the bulla that was appended to the end in order to authenticate it....
recognizing them as a religious order
Religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
, under the Rule of St. Augustine
Rule of St. Augustine
The Rule of St. Augustine is a religious rule employed by a large number of orders, including the Dominicans, Servites, Mercederians, and Augustinians.-Overview:...
. The Constitutions included the teachings of their patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
. By 1415 there numbered 25 houses following this spirit; in that year, they were united by the Pope and given the status of an exempt Order, free from episcopal
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
jurisdiction.
The Order, from its outset, enjoyed great favor from the King of Spain, and soon possessed some of the most famous monasteries in the Peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
, including the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Guadalupe
Santa María de Guadalupe
The Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Guadalupe is a Roman Catholic monastic establishment in Guadalupe, Cáceres, a province of the Extremadura autonomous community of Spain It was one of the most important monasteries in the country for more than four centuries...
in Extremadura
Extremadura
Extremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain whose capital city is Mérida. Its component provinces are Cáceres and Badajoz. It is bordered by Portugal to the west...
, the Royal Monastery of Belem near Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, and the magnificent monastery built by Philip II of Spain
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
at the Escorial.
Though their way of life was very austere, the Hieronymites also devoted themselves to study and to active ministry, possessing great influence both at courts of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. In the 16th century, they were a major supporter of the efforts of St. John of God
John of God
John of God ) was a Portuguese-born friar and saint, one of Spain's leading religious figures.John of God was born João Cidade in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal, into a once-prominent family that was impoverished but had great religious faith...
, who established the great nursing Order in Grenada
Grenada
Grenada is an island country and Commonwealth Realm consisting of the island of Grenada and six smaller islands at the southern end of the Grenadines in the southeastern Caribbean Sea...
bearing his name. They went to both Spanish and Portuguese America and played a considerable part in bringing Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
to the peoples of the New World.
The Hieronymite nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s, founded in 1375, also became numerous in the Iberian Peninsula.
American mission
The islands of the AntillesAntilles
The Antilles islands form the greater part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. The Antilles are divided into two major groups: the "Greater Antilles" to the north and west, including the larger islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico; and the smaller "Lesser Antilles" on the...
in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
was entrusted to them for pastoral care
Pastoral care
Pastoral care is the ministry of care and counseling provided by pastors, chaplains and other religious leaders to members of their church or congregation, or to persons of all faiths and none within institutional settings. This can range anywhere from home visitation to formal counseling provided...
by Cardinal Cisneros, who sent a small party of three monks to Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
. They were originally sent to deal with the issue of accusations against the Spanish colonists of atrocities against the native population. These charges had been most vocally leveled by the noted priest, don
Don (honorific)
Don, from Latin dominus, is an honorific in Spanish , Portuguese , and Italian . The female equivalent is Doña , Dona , and Donna , abbreviated "Dª" or simply "D."-Usage:...
Bartolomé de las Casas, who was a secular priest at the time. Unfortunately, they appear to have been ineffectual in preventing the abuses which de la Casas had charged.
The leader of the monks, Luis de Figueroa, was later named the third Bishop of Santo Domingo in 1523, which at the time also covered the islands of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. He died, however, in 1526, before he could be consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
as a bishop
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
. Another member of the Order, Juan de Arzolaras (or Alzóloras), served as Archbishop of Santo Domingo (1566-1568), before being transferred to serve as the Bishop of the Canary Islands.
Modern era
The men's branch of the Order declined during the 18th century and was completely suppressedSuppression of Monasteries
The suppression of monasteries were when monastic foundations were abolished and their possessions were appropriated by the state.-The Reformation:...
in 1835 by the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
government. At that time, there were 48 monasteries with about a thousand monks. The fate of the monastery buildings was diverse: most fell into ruins, others were given to other religious Orders; still more became breweries, barns, or holiday homes.
However, according to Canon Law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
, only the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
may suppress a religious order, and the Holy See possesses the right to restore that order should it see fit.
In 1925, the Hieronymite nuns (who were not affected by the suppression), petitioned the Holy See for a restoration of the men's branch. This was granted, with a new community of monks being established at the Monastery of Santa Maria del Parral
Santa Maria del Parral
Santa Maria del Parral is a convent of the Hieronymites just outside the walls of Segovia, Spain, founded by King Henry IV of Castile in 1454. Despite a generally irreligious life, Henry was finally buried in the sister-house of Santa María de Guadalupe...
in Segovia
Segovia
Segovia is a city in Spain, the capital of Segovia Province in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is situated north of Madrid, 30 minutes by high speed train. The municipality counts some 55,500 inhabitants.-Etymology:...
. However, the troubles of the Republic
Spanish Republic
There have been two Spanish Republics:* First Spanish Republic * Second Spanish Republic Spain is not currently a republic, but a constitutional monarchy...
of 1931 and of the subsequent Spanish civil war
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
of 1936-1939 prevented any real progress until the general government of the Order was constituted in 1969.
As of 2010 two communities exist, one at Santa Maria del Parral and the other in San Jeronimo de Yuste (Cáceres). The Hieronymite Order is a monastic one, now purely contemplative. Through solitude and silence, assiduous prayer and healthy penance, the Order attempts to bring its monks into closer union with God. The Hieronymite is conscious that the more intensely he dedicates himself to the monastic life, the more fruitful becomes the life of the Church as a whole. Hieronymites believe that their prayer can have a profound impact on the world outside the monastery.
This is the environment in which the life of the Hieronymite monk is developed, with the morning usually spent in manual work--the normal means of support for monks, while afternoons are dedicated to contemplation
Contemplation
The word contemplation comes from the Latin word contemplatio. Its root is also that of the Latin word templum, a piece of ground consecrated for the taking of auspices, or a building for worship, derived either from Proto-Indo-European base *tem- "to cut", and so a "place reserved or cut out" or...
, prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
and study. Throughout the course of the day, the monks also gather for the singing of the Liturgy of the Hours
Liturgy of the hours
The Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office is the official set of daily prayers prescribed by the Catholic Church to be recited at the canonical hours by the clergy, religious orders, and laity. The Liturgy of the Hours consists primarily of psalms supplemented by hymns and readings...
as well as the celebration of the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
. The Hieronymite strives to allow these moments of prayer to flow through his way of life, so that his goal is to express his life in complete charity towards all people.
Hieronymites believe this inwardly directed manner of life is an exquisite and effective form of apostolic outreach. They believe that in the middle of a restless world, there are those who are called by God to spend some time living in monastic solitude. For this reason, Hieronymite monasteries readily welcome visitors who are guaranteed silence and prayerful support.
As of 2010, there were 11 monks in the Order, of whom 4 were priests. This is down from a high of 21 monks in 1990.
The nuns of the Order
Alongside the Hieronymite monks, there are the Hieronymite nuns. They began in Toledo, when María García (+1426) and Mayor Gómez headed a group of women who began living lives of simplicity and prayer. Finally, they joined in a common life in order to consecrate their lives to God in prayer and penance. As a result of their community, in 1374, Fernández y Pecha, the prior of the original community of monks, founded the Monastery of Santa Maria de La Sisla near that city. He then looked after the women, guiding them and outlining for them a way of life similar to that of the monks.This first foundation was the origin of the Monastery of San Pablo of the "beatas de San Jerónimo", as they began to be called. Their continued observance of their rules and sanctity led to their spread in various places throughout the Iberian Peninsula. There are presently 17 monasteries of the nuns of the Order, all in Spain.
Hieronymites of the Observance, or of Lombardy
A reform of the above, effected by the third general in 1424; it embraced seven houses in Spain and seventeen in Italy, mostly in Lombardy. It is now extinct.Poor Hermits of St Jerome (Pisa)
Established near PisaPisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
in 1377, this congregation established nearly fifty houses, of which only two survive, one in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and one in Viterbo
Viterbo
See also Viterbo, Texas and Viterbo UniversityViterbo is an ancient city and comune in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It is approximately 80 driving / 80 walking kilometers north of GRA on the Via Cassia, and it is surrounded by the Monti Cimini and...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Hermits of St Jerome (Fiesole)
The congregation of FiesoleFiesole
Fiesole is a town and comune of the province of Florence in the Italian region of Tuscany, on a famously scenic height above Florence, 8 km NE of that city...
was established in 1406: they had forty houses but in 1668 they were united with those of Pisa.
See also
- St. Jerome, patron and inspiration of the Order
- Jerónimos MonasteryJerónimos MonasteryThe Hieronymites Monastery is located near the shore of the parish of Belém, in the municipality of Lisbon, Portugal...
, Hieronymite Monastery World Heritage site, Lisbon, Portugal. - Saint PaulaSaint PaulaSaint Paula was an ancient Roman saint and early Desert Mother. A member of one of the richest "senatorial" families which frivolously claimed descent from Agamemnon, Paula was the daughter of Blesilla and Rogatus, from the great clan of the Furii Camilli...
, co-patron of the Hieronymite Order with St. Jerome. - Cristobal de VeraCristobal de VeraCristóbal de Vera was a Spanish painter.He was born in Cordoba, where he probably initially studied under Céspedes. In 1602 he moved to Castile. He became a lay brother of the Hieronymites at their monastery in Lupiana, in the region of Grenada. There he painted eight Stations of the Cross for the...
External links
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