Saint Herman Joseph

Feastday: May 24

“Let the children come to Me, and do not prevent them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

(Matthew 19:14)

In an Order known for its tender love of the Blessed Virgin Mary, there is no saint more associated with Mary than her mystical spouse, St. Herman Joseph. Many charming stories from the life of this Norbertine mystic have come down to us. As a poor lad of Cologne in the 1150’s, he is said to have offered a beautiful apple to a statue of the Madonna and Child, which miraculously came to life to accept the gift. At age twelve, he entered the Norbertine Abbey at Steinfeld, where he was given the humble job of cleaning the refectory, and later that of sacristan and watchman. He also enjoyed building and fixing clocks. As a priest, Herman was chaplain for a Cistercian convent, where his great devotion extended his Masses so long that the nuns complained that the expense for altar candles was intolerable. Thereafter, the candles had a miraculously-extended burning time. Nevertheless, the nuns so valued his spiritual direction that they often pretended their clock needed repair as an excuse to ask for him.

No matter what he was doing, Herman did it humbly for the love of God and his “Rose,” as he called the Virgin Mary. He wrote many beautiful devotional hymns, including the first known hymn to the Sacred Heart, and many to Mary. The confreres teased him about his Marian devotion, nicknaming him Joseph. Afterward, two angels appeared with the Blessed Virgin and, in spite of Herman’s protests of unworthiness, mystically espoused him to their Queen, giving him the name Joseph. Hence, he is called Herman Joseph. Apparitions were such a matter of course to Herman that when he had not seen the Blessed Virgin for some time, in his grief, he began to offer a requiem Mass for her. Our Lady appeared to reassure him, whereupon he switched to the Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

As with all genuine mystics and real saints, however, life was not just a series of blissful ecstasies. Most of the religious in the abbey had no idea of Herman’s sanctity, and, although amiable and unassuming, he was often misunderstood because of his awkwardness and shyness. Visions and consolations became less frequent, and he became sick from his many penances. His great charity, especially toward sinners, led to many tears, vigils, and costly acts of service to his neighbor. Herman Joseph died in 1241 at the age of 91 in the Cistercian convent where he was chaplain. Many miracles at his tomb exposed the secret of his hidden sanctity.

(Saint drawings courtesy of Saint Norbert Abbey, De Pere, Wisconsin.)