Feast day: June 25
Founder of the Congregation of Monte Vergine (the Williamites)
Early Life
Saint William was born in Vercelli, in the region of Piedmont, Italy, around the year 1085, into a noble and devout Christian family. Orphaned at a young age, he resolved to dedicate his life wholly to God and chose the path of an ascetic. At just 14 years old, he embarked on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, walking barefoot and enduring extreme hardships as a penitential offering to the Lord.
Life as a Hermit and Monk
After his pilgrimage, William sought greater solitude and took up the eremitical life on Mount Vergine (Mons Virgilianus), in the region of Campania. There, around 1119, he built a chapel and a cell, living in deep prayer, silence, and austerity. His reputation for sanctity began to spread, and disciples gathered around him, drawn by his holiness and wisdom.
Out of this community grew a monastic order, which followed a strict rule based on the Benedictine tradition, with additional practices of fasting, silence, and poverty. This became the Congregation of Monte Vergine, also known as the Williamites.
Spiritual Gifts and Miracles
St. William was known for working many miracles during his lifetime:
- He cast out demons and healed the sick.
- Animals were reportedly docile in his presence. One famous account tells of a wolf that killed his donkey. St. William rebuked the wolf and ordered it to take the donkey’s place; the wolf, in obedience, carried William’s supplies thereafter.
- He was said to radiate peace and sanctity, drawing both the humble and the great to his counsel.
Connection with Roger II of Sicily
King Roger II of Sicily, hearing of William’s holiness, invited him to his court. Though William had no desire for worldly honors, he obeyed the summons and served as a spiritual counselor for a time. However, preferring the solitude of the monastic life, he soon withdrew again into the wilderness, founding several other monasteries across southern Italy.
Final Years and Death
Saint William died on June 25, 1142, at the monastery he founded at Monte Vergine. He was buried there, and his tomb quickly became a place of pilgrimage. Devotion to him spread through southern Italy, especially in regions where the Williamite monasteries took root.
Legacy and Veneration
- Canonization: Though never formally canonized in a modern process, his veneration is ancient and well-established. Pope Pius XII confirmed his cultus.
- Patronage: He is venerated as a patron of Irpinia and various locations in Campania.
- His feast day is celebrated with special solemnity in Montevergine, where his relics are still honored.
Spiritual Emphasis
St. William of Vercelli exemplifies the Benedictine spirit of ora et labora (prayer and work), fused with a deep eremitical tradition of solitude and mortification. His life is a testament to:
- The power of radical poverty and asceticism,
- The attraction of sanctity in reforming and gathering souls,
- The balance of contemplation and action, especially in the formation of monastic communities.
Reflection and Prayer
“O glorious Saint William, servant of the Most High, who chose the narrow path of solitude, penance, and prayer: intercede for us, that we may have the courage to renounce the world and seek first the Kingdom of God. Amen.”