Abbot and Confessor
Feast: January 12
Born: c. 1110 in Hexham, Northumbria, England
Died: January 12, 1167, Rievaulx Abbey, Yorkshire, England
Religious Order: Cistercian
Title: Doctor of Charity (unofficial)
“God is friendship.” – St. Aelred
Early Life and Conversion
Saint Aelred was born in Northumbria into a noble Anglo-Saxon family with deep ecclesiastical roots. His father was a priest (likely before clerical celibacy was strictly enforced in the region), and the young Aelred received a Christian education, nourished in the faith and familiar with the scriptures from an early age. He was sent to study in Scotland at the court of King David I, where he served with distinction as a courtier and became well-acquainted with the workings of the world and the temptations of power.
But Aelred, sensitive in conscience and of a contemplative nature, found no lasting peace in worldly favor. At about the age of twenty-four, in the year 1134, he forsook the royal court and entered the austere Cistercian monastery of Rievaulx in Yorkshire, England.
Religious Life and Leadership
Drawn by the ideals of Cistercian simplicity and penitential rigor, Aelred gave himself wholly to the monastic life. His life of prayer, penance, study, and fraternal charity soon marked him out as a man of unusual sanctity and wisdom. He was chosen novice master, later abbot of a daughter house in Revesby, and eventually, in 1147, abbot of Rievaulx Abbey itself, where he served until his death.
Under his leadership, Rievaulx became one of the most flourishing spiritual centers of medieval England, housing over 150 monks and 500 lay brothers. Aelred’s guidance combined fatherly gentleness with firm adherence to monastic discipline, rooted in the Rule of St. Benedict and Cistercian customs. He emphasized love, humility, and the healing of souls.
Writings and Teachings
Aelred is best known for his profound spiritual writings, many of which center on the theme of charity, Christian friendship, and the love of God. His most famous work, Spiritual Friendship (De Spirituali Amicitia), was deeply inspired by St. Augustine and Cicero, yet transfigured by Christian theology. In it, he writes the celebrated phrase:
“Here we are, you and I, and I hope that Christ makes a third with us.”
To Aelred, friendship was not merely emotional affection, but a school of virtue and a path to God when ordered by charity. Other important works include:
- The Mirror of Charity (a profound mystical treatise on love of God and neighbor, written at the request of St. Bernard of Clairvaux)
- Life of St. Edward the Confessor (hagiography)
- Sermons and Pastoral Letters
Aelred’s spirituality was marked by tenderness, self-knowledge, compunction, and deep meditation on the Passion of Christ. He suffered from a chronic illness (likely kidney stones or arthritis) in his later years, which he bore with patience, often uniting his pains with the sufferings of Christ.
Death and Cultus
Saint Aelred died on January 12, 1167, surrounded by his brethren, after a life poured out in prayer, spiritual labor, and charity. His death was marked by peace and the fragrance of sanctity. Miracles were reported at his tomb, and his cultus spread rapidly among the Cistercians and the faithful in England and Scotland.
Though never formally canonized in a modern process, he was venerated as a saint by the Cistercians and included in many medieval calendars. His name was inserted into the Roman Martyrology, and his feast is celebrated on January 12.
Virtues and Legacy
Saint Aelred is often called the “Bernard of the North,” after St. Bernard of Clairvaux, his contemporary and spiritual inspiration. His emphasis on interior transformation, the healing power of charity, and the sanctification of human relationships remains a model of Christian affectivity rightly ordered to God.
For those seeking spiritual friendship, monastic wisdom, and a deeper union with Christ through the community of love, Saint Aelred is a shining guide.
Patronage
- Spiritual friendship
- Monastic communities
- Pastoral care and religious superiors
- Unity and charity among brethren
Selected Prayer to St. Aelred
O God, who didst make blessed Aelred, Thy abbot, to shine with the virtue of wondrous charity and patience: grant unto us, by his intercession, that, enkindled with the same fire of Thy love, we may overcome all that is evil and attain to the joys of heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.