St. Paschasius Radbertus

  Posted on April 26, 2020  by admin  No comments

Born: c.790 at Soissons, France 

Died: c.860 of natural causes, buried in the church of Saint John at Corbie Abbey, relics re-interred at Saint Peter’s church at Corbie on 12 July 1073 

Feast: 26 April

Benedictine theologian and abbot. Paschasius was left as an infant upon the door of Notre Dame convent in Soissons, France, and was raised by the nuns there before receiving an education from the monks of St. Peter’s, Soissons. After entering the Benedictine monastery of Corbie under St. Adalard, he was ordained a deacon.

In 822, he was sent with other monks under Adalard to establish the monastery of New Corbie in Westphalia, Germany. He served for a number of years as master of novices and headmaster at both Corbie and New Corbie and in 844 was made abbot of Corbie. Never ordained a priest and finding the office against his nature, Paschasius resigned about 849. He went to the abbey of Saint Riquier, but returned to Corbie where he eventually died.

A prolific writer, he was the author of several biblical commentaries, a Life of Abbot Adalhard, and the well known De Corpore et Sanguine Domini, the first ever treatise on the Eucharist. He was also probably the author of epistle IX of Pseudo Jerome, which is an important document in the development of the doctrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin.

The Marian prayer of St. Paschasius Radbertus

Deign, O Immaculate Virgin, Mother most pure, to accept the loving cry of praise which we send up to you from the depths of our hearts. Though they can but add little to your glory, O Queen of Angels, you do not despise, in your love, the praises of the humble and the poor.

Cast down upon us a glance of mercy, O most glorious Queen; graciously receive our petitions. Through your immaculate purity of body and mind, which rendered you so pleasing to God, inspire us with a love of innocense and purity.

Teach us to guard carefully the gifts of grace, striving ever after sanctity, so that, being made like the image of your beauty, we may be worthy to become the sharers of your eternal happiness. Amen.