By Jose Murickan
Mysuru: The Norbertines across the world have launched yearlong programs to celebrate the 900 years of the foundation of the fifth oldest surviving Catholic religious congregation.
The order’s current abbot general Father Jose Wouters on December 3 performed the main function of the jubilee year — opening the casket containing the relics of Saint Norbert in Prague, capital city of the Czech Republic.
The jubilee year began on November 29, the first Sunday of the Advent. It will end on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, on January 9, 2022.
Saint Norbert of Xanten, who was the archbishop of Magdeburg in Germany, founded the Norbertines, also known as White Canons, in 1121.
The olive branches depicted with his image signify his untiring efforts to make peace in the 11th century society. This won him the title—St. Norbert, Minister of Peace.
The saint tried to reform the priests and religious of his time, who had been leading a scandalous lifestyle putting the Church into serious crises.
He also bridged the gap between the monastic and clerical lives by introducing active ministries as part of religious life. From the beginning, the Norbertines have remained a clerical order, supporting the local Church, explains Norbertine Father Vincent Mattammel, prelate of Mananthavady, one of two canonries of the order.
According to him, the Norbertine life is centered on the Eucharist, devotion to Blessed Virgin Mary, commitment to common prayer and meals. “And it’s from this common living and prayer that we draw strength for our pastoral work supporting the local church,” Father Mattammel told Matters India.
Today some 1,300 Norbertines — priests, brothers and sisters — serve 22 countries across the world engaged in as pastoral, educational, social, health and media.
In India, around 250 members under Jamtara and Mananthavady canonries serve various dioceses.
The first to enter India were Dutch Norbertines in early 1920s. They first settled in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, but were called to serve the Church in central India. The Norbertines established their center at Jamtara in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. In 1979, the German Norbertines founded their community in Mananthavady, Kerala.
Father Marcus Champia heads the Jamtara canonry.
The abbot general now stays at the order’s headquarters in Rome.
Pope Pius XII had hailed the Norbertine Order as liturgically glorious and gloriously liturgical.
The Norbertines want to use the jubilee year as an occasion to re-discover their founder’s charism, “so that our lives and ministries become more relevant to modern times,” Father Mattammel said.
Saint Norbert was born in 1080 at Xanten in Germany. As a child he was presented to the collegiate church of St. Victor in Xanten where he was later ordained sub-deacon. In 1115, Norbert was thrown off from his horse hit by a thunder storm. He interpreted this as an invitation to repent and immediately began a life of penance by walking barefoot and wearing sheepskin.
After his ordination he wandered about the countryside preaching the Gospel and railing against the clergy abuses. Pope Calixtus encouraged him to settle and found a community in the diocese of Loan in northern France.
There, in the wilderness of Premontre, Norbert started his religious order. Norbertines are traditionally known as Premonstratensians. Norbert chose the rule of St. Augustine as the guiding light for the new community, becoming one of the most avid Augustinian reformers of the day.
He died on June 6, 1134, and was canonized by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582.