Bertharius of Monte Cassino

Holy Venerable Martyr Bertharius of Monte Cassino, born around 810 into a noble Lombard family, was abbot of the monastery of Monte Cassino and died at the hands of the Saracens in 883, on 22 October. He is a saint of the undivided Church.

As a young man he came on pilgrimage to Monte Cassino in the time of abbot Bassacius and decided to become a monk. In 856 he became abbot, at a hard time, when Muslim raids threatened central and southern Italy and the basilicas outside the walls of Rome had been sacked in 846. Between 856 and 873 he surrounded the monastery with massive walls and towers, founded the town he named Eulogimenopolis, later San Germano and today Cassino, encouraged the study of texts, adorned the abbey church with costly furnishings and founded a convent for women at Teano. He kept good relations with the city of Capua.

From 873 the raids resumed. On 4 September 882 Saracen raiders burned and destroyed Monte Cassino; Bertharius and the monks escaped and took refuge at the foot of the mountain, in the monastery of San Salvatore, and the prior Angelarius led most of the monks to Teano. Bertharius stayed. In 883 the monastery was attacked again, and he was killed, with other monks, at the altar of Saint Martin in the church of San Salvatore. His body was soon brought back to Monte Cassino and in 1486 placed in the abbey church, before the tombs of Saint Benedict and Saint Scholastica; since 1514 a chapel has been dedicated to him. His veneration was confirmed by Pope Benedict XIII in 1727, and the Orthodox calendars also commemorate him.

He is commemorated on 22 October, the liturgical date in the Orthodox calendar (the same day number on the old and new calendars).