CONCHO PADRE

St. Bernard was born in 1090 in eastern France. His father was Lord of Fontaine, one of the noblest families in Burgundy. St. Bernard was very astute, gaining admittance to the prestigious Chatillon-sur-Seine, where he devoted himself to the study of literature, Sacred Scripture and poetry. At 23, he gathered 30 young nobles and together, they sought entrance into the monastery of Citeaux, a Cistercian Order. Three years later he was commissioned to form another house which he would later name Claire Vallee in Clairvaux. St. Bernard’s influence continued to grow and turned towards peacemaking. He was secretary of the council at the Council of Troyes, was chosen as judge in a Church schism between two elected popes, and attended the Council of Reims and the Second General Lateran Council. His monastery in Clarivaux grew, too, and monks were sent to Portugal, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Sweden, England, and Ireland. He was canonized in 1174 by Pope Alexander III and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1830 by Pope Pius VIII.