"The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God"
Nunraw August Memorial
 |
| Paul Henry Pringle d.1984 |
Brother Paul Henry Pringle Nunraw |
Brother Paul Henry Pringle
Born 1st February 1922 |
Entered 8th May 1954 |
Professed 13th November 1959 |
Died 16th August 1984 |
Memorials
 | Tribute |
| Community Chronicle |
| Abbot's Tribute |
AUGUST
AUGUST 1
Ponce de Leros + 1140
Noble, wealthy and an accomplished soldier, he was also a thief and a swindler. Finally touched by the grace of God, he made a sudden and complete conversion, setting about his new life in a very practical way by selling all he possessed and making restitution to all whom he had wronged. His example led to the conversion of six of his relatives. Together they made a pilgrimage to St James of Compostella, Mont-St-Michel and other shrines. Finally they settled in a valley known as Silvones in southern France, and lived in poverty and labor. During a famine Ponce himself collected food for the poor, and their grain supply was at times miraculously multiplied. Later he affiliated the community to the Cistercians with Mozen as their father-immediate, and Ponce became a lay-brother of our Order.
MBS, p. 218
Petronilla Le Clerc and Louise Ivore + 1650
Two lay-sisters of Parc aux Dames, who entered the convent together, made profession together and died on the same day.
AUGUST 2
William + 1143
An Englishman, quite possibly a pupil of Henry Murdoc of York, he was attracted to Clairvaux by the fame of St Bernard. He became the latter's secretary and it was he who took down Bernard's famous letter to his kinsman, Robert, "amid a downpour and without its becoming wet". He also served as associate reviser of the Chant in the Cistercian choir books.
In 1133 when Walter Espec wished to found a Cistercian monastery in York, William was chosen by Bernard to head the foundation. Within twelve years Rievaulx numbered 300 monks, including St Aelred. William founded three new abbeys in England and Scotland, among them Melrose, and his influence and example led to the foundation of Fountains. He also acted as mediator in ecclesiastical disputes, including the disputed election of the archbishop of York in 1140.
MBS, p. 221
AUGUST 3
Bl Waltheof + 1160
After his father's death, his mother married King David of Scotland and Waltheof was brought up at court where St Aelred became his close friend. Unlike Aelred, however, Waltheof was not attracted by court life and cultured society. He became a canon of St Augustine and was made prior of their house at Kirkham.
In 1143 he was elected archbishop of York and in order to escape from the position, he fled to the Cistercian monastery of Wardon, not far from London. During his novitiate he experienced great dryness of soul; doubts and fears were increased by the austerities which he found very difficult to bear. However, with the encouragement of Aelred, he remained firm in his resolve to persevere as a Cistercian. At some point he went to Rievaulx where Aelred was abbot and in 1147 he himself was made abbot of Melrose. He was an abbot after the mind of St Benedict: firm but gentle, full of tolerance and understanding of human
weakness. He was especially anxious that his monks refrain from criticizing one another and once a fault had been acknowledged and expiated in Chapter, he strictly forbade anyone to make any reference to it by word or sign. He had a special love for the lay-brothers, gave them frequent conferences and received them for spiritual direction.
Waltheof's piety was especially nourished by the liturgy and his greatest graces had their source in some text of the offices of the great feasts. He was also devoted to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
In 1159 he was offered the bishopric of St Andrew's, but feeling his end was near he declined to accept. On his death bed he thanked God for all the trials and sufferings of his life as for the most precious graces.
MBS, p. 224
Konrad von Herlesheim + 1270
He was knighted in his twentieth year and in the same year entered the monastery of Heyn, Germany. He served his community as treasurer and later procurator. Once when he longed for union with Christ, Our Lord said to him, "I will grant that my joy and yours may be one; my will and yours one; my glory and yours one."
