A portrait of St. Stephen Harding
St. Stephen Harding
c. 1060 – 1134
Feast
April 17 · XII c.
Patron of
Cistercians · Monastic reformers
Order
Abbot / Cistercian
English Cistercian abbot (c. 1060-1134), educated at Sherborne, monk of Molesme, third abbot of the New Monastery of Cîteaux from 1109; chiefly responsible for the "Carta Caritatis" (1119) which gave the Cistercians their distinctive constitutional structure based on filiation rather than centralized authority. Received St. Bernard and his thirty companions in 1112. Canonized 1623 by Urban VIII.
Life & Times
Born: c. 1060 · Died: 1134 · From: England / France.
Patronage
St. Stephen Harding is invoked as the patron of cistercians, monastic reformers. Those in these callings or circumstances often turn to this saint in prayer.
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About Catholic Saints
Catholic saints, including St. Stephen Harding, are Christians whom the Catholic Church has formally recognized as having lived lifes of heroic holiness and who now dwell with God in heaven, offering an example of faith for those still on their earthly journey. Catholics don't worship saints, but ask them to pray to God with us and for us — much as one might ask a trusted friend to pray for them — trusting that those closest to God can join their voices to ours before Him. Discover more saints in the Catholic Shop Saints section.