Berthold of Garsten

In 1111, Margrave Ottokar II of Styria called upon Berthold to become the first abbot of the monastery of Garsten, located in Upper Austria. Under his leadership of more than thirty years, the abbey experienced exceptional spiritual and economic growth. He introduced the Hirsau reform there, characterized by strict observance of the Benedictine Rule and monastic independence. Berthold proved to be an abbot of great rigor regarding internal discipline, but showed immense kindness and inexhaustible charity toward the poor, the sick, and pilgrims. He founded several parishes in the Enns and Steyr valleys to ensure the pastoral care of the local populations.

The life of Berthold is marked by accounts of miracles and remarkable conversions, recorded shortly after his death by a monk of Garsten around 1175. Among the most famous miracles are the conversion of brigands, the miracle of the multiplication of fish for the monastery's guests, and the defense of the poor against avarice. Berthold passed away on July 27, 1142, in Garsten. During his funeral, the pallbearers noticed that his coffin seemed to float in the air without weighing on their shoulders. Immediately, numerous miracles of healing occurred at his tomb, which became a highly frequented place of pilgrimage.

The local cult of Berthold was established immediately upon his death. In 1236, the Bishop of Passau officially authorized the inclusion of Berthold in the diocesan martyrology for the feast of July 27. In 1686, his relics were solemnly transferred to a dedicated chapel within the abbey church of Garsten. The informative process for the official recognition of his cult by the Holy See opened on May 5, 1951, and closed on April 25, 1952. On January 8, 1970, Pope Paul VI proceeded with the confirmation of his cult through an equipollent canonization. Saint Berthold is celebrated on July 27.

The spirituality of Saint Berthold rests on the Benedictine balance between contemplative prayer and rigorous work. He embodied the figure of the large-hearted pastor, combining strict personal ascetic requirements with immense compassion for the needy. Although the Abbey of Garsten was suppressed in 1787, the memory of Saint Berthold remains alive in Upper Austria. The former abbey church still houses his monumental tomb. In Christian art, he is traditionally depicted in Benedictine habit, holding an abbatial crosier and accompanied by fish.