Saint of the Day – 3 June – Saint Adam of Guglionesi OSB (c 990-1072) The Saint of the roving Relics

Saint of the Day – 3 June – Saint Adam of Guglionesi OSB (c 990-1072) Confessor, Benedictine Monk, Abbot, Social Reformer, Peace-maker and may have been a Priest. Hermit. Born in c 990 in Petazio (modern Petacciato), Italy and,died in 1072 in the Saint Paul Monastery in Petacciato, Italy of natural causes. Patronage – Guglionesi, Italy, Also known as – Adam the Abbot, Adamo Abate, Adamo… Adão…

Unfortunately, despite the fact that St Adam is the Patron Saint of the industrious Town of Guglionesi in the Province of Campobasso in Molise, the texts in hagiography say almost nothing about him.

The only certain information that we have of this Saint, defined as a ‘Confessor,’ is the date of the translation of his relics which took place in Guglionesi, on 3 June 1102.

The Bollandists (Society of Belgian Jesuits that in 1600, co-ordinated by Jean Bolland, from whom they took their name, compiled the ‘Acta Sanctorum’) report this event of the translation of the relics. But they give no further information regarding the time in which our Saint lived, the holiness of his life, the activity carried out by the holy ‘confessor.’ Confessor, a term that initially also included Martyrs, then was reserved for Saints and Blessed who, although not Martyrs, have testified (confessed) by their lives, in word and deed, their faith in Christ the Saviour.

Elsewhere it is recorded that Adam was the Abbot of the Monastery of Santa Maria in the Italian Tremiti Islands. He attended the Council of Melfi on 21 August 1059

Adam worked zealously to unify the people of southern Italy in order to reduce inter-city warring. In 1071, after many years of toil, he retired to spend his remaining months as a prayerful Hermit, at the Monastery of Saint Paul in Petacciato, Italy,.where he died.

The Bollandists do record the story of his relics. They say, that, for a long time, his tomb was kept about a mile from the Town and that the Archpriest Benedict of Guglionesi, had a vision, wherein an Angel instructed him to arrange for the translation of the relics to the City of Guglionesi.

This transfer of the relics took place on the night of 2 June 1102, with the participation of Bishops, Priests and armed men. Legend says, that the oxen pulling the transport cart became thirsty, pawed the road with one hoof and springs erupted from the ground. The next day they were enshrined and in 1153 they were re-enshrined re-enshrined in a gilded bronze bust Reliquary.

In 1456, on the night of the Feast of Corpus Christi, St Adam’s relics were stolen by French supporters of King Charles VIII and taken to Campobasso, Italy where they planned to melt the Reliquary for the precious metal but, the presence of the relics made them hesitate. The City was miraculously besieged by storms until they returned the Reliquary to Guglionesi! An additional Memorial is celebrated on the 2nd Sunday in October to mark this return of the stolen relics.