Saint of the Day – 12 July – Saint Leo of Cava (c990-1079) The second Abbot of the Abbey of La Trinità della Cava, Apostle of the poor and needy. Born in c990 in Lucca, Tuscany, Italy and died in 1079 at the Monastery of the Holy Trinity in La Cava de Tirreni at Salerno, Italy of natural causes.
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “In the Monastery of La Trinità della Cava in Campania, Saint Leo I, Abbot, who provided for the poor with the work of his own hands and defended them from the powerful.”
Leo. a native of Lucca, became one of the first disciples of St Alferius, the noble hermit from Salerno, while he was still living in his Arsicia cave, at the foot of Monte Finestra, today in the Municipality of Cava de ‘Tirreni.
The goodness, humility and piety which distinguished Leo, meant that the old hermit Alferius, wante him as his successor at the helm of the nascent Abbey of the Trinità di Cava, which he founded.
Leo governed the Monastery for almost thirty years, from 1050 to 1079, personally leading a very simple life’ The beginnings of his government as Abbot was troubled by the arrogance of a local Lord whose name is unknown, who even attacked the Monastery by taking the Abbot prisoner for a short time!
But Leo managed to gain the favour of the neighbouring Barons, who bestowed many donations on the Abbey of the Trinity. It is said of Leo that he often went to collect wood in the woods and then sold it in Salerno and, with the proceeds, he sought out the poor and the needy in the surrounding regions.
When he too became old, he entrusted the office of Abbot to St Peter of Pappacarbone but Leo had to resume governance of the Monastery to soften the Cluniac rigour established by Peter of Pappacarbone, which had aroused discontent among the Monks.
During his government, Pope Gregory VII solemnly confirmed the Ordo Cavensis.
He died on 12 July 1079 and was buried in the ‘Arsicia’ cave which is now incorporated into the Chapel of the Sainted Fathers, where the Relics of St Alferius and other Saints and blessed Abbots of the famous Abbey are enshrined.
In 1641, a new Altar and Mausoleum was erected in this Chapel. On 21 December 1893, the Church, through Pope Leo XIII, confirmed the cult of the first four Abbots: Saints Alferius, Leo, Peter I, Constabilis.
St Alferius here:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/04/12/saint-of-the-day-12-april-saint-alferius-of-la-cava-930-1050/
St Constabilis.here:
https://anastpaul.com/2022/02/17/saint-of-the-day-17-february-saint-constabilis-of-cava-osb-c-1070-1124/
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