Saint of the Day – 10 December – Saint Thomas of Farfa (Died c720) Abbot,

Saint of the Day – 10 December – Saint Thomas of Farfa (Died c720) Abbot, Hermit, Pilgrim, expert Restorer and Abbot extraordinaire! Born at Maurienne, Savoy, France and died in c720 of natural causes at his famous Monastery of Farfa. Also known as – Thomas of Maurienne.

“This is the place which I promised you”

• Words addressed by the Madonna to Thomas, the Restorer of Farfa Monastery, to indicate to him the ruins of the destroyed Abbey which were, later rebuilt by the Saint – it is the place of the current Monastery.

Thomas is believed to have hailed from Maurienne, where he was a Monk before he travelled to the Holy Land. According to the 12th Century Chronicon Farfense, by the renowned Monk Historian Gregory of Catino, Thomas was on a pilgrimage when, in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, he had a vision of the Virgin Mary, who told him to go to Italy and re-establish an abandoned Abbey which had been founded in her name.

Together with a small group of disciples and by the gracious assistance of Divine guidance, Thomas found the ruins of an Abbey in a deserted region in the Sabina Hills in central Italy.

The foundation of Farfa p dates to around 560-570 by St Laurence of Syria (Lorenzo Siro), who arrived from Syria together with his sister Susannah, to carry out an apostolate in Sabina, where he was elected as the Bishop but he himself soon left this position to become a Monk and dedicate himself to the foundation of this Monastery which had attracted him by the position of 3 beautiful tall Cypresses, representing the glorious Blessed Trinity..

At the time of the death of San Lorenzo, which occurred towards the end of the 6th Century, the Monastery suffered complete devastation and abandonment, due to the arrival of the Lombards but, our Saint Thomas managed to find the remains of the place dedicated to the Blessed Mother – being still marked by the same three cypresses.

Finally the ancient Church, now in ruins, was given new life in 680, under the protection of the Duke of Spoleto, Faroaldo II, who offered land and buildings.

It is precisely thanks to Saint Thomas that a period of profound recovery began in Farfa. In addition to the reclamation of the land, the Abbey patrimony expanded so considerably, to the point that Popes, Dukes, Kings and Governors granted great exemptions and privileges, so that Farfa quickly became an economically and politically powerful entity.

During Thomas’s 40+ year Abbacy, three Monks from Farfa established the Monastery of San Vincenzo al Volturno. According to San Vincenzo’s Vita, it was Thomas who directed the Monks to “the oratory of Christ’s Martyr Vincent [where] on each side of the river is a thick forest (which serves as a habitation for wild beasts and a hiding-place for robbers.”

Also during Thomas’ tenure, the Abbey received a privilege in 705, from Pope John VII which recognised that the Abbey was founded by “Bishop Laurence.” This Papal privilege included a confirmation of the Abbey’s first grant of land, from Duke Faroald II of Spoleto. Through his donations Faroald claimed to have “restored that place through Abbot Thomas and your [Papal] recommendation.” Thomas was ordered to put the Papal privilege on display.

Saint Thomas died in c720, after forty years of regency of the Farfa Monastery and was buried right there. According to the 11th Century Martyrology of the Abbey, Thomas was buried at the 30th Milestone, as later was Abbot Hilderic (Died 857). Thomas had been succeeded by Aunepert around 720.