St Albert, Bishop & Lawgiver of Carmel

From Maryton Carmel, Liverpool

St Albert was born in the middle of the twelfth century in a place called Castel Gualteri, Italy. He held several offices of authority within the Church including Prior of the Holy Cross at Mortara and then subsequent positions as Bishop of Bobbio (1184) and Bishop of Vercelli (1185) before becoming Bishop of Jerusalem in 1205. During this time he brought together the hermits who had settled on Mount Carmel and, at their request, wrote instructions for their way of life, a document which came to be known as The Rule of St Albert. It was a very practical guide to life within community; one which applied common sense and frequently referred to the Gospel as a model. It is said to be the shortest of all the religious rules. Notwithstanding, it is full of both spiritual wisdom and practical advice and it demonstrates St Albert’s understanding of the way scripture can be applied to monastic living, even today. On 14th September 1214 Albert was murdered in Acre. Albert was a holy man, who accomplished much in life. However, he is mainly known today for the Carmelite Rule which bears his name.

From the Order of Carmelites

Saint Albert was born towards the middle of the 12th century in Castel Gualtieri in Emilia, Italy. He entered the Canons Regular of the Holy Cross at Mortara, Pavia, and became Prior there in 1180. In 1184, he was named bishop of Bobbio, and the following year he was transferred to Vercelli which he governed for twenty years.  During this period, he undertook diplomatic missions of national and international importance with rare prudence and firmness: in 1194, he effected a peace between Pavia and Milan and, five years later, also between Parma and Piacenza. In 1191, he celebrated a diocesan synod which proved of great value for its disciplinary provisions which continued to serve as a model until modern times. He was also involved in a large amount of legislative work for various religious orders: he wrote the statutes for the canons of Biella and was among the advisers who drew up the Rule of the Humiliates.

In 1205, Albert was appointed Patriarch of Jerusalem and a little later nominated Papal Legate for the ecclesiastical province of Jerusalem. He arrived in Palestine early in 1206 and lived in Acre because, at that time, Jerusalem was occupied by the Saracens. In Palestine, Albert was involved in various peace initiatives, not only among Christians but also between the Christians and non-Christians and he carried out his duties with great energy. During his stay in Acre he gathered together the hermits on Mount Carmel and gave them a Rule. On 14th September 1214, during a procession, he was stabbed to death by the Master of the Hospital of the Holy Spirit, whom Albert had reprimanded and deposed for his evil life.