Blessed Robert of Arbrissel – Founder of Fontevraud Abbey and Visionary Reformer

BLESSED. ROBERT OF ARBRISSEL

Blessed Robert of Arbrissel was a French priest and reformer known for founding the Abbey of Fontevraud, a unique religious community that housed both men and women under the leadership of an abbess. His radical vision and charismatic leadership made him a significant figure in the medieval Church.

Blessed Robert of Arbrissel was born around the year 1045 in Arbrissel, in the region of Brittany, France. Coming from modest beginnings, he pursued a strong education in theology and became a priest. His early career was shaped by the reform movements within the Church, which sought to restore spiritual discipline and moral integrity to monastic and clerical life.

He first served as a parish priest and later became the archpriest of Rennes. However, his passion for reform and spiritual renewal soon led him to adopt a life of radical poverty and wandering preaching. Renouncing material possessions, Robert took to the roads of France, preaching repentance and drawing large crowds with his fervent sermons.

Around 1101, he founded the Abbey of Fontevraud, a groundbreaking monastic community that housed both monks and nuns. Most remarkably, he placed the entire abbey under the authority of a woman — an abbess — which was a revolutionary move for its time. The community became a model of religious life and spiritual renewal, attracting many followers, including women from noble families and reformed clergy.

Robert’s vision of equality in the religious life, his deep concern for the poor and marginalized (especially women), and his charisma as a preacher earned him wide respect. He died on February 25, 1116, in Orsan, France. Although never canonized officially, his cultus was recognized locally, and he has been venerated as Blessed within the Church.

Feast Day

25-2-

Birth Date

--1045

Died Date

25-2-1116

Canonised Date

--N/A

Fontevraud Abbey, Anjou, France

Blessed Robert of Arbrissel, servant of the poor and founder of holy community life, pray for us that we may live with bold faith and embrace the call to serve others in humility and love. Amen.
BLESSED. ROBERT OF ARBRISSEL

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BLESSED. ROBERT OF ARBRISSEL

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