Blessed Herman the Cripple

Blessed Herman the Cripple Also known as

Herman Contractus
Herman of Reichenau
Herman the Lame
Herman the Disabled
Herman the Twisted
Herman the Crippled
Ermanno…
Hermann…

25 September

Profile

Born with a cleft palate, cerebral palsy, and spina bifida to a farm family. His parents cared for him until the age of seven, but in 1020 they gave him over to the abbey of Reichenau Island in Lake Constance in southern Germany; he spent the rest of his life there. He became a Benedictine monk at age twenty. A genius, he studied and wrote on astronomy, theology, math, history, poetry, Arabic, Greek, and Latin. He built musical instruments, and astronomical equipment. In later life he became blind, and had to give up his academic writing. The most famous religious poet of his day, he is the author of Salve Regina and Alma Redemptoris Mater.

Born

18 February 1013 at Altshausen, Swabia (in modern Germany)

Died

21 September 1054 at Reichenau abbey, Germany of natural causes

Beatified

1863 by Pope Pius IX (cultus confirmed)

Readings

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy. Hail my life, my sweetness and my hope! To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To you do we send up our sighs; mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn, most gracious Advocate, your eyes of mercy toward me, and after this, our exile, show to us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus Christ! Clement, loving, sweet Virgin Mary! Amen. – Blessed Herman

Additional Information