Romuald was raised in a lavish and materialistic atmosphere, lacking in religious dedication or self-control, as he was born into a noble family in the middle of the tenth century. However, he was also drawn in an odd way to the austerity of monastic life by the wonders of the natural world and the feeling of being alone himself.
It was a tragedy that motivated him to fulfill this wish. In a property dispute, Romuald witnessed his father Sergius kill one of his relatives when he was twenty years old. The young man, horrified by the tragedy he had seen, proceeded to the Monastery of St. Apollinaris to perform 40 days of penance for his father.
Romuald's decision to become a monk was confirmed by these 40 days, which laid the groundwork for a lifetime of penance. However, this would not be practiced at St. Apollinaris, where Romuald clashed with some of the other monks due to his severe austerity. He moved to Venice, where he followed the reclusive Marinus as a student, after leaving the region around Ravenna.
The two men then supported Peter Urseolus, a Venetian political figure who would become a saint, in his decision to become a monk. Romuald followed Peter into a Benedictine abbey in France, where he spent five years in a hermitage nearby.
Meanwhile, Sergius, Romuald's father, had turned to monkhood after following in his son's footsteps and confessing his crimes. Romuald discovered that Sergius was having difficulties in his vocation and decided to go back to Italy to support his father. Sergius was able to find the perseverance to continue living a religious life with the help of his son.
Following his father's conversion to Christianity, Romuald served the Church by touring throughout Italy. By the year 1012 he had contributed to the founding or renovation of about a hundred hermitages and monasteries, however they were not formally affiliated with one another as in a separate religious order.
The Camaldolese order did not have its beginnings until 1012, when Romuald received a parcel of property in the Diocese of Arezzo known as the "Camaldoli." It was the location of five hermits' chambers and, shortly after, a complete monastery. Together with other unique characteristics, the living quarters for hermits and communal living gave this monastery and its subsequent affiliates a unique character and charisma.
Romuald's "Brief Rule," a little essay, demonstrates his meditative lifestyle, which is evocative of the early Desert Fathers. It says this:
“Sit in your cell as in paradise. Put the whole world behind you and forget it. Watch your thoughts like a good fisherman watching for fish. The path you must follow is in the Psalms – never leave it. If you have just come to the monastery, and in spite of your good will you cannot accomplish what you want, take every opportunity you can to sing the Psalms in your heart and to understand them with your mind. And if your mind wanders as you read, do not give up; hurry back and apply your mind to the words once more. Realize above all that you are in God’s presence, and stand there with the attitude of one who stands before the emperor. Empty yourself completely and sit waiting, content with the grace of God, like the chick who tastes nothing and eats nothing but what his mother brings him.”
St. Romuald of Ravenna passed away in his monastic cell on June 19, 1027. He was canonized by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582.
Other Saints of the Day
Saint Zosimus
Saint Protase
Saint Juliana Falconieri
Saint Ursicinus of Ravenna
Saint Deodatus of Nevers