September 6 + Blessed Bertrand of Garrigues

Bertrand was one of the first priests to gather around the great St. Dominic and join his mission of opposing heresy through preaching and personal witness.

Born in Garrigues, France, late in the 12th century, Bertrand was raised in the Catholic faith and educated by Cistercian nuns at a time when many were straying to a heresy called Albigensianism, which taught that there two principles ruled the world — one spiritual (good) and one material (evil). The heresy encouraged contempt for the body, and taught that Jesus was an angel who appeared as human, but had no real body.

In 1200, Albigensians took to the streets to drive out Catholics and to harass monasteries. One convent was saved when a bee-master turned over all of his hives when they approached. Bertrand was moved by the conflict and became a priest in order to encourage true faith in people.

In his ministry, he met St. Dominic and, with five others, joined him to form the Order of Preachers. Soon others joined them and Dominic dispersed the young community to reach other territories. Bertrand spent time in Bologna and in Paris. The last decade of his life was spent organizing and promoting the new religious community in Provence.

Appointed Prior Provincial of Provence, one of the eight provinces of the Dominican Order, Bertrand spent the last nine years of his active life preaching the faith throughout southern France, and founded the great Priory of Marseilles.

Bertrand was one of Dominic’s dearest companions — they shared journeys together and were of a single mind. After his death in 1230, it was written that by his watching, fasting, and other penances, he succeeded in imitating his saintly friend so closely as to invite the words: ”The disciple is like the master; there goes the image of Saint Dominic!”