Theobald of Vaux-de-Cernay, St.
THEOBALD OF VAUX-DE-CERNAY, ST.
Eldest son of Burkhard de Montmorency, ally of simon de montfort in the war against the albigenses;b. Marley near Paris, ca. 1200; d. Dec. 7, 1247. During the absence of his father, he went to the court of philip ii augustus of france, was knighted, and became renowned at tournaments. He joined the Cistercians at vaux-de-cernay (Versailles) in 1225, became prior under Abbot Richard, ca. 1230, and was elected abbot in 1235. Under his charge the community grew to 200, possessions were amplified, and a new dormitory and refectory were built. Through him the divorce between King louis ix and Queen Margaret was averted. With the abbot of Châlis he wrote the Office for the feast of the Crown of Thorns.
Feast: July 8.
Bibliography: a. duchesne, Historiae Francorum scriptores, 5 v. (Paris 1636–49) 5:406–407. Bibliotheca hagiographica latina antiquae et mediae aetatis, 2 v. (Brussels 1898–1901; suppl. 1911) 2:8029–30. l. merlet and a. moutiÉ, eds., Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Notre-Dame des Vaux-de-Cernay, 3 v. (Paris 1857–58) v.2. l. morize, Étude archéologique sur l'abbaye de Notre-Dame des Vaux de Cernay (Tours 1889). g. mÜller, Cistercienser-Chronik 15 (1903) 321–336.
[c. h. talbot]