Meinrad of Einsiedeln

Meinrad of Einsiedeln, OSB (c. 797 – 21 January 861 AD), was a German Benedictine hermit venerated as a Catholic and Orthodox saint. He is primarily known by the epithet "Martyr of Hospitality."

Life and Historical Context

Born into the Counts of Hohenzollern family, Meinrad received his education at the abbey school of Reichenau, an island in Lake Constance. Under the guidance of his kinsmen, Benedictine Abbots Hatto and Erlebald, he became a monk and was ordained. After serving at Reichenau and its dependent priory at Benken, near St. Gallen, Meinrad chose an eremitical life around 829. He initially established his hermitage on the slopes of Etzel Pass, bringing with him a wonder-working statue of the Virgin Mary gifted by Hildegard, the abbess of Fraumünster in Zurich.

Seeking solitude as more people sought him out, Meinrad retreated in 835 to a hermitage in the forest, which would later become the site of the monastery in Einsiedeln. Inspired by the Desert Fathers, he practiced a life of strict asceticism, distributing any gifts he received to the poor. His life of devotion was tragically cut short in 861 when he was killed by two robbers who were seeking the treasures they believed pilgrims had left at his shrine. Meinrad is thus remembered as the "Martyr of Hospitality."

Veneration and Legacy

Following Meinrad's death, his hermitage was occupied by a succession of hermits for eighty years. One of these, Eberhard, a former Provost of Strasbourg, founded Einsiedeln Abbey and became its first abbot. Meinrad was initially buried at Reichenau, but his relics were transferred to Einsiedeln in 1029, solidifying the site as a major pilgrimage destination.

During the Middle Ages, Einsiedeln became a popular pilgrimage center for individuals from southern Germany, Switzerland, and Alsace. Meinrad's former cell evolved into the shrine of the Black Madonna of Einsiedeln, its image darkened over time by the smoke from candles, oil lamps, and incense. The Chapel St. Meinrad, located at the summit of Etzel Pass, is documented from the 13th century and lies on the pilgrimage route of the Camino de Santiago. The archabbey of St. Meinrad in St. Meinrad, Indiana, is named in his honor.