Stephen of Obazine

Stephen of Obazine, also known as Stephen of Vielzot, was a French priest and hermit born in 1085 and who died in 1159. He is celebrated for his deep piety, evident even from his youth, and for his foundational role in establishing religious communities.

Early Life and Religious Calling

Born in Vielzot, Stephen came from a respectable family but was deeply affected by the poverty he witnessed. According to tradition, he once emptied the household's bread bin to provide alms for the poor, much to his family's initial dismay. He began his religious journey in a community of clerics at Pleaux, where he became a priest and gained a reputation for holiness, particularly in his devotion to prayer and the Mass. Dissatisfied with a less austere life, he and a like-minded priest, Peter, sought to live as hermits.

Founding of Obazine Abbey

On Good Friday, Stephen and Peter discovered a suitable forest in the region of Obazine, where they lived as hermits, fasting until Easter Sunday. Their simple meal of bread and milk offered by a peasant woman became a memorable experience for Stephen, highlighting his appreciation for humility and charity. In 1134, Eustorge de Scorailles, the Bishop of Limoges, officially approved the establishment of their hermitage as a monastery, known as Obazine Abbey. This monastery, initially consisting of small huts, was located on land granted by Viscount Archambault. Nearby, at Coyroux, they founded a nunnery for 150 nuns. Stephen assumed the role of abbot in 1142 and affiliated Obazine Abbey with the Cistercian order in 1147. He died in 1159 while visiting a daughterhouse named Bonnaigue. Obazine Abbey flourished until its suppression during the French Revolution in 1791, though its abbey church survives as a parish church.