St. Stephen of Obazine

Feastday: March 8
Birth: 1085
Death: 1154

As a priest, Stephen, of Vielge, France, was assiduous in letting nothing short of grave necessity interrupt his recitation of the divine office. He was likewise zealous in seeing to the provision of fitting sacred vessels, furnishings, and vestments for Mass. Aspiring to a more austere life, Stephen and a like-minded priest set out at the beginning of Lent one year to find a suitable place where they could live as hermits. On Good Friday they discovered in the region of Obazine the ideal site in a dense forest, framed by craggy cliffs and a gurgling stream. The two priests remained there fasting until Easter Sunday, when they journeyed to a nearby church to celebrate Mass. Afterward, they were saddened not to receive an invitation to Easter dinner from anyone. Heading back to their hermitage, they paused to rest on the crest of a mountain, weak from hunger. Here a farmwoman approached and offered them half a loaf of bread and a vessel of milk. Stephen would later say of this simple meal that it was the most delightful he had ever tasted. Over time their hermitage became a Cistercian monastery, with Stephen as abbot.

Stephen of Obazine also known as Stephen of Vielzot (French: Étienne de Vielzot, Étienne d'Obazine; 1085 – 1154), was a French priest and hermit, famed for his pious nature, even from a young age.

Religious life

Stephen was born in Vielzot, otherwise Vieljo, a village in Bassignac-le-Haut. He began his religious life in a community of clerics at Pleaux, where he became a priest and gained the reputation of holiness, especially when it came to the recitation of the divine office, only interrupting these if something of grave necessity arose. He was also known for his love for all things to do with the Mass, ensuring the provision of sacred vessels, furnishings and vestments that were perfect for God. Wanting a more austere life, Stephen and a like-minded priest, by the name of Peter, set out at the beginning of Lent one year to locate a place where they could live as hermits. On Good Friday they discovered a forest in the region of Obazine. The two priests remained there fasting until Easter Sunday, after which they found a nearby church to celebrate Mass. There is a well-known story of this time: heading back to their hermitage, the two friends paused to rest on the mountain, exhausted and weak from hunger. A peasant woman offered them half a loaf of bread to eat and a vessel of milk to drink. Stephen would later say that this simple meal was the most delightful he had ever tasted.

Founding of Obazine Abbey

In 1134, the Bishop of Limoges approved the establishment of the hermitage as a monastery, known from then on as Obazine Abbey, even though at the time it comprised mainly many small huts in the forest. Nearby at Coyroux they founded a nunnery for 150 nuns along similar lines. As there was no written Rule for the community, in 1142 Stephen joined the Cistercians, and the monks and nuns in the forest followed suit. He affiliated his house with the Cistercians in 1147, and served as the first abbot.

The monastery flourished until it was suppressed during the French Revolution, and its property was seized in 1791. The abbey church survives, and serves as a parish church.