Alferius, St.
Part of The Encyclopedia of Southern Italy.
Alferius, St.: (b. AD 930, at Salerno; d. Holy Thursday, 1050): Ecclesiastic. Born into the noble Pappacarbone family, he entered into the service of Duke Gisulf I of Salerno. In c1006, he was dispatched to France as the duke’s emissary to Emperor Otto III. While enroute, however, he became seriously ill and sought refuge at the abbey of S. Michel de Cluse at Chiusa, in the Tyrol. Upon his recovery, he resumed his mission but resolved that, upon its completion to renounce his secular life and devote himself to religion. Once freed from his duty Alferius went to Cluny where he received religious training from Saint Odilio. He was later recalled to Salerno by Gisulf so that he could reorganize and oversee the duchy’s monasteries. Despite his best efforts, however, the corruption he found was too much for him to eradicate. Seeking solitude, he left Salerno and, in 1011, and became a hermit on nearby Mount Fenestra. It was there that he his religious reputation brought him a multitude of disciples. In 1025, he chose twelve of his followers and founded the Benedictine abbey of the Holy Trinity of La Cava. This abbey would eventually grow to become one of the most important religious forces in southern Italy and Sicily. Alferius remained abbot at La Cava until his death at the reputed age of 120.
Alferius’s cult was approved by Pope Leo XIII in 93. Feast Day: Apr.12.