ST. DISEN, OR DISIBODE, B. C.

THIS saint was a holy Irish monk, who, having in his youth grafted learning upon sanctity, illustrated not only his own island, but also France and part of Germany. By preaching he had taught many souls to walk in the narrow paths of Christian perfection in his native country, when he travelled into France about the year 652. His zealous exhortations, enforced by the weight of his example, produced wonderful fruit in all places which were blessed with his presence. Sermons infected with vanity, studied eloquence, or a worldly spirit, lose their attractive force; but sincere humility and a perfect spirit of piety, gave to the words of our saint a secret energy which opened to him the hearts of those to whom he spoke, and made the pure maxims of the gospel to sink deep into their souls. The example of his meekness, patience, and charity, softened the most hardened. St. Disibode founded the great monastery, called from him Disenberg, at present a collegiate church of canons in the diocess of Mentz; and, on account of the extraordinary success of his apostolic labors, was himself ordained a regionary bishop without any fixed see. He died about the year 700. See in Surius the history of his life and miracles, written by St. Hildegardis, abbess of Mount St. Robert, or Rupert, at Bingen, in the Lower Palatinate on the Rhine, about the year 1170. Also Solier, p. 581.