Hey Arnold!
We’re not talking about the Nickelodeon cartoon, but instead about Saint Arnoldus, also known as St. Arnold, Arnold of Soissons, St. Arnulf, or Arnulf of Oudenburg.
“Who’s that guy with the interchangeable names?” you might ask.
Valid question.
As lovers of all-things-beer, we ought to have an idea of who this Catholic patron saint of brewers and hop-pickers is, as he has his very own holiday on July 18th. Read onwards for some tidbits of information, history, and yet another excuse for us to raise our pint glasses in tribute.
Saint Arnold was born in 1040 in Tiegem, Flanders, in what is now northern Belgium, and died in 1087 at the ripe old age of 47. During his younger years, he was a soldier under the ranks of Henry I of France. After retiring from the military around the age of 30, he came to reside within the Benedictine St. Medard’s Abbey in Soissons, France, eventually rising in the ranks to become abbot (the head) of the monastery. Legend has it, (or his Catholic legend, known as hagiography), he was not-at-all thrilled about becoming abbot and in an attempt to refuse the title, he fled the monastery, but was forced to return by a stalking wolf; in some stories, the wolf actually dragged him back. This “divine intervention” cemented his destiny, and it was there that he became a priest and then Bishop of Soissons. In 1080, he left St. Medard’s and founded the Abbey of St. Peter in Oudenburg, located in Oudenburg, West Flanders, Belgium.
While at Oudenburg, Arnold developed a passion for brewing beer. Beer was a staple in medieval times, being a better option than water to drink mainly for sanitary reasons. We know today that because water is boiled to create beer, it kills harmful pathogens, but people did not understand the science behind boiling during Arnold’s time on earth. Arnold was a vocal advocate, encouraging people to drink beer for its “gift of health,” quoted as saying, “From man’s sweat and God’s love, beer came into the world.” It is said that during one specific wave of illness (likely cholera), Arnold convincingly advised his congregation and local people in his town to avoid water altogether, and thus the illness disappeared; his advice helping to save many thousands of lives. In some versions of this tale, he also dramatically plunges his crucifix into a brew kettle.
St. Arnoldus was canonized on January 6, 1121 by Pope Callixtus II after a number of miracles were attributed to him, both before and after death. One miracle that occurred was when part of the roof collapsed in the brewery section of the monastery at the Abbey of St. Peter. Arnold prayed to God to multiply the stores of beer left and the numbers miraculously increased. In another miracle, it is said that during a particularly harsh drought, Arnold prayed over and blessed a pitcher of beer, which multiplied and provided the people of the town with enough beer to sustain them until conditions improved.
Today, his relics (typically bits of bone/hair/teeth) are still contained within the Abbey of St. Peter, in Oudenburg. St. Arnoldus is often depicted holding a mashing rake and sometimes clothed in armor. Every year on July 18th, he is honored with a feast and parade in Brussels, Belgium known as the “Day of Beer.”
There are several other Catholic saints associated with beer including:
- St. Arnulf of Metz, patron saint of brewers (Yes, another Arnold, with a different storyline and different feast date – August 14th; although they often get mixed!)
- St. Augustine of Hippo, patron saint of brewers
- St. Amandus, patron saint of bar staff, bartenders, and beer merchants
- St. Hildegardis, female patron saint of hop-growersSt. Brigid, female patron saint of brewers – She was a nun who worked with a leper-colony, who, as legend states, turned dirty bath water into beer when the lepers implored her to quench their thirst. (both cool and gross?)
Bet you didn’t learn any of this at your local parish, religious education classes, or in Sunday school as a kid!
Cheers, Arnold!
