More on the 'Vita Apostolica' of the High Middle Ages

Introduction

Aside from St. Romuald of the Camaldolese Monk Hermits, and St.
Bruno of the Carthusians, other religious leaders and founders
who followed the "vita apostolica" ideal were St. Nilus the
Younger and St. John Gualbert. Other reformers during this time
were Robert of Abrissel and Vitalis of Tierceville. These four
leaders and many more worked in parts of Italy, north of the
Alps, and much of Germany and France. The spiritual movement of
reform they led brought a spirit of penitence and revived much
religious fervor in Europe.

St. Nilus the Younger

Initially, Nilus lived a rather dissolute life with a woman from
whom he had a child. When the woman and the child passed away,
he joined the Byzantine Basilian monks of St. Adrian in Calabria,
Italy. For a time, he lived as a hermit. But he then moved on to
live in several Basilian monasteries until he became abbot of
San Demetrio Corone. His saintly reputation spread and attracted
many to become monks. In 981 A.D., Nilus was forced to flee due
to the invading Saracens. He and his monks were given the
monastery of Vallelucio. It was here were Nilus and his monks
lived for about fifteen years. Then they were able to secure a
grant of land from the Count of Tuscalum. This grant of land was
where they built and founded the Basilian monastery of
Grottaferra near Rome.

St. John Gualbert

John Gualbert was the founder of the Vallombrosian monks which
created a movement of spiritual rejuvenation near Florence.
Before this monastic foundation, John entered the Benedictine
monastery of San Miniato in Florence. He left this community
and visited the hermitage of St. Romuald (founder of the
Camaldolese Order). After this visit, John Gualbert decided to
establish his own monastery. The place he chose was Vallombrosa.
St. John Gualbert adopted a modified form of the primitive Rule
of St. Benedict. His order had many members during the Middle
Ages. This Order was reformed by St. John Leonardi in the 16th
century.

Reform spirit overflows to secular clergy

The monastic reform movement that began at Cluny, and created the
monastic Orders of Camaldolese, Carthusians, Vallambrosians, and
Cistercians, also influenced the secular clergy at that time. And
the canonical reform that occured in the 11th and 12th centuries
brought a renewed pastoral spirit among the secular clerics. The
most influential of these canonically reformed clergy were the
Premonstratensians - founded by St. Norbert of Xanten.

Summary

The reform movement that started at the Benedictine monastery of
Cluny gave birth to other reform movements - one of which was the
"vita apostolica". Foremost among those who championed the "vita
apostolica" ideal were: St. Nilus, St. John Gualbert, St. Romuald,
and St. Bruno. This spirit of reform influenced St. Norbert of
Xanten to found a monastery which was to serve as a community
(not of monks) but of secular clergy living according to the
Rule of St. Augustine.