St Adalard of Corbie healing oil

Description

The St Adalard of Corbie healing oil is dedicated to the French saint, the patron for typhoid.

Adalard was son of Bernard the son of Charles Martel. Charlemagne was his cousin.

Adalard received a good education in the Palatine School at the Court of Charlemagne. Also, while still very young he was made Count of the Palace. Subsequently, at the age of twenty he entered the monastery at Corbie. The monastery had been founded by queen Bathild, in 662. In due time, in order to be more secluded, he went to Monte Cassino. However, Charlemagne ordered him to return to Corbie. There he was elected abbot. Also, Charlemagne made him prime minister to his son Pepin. He was the King of Italy. As a high court administrator he attended meetings that discussed military planning. Consequently, he wrote a well-developed intelligence system during Pepin’s reign. At his death in Milan in 810, Pepin appointed Adalard tutor to his son Bernard. Bernard was twelve years of age.

St Adalard is banished

In 817, Bernard, aspired to the imperial crown. Emperor Louis the Pious suspected Adalard of being in sympathy with Bernard. He banished him to Hermoutier, the island of the same name. Adalard’s brother Wala was obliged to become a monk at Corbie. However, after seven years Louis saw his mistake. He then made Adalard one of his chief advisers.

Several hospitals were erected by him. In 822 Adalard and his brother Wala founded Corvey Abbey. Corvey was an imperial abbey. Its territory extending from the bishopric of Paderborn to the duchy of Brunswick. Its abbot was one of the eleven abbots, who sat with the bishops in the imperial diet at Regensburg.

As Adalard was returning from Corvey to old Corbie, he fell sick. It was three days before Christmas. He died about three in the afternoon, on January 1 in the year 827, at the age of seventy-three.

Tradition of oils

The tradition of anointing with sacred oil is very old indeed. It is used in sacraments and also as a devotional practice. The sick person applies the oil and blesses themselves. As they do so, they are asked to pray to whomever the oil is dedicated to. The Irish blessings oils do not have miraculous power. It is God who has the power to heal. Applying the oil while praying are important ways for us to express our faith in God’s power. Moreover, by doing so we place our trust in God.

The Irish Blessings oils are dedicated to the Holy Spirit, Our Lady and the saints. The oils come through prayer. They are placed on their designated altars for a period of prayer before being sent out. The oils are of therapeutic grade.

The bottles of oils going out are accompanied with a prayer card. In addition, they are personalised for the saint to whom the oil is dedicated to.