(A.D. 1241.)
[Day unfixed for his commemoration, but locally, he is commemorated
on the same day as his namesake. He is called Saint in Belgium, but
is of local canonization only. Authorities:--Life by an anonymous
Cistercian monk, of undecided date, published by Bollandus, and
another life in the annals of Jacobus Guisius.]
This venerable hermit of Brabant was the founder of the ancient abbey
"of the Olive," whose ruins may still be seen at some little distance
from the ancient castle of Mariemont, near Binche in Hainault.
Having lived a life of great irregularity during his youth,
John-William retired, in a moment of remorse, to the abbey of
Chérailles, near Vervins; but he shortly afterwards quitted it, being
drawn into the world again by his passions. But God, says the legend,
gave him a warning which brought him once more to his senses, and he
retired to a lonely place near Morlanwelz, where he built a little
hermitage of branches, and lived for some time, unknown, exercising
himself in prayer and vigil, and living on roots and wild fruit. If we
may believe a popular legend, to punish himself for having yielded to
his animal passions so long, he would not stand upright, but walked
about like a beast, on all fours. Later on, Dame Bertha, the widow of
Eustace de Ræulz, having heard of his piety, offered him the choice of
any spot on her lands, where he might cultivate the soil to supply his
necessities. He accepted her offer, and began diligently to till the
ground. John of Béthune, Bishop of Cambrai, informed of the perfection
of the hermit, conferred upon him priest's orders; after which,
John-William undertook the construction of a stone church on the
ground given him by the lady Bertha. When this was complete, the
hermit asked the abbess of Fontenelle to send some of her nuns to
establish themselves there. She complied with his request, but the
place not suiting them, they returned to their convent. At his
request, seven nuns from Monstres-sur-Sambre were then sent to him,
and they placed themselves under his direction; the institution was
incorporated in the order of Citeaux, an abbess was elected, and the
place which had formerly borne the designation of "The Hermitage," was
now called "The Olive." There are many hypotheses to account for the
origin of this name. One is, that it was derived from the number of
cures wrought by olive oil, from the lamp burnt before the image of
the Holy Virgin in the church. The founder died in 1240, on the 10th
February, at the age of sixty-six, and was buried in the monastery
church.