ZOËRARDUS AND BENEDICT, SS.

Hermits of Zobor, Hungary (the former known also as Svorad-Andrew or Andrej-Svorad), fl. c. 1000. Zoërardus came to Slovakia from Poland during the reign of King (St.) stephen. He became a monk in zobor, which until the 15th century was the center of Benedictine life in Slovakia. With his disciple, Benedict (Stojislav), he led a combined eremitico-cenobitical life in the cave of Skalka in the Diocese of Nitra. It is uncertain whether he was a Benedictine or Camaldolese monk. He excelled in mortification and penance; chains embedded in his flesh witnessed to his self-inflicted chastisement. His disciple was martyred three years after his master's death. He was strangled by robbers and thrown into the River Váh (Waag) in 1012. The relics of both holy hermits are preserved in the cathedral of Nitra, and both were proclaimed patrons of the diocese. St. Svorad-Andrew is patron of some well-known Slovak institutions, e.g., Svoradov in Bratislava and St. Andrew's Benedictine abbey in Cleveland, Ohio, spiritual center of the Slovaks in America. The cultus of Zoërardus and Benedict was approved in 1083.

Feast: July 17.

Bibliography: m. kapiszewski, "Czerty źróda do źyvota Św. Świrada," Nasza Przeszlosc 19 (1964) 5–31, sketches of St. Svorad's Life. Acta sanctorum (Paris 1863—) 4:326–338. j. melich, Collectanea Theologica 15 (1934) 438–448. m. Šprinc, Sv. Andrej-Svorad (St. Andrew-Svorad ) (Cleveland 1952). a. zimmermann, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. m. buchberger (Freiburg 1930–38) 10:1086–87. a. m. zimmermann, Kalendarium Benedictinum: Die Heiligen und Seligen des Benediktinerorderns und seiner Zweige (Metten 1933–38) 2:445, 447–448. s. sÓlymos, Szent Zoerard-András (Szórád) és Benedek remet ék élete és kultusza Magyarországon (Budapest 1996).

[j. papin]