Today is a feast of St. Bruno ca. This 11 th century eremitic scholar-man was also the founder of the Carthusian monastic order. Ignatius of Iyola. Despite the sweet appearance of the dolls, the Carthusians were a particularly austere order, whose level of influence from their ascetic practices and, therefore, perceived holiness, far outstripped their numbers.
At their height there were only 9 Carthusian priories called Charterhouses — as in the Charterhouse in England. When compared to the number of Benedictine and Cistercian 88 houses, this number is very small, but they punched far above their weight in terms of spiritual achievement. I suppose you had to be serious about the Word if you wanted to be a Carthusian.
In any case they got off to a very good start due to the excellent reputation of their founder. Bruno was educated at Reims and Cologne, returning to the former in as a teacher.
His quiet life was disturbed by the naughty Archbishop Manasses , whose alleged abuses of his position saw him suspended from office in Naturally very angry, Manasses took it out on his accusers, one of them being Bruno, tore down their houses and sold their possessions.
Bruno prudently avoided Reims thereafter and set off with several companions in to live a simple, devoted life of prayer and manual labour in the forested, mountainous land of the Chartreuse.
