Theotonius

Theotonius (c. 1082 - 1162) was a Canon Regular and royal advisor. He is noted in Portugal, for being the first prior of the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Coimbra, Portugal. He is celebrated as the reformer of religious life in Portugal, and is the first Portuguese saint.

Early life Theotonius was born in the village of Ganfei, in northern Portugal around 1082. His parents, Oveco (James) and Eugenia were both wealthy and pious. He was called "Theotonius", a Greek name meaning 'godly'. His uncle Dom Crescónio, abbot of the Benedictine monastery near Tuy, was his first teacher. When Dom Crescónio became bishop of Coimbra in 1092, he brought the ten-year-old Theotonius with him and entrusted his further education to the care of a young seminarian, Tello.

After the death of Bishop Crescónio in 1098, Theotonius went to Viseu, where his uncle named Teodorico was prior of the Cathedral Chapter of Santa Maria. During his time of preparation for the priesthood, Theotonius progressed through the minor ecclesiastic orders with great diligence and piety. The first of these was that of porter, with the responsibility to open the church and sacristy and ring the bell. After serving a period of time as a lector, he became an exorcist. One of the chief duties of exorcists was to take part in the baptismal exorcism of catechumens. Completing his term as an Acolyte, Theotonius was ordained a subdeacon. Holy Orders were conferred upon him sometime before the year 1109, by the bishop of Coimbra. The young priest was appointed a canon of the Cathedral Chapter of Viseu, which was a college of clerics who served as advisors to the bishop. Deeply devoted to the holy souls in Purgatory, he would say Mass for them every Friday followed by a procession to the cemetery. Alms were collected as part of this weekly work of mercy and distributed to the poor. Theotonius was asked many times by Count Henry and Queen Teresa, to assume the office of bishop.

Second pilgrimage to Jerusalem Theotonius left his parish with a large number of pilgrims and set out once more to Jerusalem. After travelling for ten weeks, the group arrived at the port of Saint Nicholas, where they waited six weeks for favourable winds. As they were sailing by the Cape of Malea, they found themselves in a storm. Three weeks after leaving Bari, they arrived at the port of Joppa. The pilgrims started at the tomb of Saint George, in Lydda. From there they went to Nazareth, Mount Tabor, and Samaria, and saw the tomb of St. John the Baptist. Upon entering Jerusalem, Theotonius set himself first to see the Cross on Mount Calvary. He also visited the Mount of Olives and Bethany. Travelling to Bethlehem, the group continued on to Capharnaum, and the Sea of Galilee. There the pilgrimage ended, and Theotonius and the other pilgrims from his parish returned to Portugal.

Theotonius' experience in Holy Land resulted in both an increased devotion to the Passion and an intention to found a religious order following the Augustinian Rule. One day, in the church of Viseu, he preached a sermon against co-habitation in the presence of the widowed queen and her lover, Count Fernando. On another occasion when the queen told him to shorten the Mass, he replied that the Mass was offered for a sovereign greater than she. Therefore, she could stay or go, but the length of the Mass would remain unchanged.

Veneration During his life, St. Theotonius was known for his humility and piety.