When Alberic died in
1109, it was quite natural for Prior Stephen to be chosen as his
successor. The future of the New Monastery was still not very
bright. Then in 1112 or perhaps 1113, Bernard of Fontaines arrived
on the scene with thirty of his illustrious relatives and friends,
seeking admission to the novitiate of Citeaux. It was the beginning
of a floodtide. Soon the first band of founders went forth from
Citeaux to start another community dedicated to the same ideals.
Others followed. Bernard led the third band to a "bitter valley"
which he and his monks changed into a valley of light,
Clairvaux.
Each year the heads
of the monasteries founded from Citeaux would return to the
motherhouse to take part in a formal meeting with the monks of that
house. As their number increased, the monks of the local community
took less part in this meeting, and it developed into a gathering
or chapter of abbots whose concern was to keep their pristine ideal
fully alive in all the houses. Stephen, the Englishman, set about
composing a charter which would give form to structures that would
assist the abbots in doing this. His first Charter of
Charity received papal sanction in 1119. At the chapter of 1123
the assembled abbots formally approved the Charter and
committed themselves to it, relinquishing some of their autonomy
for the benefits of federation. The chapter of abbots and regular
visitation of each monastery by the abbot of the house from which
it was founded gave the local abbot the support he needed to
fulfill his charge faithfully and lead his community in the ways of
Blessed Benedict. This ratification of the Charter of
Charity formally gave birth to the Cistercian
Order.
