Early life and work as chaplain He was born in
Normandy at
Tierceville near
Bayeux about 1060–65 in a family not belonging to the nobility. His parents were Regefredus (Rainfredus) and Rohardis (Rohes) and he had at least one sister, Adeline, and a brother called Osbert who later also became a monk. Nothing is known of his early years; it is possible that he first went to the
Benedictine monastery of Grestain, the family monastery of the local noble family of Conteville, before possibly studying in Bayeux or Liège. After ordination he pursued advanced studies before becoming
chaplain to Duke
William the Conqueror's brother,
Robert of Mortain (died 1090). The
Vita (biography) of Vitalis tells that Robert was beating his wife, but Vitalis intervened and threatened to end the marriage if Robert did not repent. In another entry, Vitalis leaves Robert's service abruptly, and after being escorted back to him, Robert begs for Vitalis' pardon for his actions. Vitalis gained the respect and confidence of Robert, who bestowed upon him a
canonry in the collegiate church of
Saint Evroul at
Mortain, which he had founded in 1082.
Hermit, itinerant preacher and abbot of Savigny Vitalis felt a desire for a more perfect state of life. He gave up his canonry in 1095, settled at
Dompierre, 19 miles east of Mortain, and became one of the leaders of the
hermit colony of the forest of
Craon together with
Bernard of Thiron and
Robert of Arbrissel. Here for seventeen years he lived an ascetic life, and was called Vital le Vieux ("Vitalis the Old") taken from his father's name. At the same time he concerned himself, like his mentor Robert of Arbrissel, with the salvation of the surrounding population, giving practical help to the outcasts who gathered round him. Between 1112 and 1122 Vitalis was abbot of the newly founded
abbey of Savigny whose protection was guaranteed by
Pope Calixtus II in
Angers in September 1119. Vitalis died at Savigny, on 16 September 1122. At the time of his death, he was abbot of 140 religious, both men and women and some members likely from aristocratic families. Although Vitalis was recognised as a saint some time after his death by the local population, a request for formal canonisation in 1244 had no success and thus Vitalis was canonised only in 1738 by the Cistercian General Chapter. ==Sources==