On 27th June 1248, Pope Innocent IV approved and confirmed ‘the monastic order founded in the hermitage of Montefano according to God and the Rule of Blessed Benedict.’ The Papal Bull (the technical term for a Papal document), placed the new foundation under the protection of St. Peter and himself and granted it many privileges. From the time of its foundation to the date of its approval, that is for 17 years (1231-1248) Sylvester could establish only four monasteries. In founding monasteries, Sylvester did not follow the example of some of the Benedictine Monasteries of his time that possessed vast extensions of land, large number of monks residing in the same house and the disproportionate monastic buildings. He chose solitary places for his monasteries and the monasteries were small and unadorned, the community was rather small in number and the style of life was austere. A consistent characteristic of Sylvester’s way of life thus is poverty, simplicity in buildings and hard work for daily bread.
After obtaining the Papal approval, Sylvester formed other communities in the region, bringing the total number of monasteries to twelve. These communities also were in solitary places, relatively small and always simple, with an intense life of prayer and at the same time full availability for the spiritual and material needs of one’s neighbour. The monasteries were established within a 200 mile radius, all of them under the direction and inspiration of the Founder. The life of these early Sylvestrine monasteries already teemed with a variety and a balance between work – including apostolic ministry – and prayer, based upon the gifts of the individual monks and the needs of the local Church.
After the death of St. Sylvester the initial fervour of the first followers continued for a number of years. Venerable Andrea di Giacomo who guided the Congregation for 27 years, gave it the organisational norms and the juridical structure. Later on the Order underwent a number of hardships but in providence it survived more than seven centuries of history. The 19th century which witnessed two suppressions of the Order (the first by Napoleon in 1810 and the second from the Kingdom of Italy in 1861) also opened new prospects for the Sylvestrines. From the year 1845 the Order took up missionary work in Ceylon (today’s Sri Lanka) and eventually could establish monasteries in Ceylon. In the course of time Sylvestrines opened houses in the United States in 1910 followed by one in Australia in 1949 and in India in 1962. It took another 37 years in the post Vatican era to open a house in a different country and this time it was the mission in the Philippines in the year 1999. The last born in the Sylvestrine family today is the monastery in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa in the year 2006.
St. Sylvester’s monastic experience is a driving force even today. In a world in which spiritual values decrease, Sylvester wishes to warn us that a society without God cannot stand and that it is bound to destroy itself. Giving more space for God, to prayer, to recollection, to the word of God and living in simplicity and mutual affection for one another one can honour St. Sylvester today. May St. Sylvester intercede for all of us.