Blessed Rainier d'Osnabrück

Reiner of Osnabrück (born in the 12th century near Groningen; died April 11, 1233, in Osnabrück) is a blessed of the Catholic Church. Presumably originating from Groningen, Reiner settled as a hermit near Osnabrück Cathedral around 1210. There, he lived in strict penance, mortifying his flesh and binding his body with iron rings. When he sensed his death approaching after more than 20 years of this eremitic life, he opened his cell for the first time so that he could be administered the last rites. Following his death, miracles were soon reported at his grave, which led to widespread veneration of the hermit. In 1465, his remains were exhumed and interred in a shrine in Osnabrück Cathedral. Reiner is depicted in hermit's clothing, praying in his cell, and with a cross and scourge. In 1896–97, his remains were reinterred in a Neo-Romanesque shrine created by the sculptor Heinrich Seling in the southwest tower of the cathedral.