Willibrord | |
|---|---|
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| Bishop | |
| Born | c. 658 Northumbria |
| Died | (739-11-07)7 November 739 (aged 81) |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church Anglican Communion Old Catholic Church |
| Majorshrine | Echternach |
| Feast | 7 November |
| Attributes | Dipping staff into cask |
| Patronage | Convulsions; epilepsy; epileptics; Luxembourg; Netherlands; Archdiocese of Utrecht, Netherlands |
Willibrord (Latin:Villibrordus;[1]c. 658 – 7 November AD 739) was anAnglo-Saxon monk, bishop, and missionary. He became the firstBishop of Utrecht in what is now theNetherlands, dying atEchternach inLuxembourg, and is known as the "Apostle to theFrisians".
His father, namedWilgils or Hilgis,[2] was styled byAlcuin as aSaxon ofNorthumbria.
Newly converted to Christianity, Wilgils entrusted his son as anoblate toRipon Abbey,[2] and withdrew from the world, constructing a small oratory, near the mouth of theHumber, dedicated toSaint Andrew. The king and nobles of the district endowed him with estates until he was at last able to build a church, over whichAlcuin afterwards ruled.
Willibrord grew up under the influence ofWilfrid, Bishop of York. Later he joined theBenedictines. He spent the years between the ages of 20 and 32 in the Abbey ofRath Melsigi,[a] inCounty Carlow in southern Ireland, which was a centre of European learning in the 7th century.
During this time he studied underEcgberht of Ripon, who sent him and eleven companions to Christianise the pagan Frisians of the North Sea coast at the request ofPepin of Herstal,Austrasianmayor of the palace, who had nominalsuzerainty over that region. Willibrord travelled to Rome twice. Both of these trips to Rome have historical significance.
According toBede, Willibrord was not the only Anglo-Saxon to travel to Rome. The way in which he described the visit and its purpose is important; unlike all the others, Willibrord was not on the usual pilgrimage to the graves of the apostles Peter and Paul and the martyrs. Rather, "he made haste to Rome, where Pope Sergius then presided over the apostolical see, that he might undertake the desired work of preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles, with his licence and blessing".[3] As such he came to the pope not as a pilgrim but specifically as a missionary. The second time he went to Rome, on 21 November 695, in the Church ofSanta Cecilia in Trastevere,Pope Sergius I gave him apallium and consecrated him as bishop of the Frisians.[2] He returned toFrisia to preach and establish churches, among them a monastery atUtrecht, where he built hiscathedral. Willibrord is counted the firstbishop of Utrecht.
In 698 he established theAbbey of Echternach on the site of a Roman villa inEchternach, which was donated to him by Pepin's mother-in-law,Irmina of Oeren, the wife ofseneschal and Count PalatineHugobert. After Hugobert died, Irmina founded a Benedictine convent at Horren inTrier. When a plague threatened her community, she gained the help of Willibrord; and when the pestilence passed by the convent, she gave Willibrord the lands for his abbey in Echternach.[4]
Pepin of Heristal died in 714. In 716 the paganRadbod, king of the Frisians, retook possession of Frisia, burning churches and killing many missionaries.[5] Willibrord and his monks were forced to flee. After the death of Radbod in 719, Willibrord returned to resume his work, under the protection ofCharles Martel. He repaired the damage done there, ably assisted byBoniface.[2]
Willibrord died on 7 November 739 at the age of 81, and according to his wish, was buried in Echternach. He was quickly judged to be a saint. Willibrord wells, which skirted his missionary routes, were visited by the people, to solicit the healing of various nervous diseases, especially of children.[4]
In the Catholic Church his feast day is celebrated on7 November outside England, but on 29 November in England, by order ofPope Leo XIII. Willibrord is honoured in theChurch of England and in theEpiscopal Church (US) on 7 November.[6][7]
Numerous miracles and relics have been attributed to him. On one occasion, the transport of his relics was celebrated thus: "the five bishops in full pontificals assisted; engaged in the dance were 2 Swiss guards, 16 standard-bearers, 3,045 singers, 136 priests, 426 musicians, 15,085 dancers, and 2,032 players".[8] Adancing procession continues to be held in Echternach every year on Whit Tuesday, and attracts thousands of participants and an equal number of spectators, to honour the memory of a saint who is often called the apostle of theBenelux countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg).[4]
AtGravelines in northern France, where Willibrord is said to have landed after crossing theChannel on his mission to the Frisians, the church in the old town is dedicated to him. Gravelines grew up afterc. 800 around the chapel commemorating Willibrord's mission.[9][10]
There is a 13th-century chapel dedicated to Willibrord atWeissenburg Abbey, Alsace, where Willibrord's benefactressIrmina of Oeren was also venerated.[11][12]
ALife was written byAlcuin and dedicated to the Abbot of Echternach. Alcuin probably made use of an older one written by a British monk, which is now lost.[13] Bede also makes mention of Willibrord.
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Nothing written by Willibrord can be found save a marginal note in the Calendar of Echternach giving some chronological data.[14] TheEchternach Gospels, a copy of the Gospels (Bibliothèque nationale, Paris, 9389) under the name of Willibrord is an Irishcodex no doubt brought by Willibrord from Ireland.
In 752/753Boniface wrote a letter toPope Stephen II, in which he says that Willibrord destroyed the Frisian pagan sanctuaries and temples.[15]
In Alcuin'sLife of Willibrord there are two texts about Willibrord and pagan places of worship. In one he arrived with his companions inWalcheren in the Netherlands, where he smashed a sculpture of the ancient religion.[16] In the second text passage Willibord arrived on an island called Fositesland (possiblyHeligoland) where a pagan god namedFosite was worshipped. Here he despoiled this god of its sanctity by using the god's sacred well for baptisms and the sacred cattle for food.[17][18]
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