Saint of the Day: St. Willibrord, Bishop

Today is the feast of Saint Willibrord, a Benedictine, who is the patron saint of the Dutch.

He was born in Northumberland (northeastern England) in 657 and was educated at Ripon monastery and the Abbey of Rathmelsigi in Ireland. After he was ordained in the Benedictine Order, in 690, he set out with eleven companions for Friesland (a province in the north Netherlands).

In 692, he went to Rome and received his full approval for his missionary work from the pope. During his second visit to Rome, the pope consecrated him archbishop to the Frisians. In his work, Willibrord also received much support and encouragement from the Frankish leader; Pepin of Heristal.

Willibrord founded the monastery of Echternach, Luxembourg, to serve as a center of missionary endeavors, and extended the efforts of missionaries into Denmark and Upper Friesland. He faced chronic dangers from outraged pagans, including one who nearly murdered him after he tore down a pagan idol.

In 714, King Radbod reclaimed the extensive territories acquired by Pepin, and Willilbrord watched all of the progress he had made be virtually undone. When Radbod gained possession of all Frisia, Willibrord was obliged to leave, and Radbod destroyed most of the churches, replaced them by temples and shrines to the idols, and killed many of the missionaries.

After Radbod's death, Willibrord started over with great enthusiasm, receiving invaluable assistance, from St. Boniface. Willibrord died on retreat at Echternach on November 7, 739. He was buried in the oratory of this abbey, and after death was almost immediately honored as a saint.

Patronage: convulsives, epileptics, Luxemborg, Netherlands