St. Ludger
Benedictine bishop, founder of Munster, Germany, and counselor of Charlemagne.
ludger of Utrecht,
Also known as Liudger
Feastday: March 26
Birth: 742/744 near Zuilen, Frisia, the Netherlands
Death: 809 died at Billerbeck, Westphalia, Germany
Everything in Ludger's life seems to have worked in favor of his becoming a great man and a saint: a good family, dedicated to the Church; a fine education; a native intelligence and a disposition that won him the affection of all with whom he came in contact. At the age of 14, he met Saint Gregory of Utrecht, who gave him the monastic habit. When he was 24, he was made a deacon; at 34, he was ordained a priest.
Ludger was first taught by Saint Gregory , then he went to England, in 767, as a pupil of Blessed Alcuin of York. He would have stayed there longer than four years had one of his fellow countrymen not killed an English merchant and thus stirred up bad blood against the Netherlands.
In 775, Ludger was sent to revive the work begun by Saint Lebuin at Deventer. It was not until 777 that he was compelled by Gregory's successor Saint Alberic to be ordained priest. Then was stationed at Dokkum, where Saint Boniface had died and from where Ludger took the Gospel to the Frieslanders. For seven years he built churches including the one at Dokkum for which Alcuin wrote some verses for the dedication), destroyed idols, and converted many pagans. Then, in 784, the Saxon leader Widekund invaded, destroying Christian foundations and driving out all the missionaries.
Ludger took the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to Rome and also spent two years at the great Benedictine foundation at Monte Cassino, where he planned the monastery he later established at Werden. There he may have met Charlemagne, perhaps through Alcuin who had passed over to France. Returning to Westphalia in 786, the emperor charged him with the spiritual care of five provinces. Ludger based himself on a place called Mimigerneford, which was later known as Münster because of the abbey founded there, which followed the Rule of Saint Chrodegang of Metz. His gentleness did more to attract the Saxons to Christ than did all the armies of Charlemagne.
He turned down the bishopric of Trier; and later, around 804, when he became the first bishop of Münster, Ludger himself did missionary work in Heligoland and Westphalia. Although he was denounced to Charlemagne for excessive almsgiving to the detriment of the ornamentation of churches, and kept the emperor waiting for an explanation until he had finished his devotions, he did not lose favor with the king.
Although in some pain from his final illness, the saint continued to preach until the very end of his life. In fact, Ludger died while on a preaching tour and was buried at the Benedictine monastery of Werden, on the Ruhr, which he had founded. Most of his relics remain in there. His feast is recorded in liturgical books from the 9th century
Benedictine bishop, founder of Munster, Germany, and counselor of Charlemagne.
ludger of Utrecht,
Also known as Liudger
Feastday: March 26
Birth: 742/744 near Zuilen, Frisia, the Netherlands
Death: 809 died at Billerbeck, Westphalia, Germany
Everything in Ludger's life seems to have worked in favor of his becoming a great man and a saint: a good family, dedicated to the Church; a fine education; a native intelligence and a disposition that won him the affection of all with whom he came in contact. At the age of 14, he met Saint Gregory of Utrecht, who gave him the monastic habit. When he was 24, he was made a deacon; at 34, he was ordained a priest.
Ludger was first taught by Saint Gregory , then he went to England, in 767, as a pupil of Blessed Alcuin of York. He would have stayed there longer than four years had one of his fellow countrymen not killed an English merchant and thus stirred up bad blood against the Netherlands.
In 775, Ludger was sent to revive the work begun by Saint Lebuin at Deventer. It was not until 777 that he was compelled by Gregory's successor Saint Alberic to be ordained priest. Then was stationed at Dokkum, where Saint Boniface had died and from where Ludger took the Gospel to the Frieslanders. For seven years he built churches including the one at Dokkum for which Alcuin wrote some verses for the dedication), destroyed idols, and converted many pagans. Then, in 784, the Saxon leader Widekund invaded, destroying Christian foundations and driving out all the missionaries.
Ludger took the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to Rome and also spent two years at the great Benedictine foundation at Monte Cassino, where he planned the monastery he later established at Werden. There he may have met Charlemagne, perhaps through Alcuin who had passed over to France. Returning to Westphalia in 786, the emperor charged him with the spiritual care of five provinces. Ludger based himself on a place called Mimigerneford, which was later known as Münster because of the abbey founded there, which followed the Rule of Saint Chrodegang of Metz. His gentleness did more to attract the Saxons to Christ than did all the armies of Charlemagne.
He turned down the bishopric of Trier; and later, around 804, when he became the first bishop of Münster, Ludger himself did missionary work in Heligoland and Westphalia. Although he was denounced to Charlemagne for excessive almsgiving to the detriment of the ornamentation of churches, and kept the emperor waiting for an explanation until he had finished his devotions, he did not lose favor with the king.
Although in some pain from his final illness, the saint continued to preach until the very end of his life. In fact, Ludger died while on a preaching tour and was buried at the Benedictine monastery of Werden, on the Ruhr, which he had founded. Most of his relics remain in there. His feast is recorded in liturgical books from the 9th century
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