St. Ulrich (893-973), Confessor and Bishop of Augsburg (Bavaria, Germany) He holds the distinction of being the first saint to be canonized.
Augsburg was founded in 15 BC by Drusus and Tiberius as Augusta Vindelicorum, upon the orders of their stepfather, Emperor Augustus. The garrison grew and quickly became the capital of the Roman province of Raetia. This city was situated at the convergence of the Apline rivers Lech and Wertach and had direct access to the most important Alpine passes. Lying at the intersection of major travel routes, it naturally became a very important city. For over five hundred years it remained a "Free Imperial City." Among all the major German cities in existence today, Augsburg is the oldest.
HE LIVES; A MIRACLE!
St. Ulrich was the son of Count Hucbald and Countess Thietberga, a daughter of one of the first dukes of Germania Superior (the mountainous terrain of Southern Germany known as Swabia). Upon his birth, in 893 near Zurich, a holy virgin and hermit named Guiborate foretold that he would one day be a bishop and meet with severe trials. She exhorted his parents to train him in courage and constancy so as to overcome them. Yet Ulrich had a very weak and delicate constitution. All who knew him were certain his life would be short and the sickly child would soon succumb to terminal illness. His parents sent him to live and learn at the nearby abbey of St. Gal. By following a regularity of life, preserving temperance and exercising discipline, Ulrich grew steadily healthier. The physicians were amazed for the knew of no medical art which could have achieved such results. His recovery was generally considered miraculous.
EPISCOPAL TUTORS
As he advanced in age, Ulrich made great progress in sincere piety and the secular and theological sciences. He was considered by many a 'genius.' Yet it was his innocence, sweetness of temper, modesty and manners that most charmed the good monks. Count Hucbald then moved his son to Augsburg and put him under the tutelage of Adalberon, bishop of that great city. After serving the bishop and learning from him, he was raised to first Orders and made a canon of the cathedral. Prayer and study filled his days and the poor had the greatest share of his revenues. While he was on pilgrimage to Rome, his bishop suddenly died and was succeeded by Hiltin. That bishop likewise saw saintly virtue, great wisdom, and excellent leadership in Ulrich. Thus he took over and continued his training. Ulrich, for his part, devoted himself primarily to advancing in humility and mortification. He especially shunned every possible shadow of temptation, especially with regards to purity. It was his usual saying to others, "Take away the fuel, and you take away the flame."
A TRUE APOSTOLIC SUCCESSOR
When Hiltin died (924 AD), Henry the Fowler, king of Germany, nominated Ulrich to the bishopric of Augsburg. Ulrich was only 31 years old. Shortly after his episcopal consecration on the Feast of the Holy Innocents (Dec 28), the Hungarians and Sclavonians pillaged his country, murdered the holy recluse St. Guiborate, plundered Augsburg and burnt down the cathedral. The new bishop wasted no time. He promptly built a new, though small, cathedral, and gathered all his people for prayer, vigils, and Holy Mass. With such an excellent shepherd, the people received the instruction, comfort and relief - temporal and spiritual - that they so desperately needed. Soon happy times returned and the people felt all their suffering had well been worth the reward of reaping such a holy pastor.
In those days, bishops had many secular duties and some bishops quite forgot their true religious duties. Ulrich was just the opposite. He would excuse himself from the royal court explaining that a bishop had to be in his diocese with his people. The collection of funds and caring for troops he entrusted to a nephew. Instead, he rose every day at three in the morning to assist with his canons at matins and at lauds. He would spend the morning in prayer, and after his Mass, he would visit the hospital, wash the feet of twelve sick persons, and minister to the poor. The rest of the day was spent in preaching, instruction, and the other duties of a vigilant pastor. In the evening, he took his one frugal meal. His table was always open to the poor and he magnanimously shared his food with them, giving them the lion's share. He would never eat meat, though he would provide it for his guests (except on days of fast). He slept but a few hours and never on a bed or with linen, only upon straw. Each year he made it a point to visit every corner of his diocese. He held a synod with his clergy twice a year. During Lent, he would intensify his already austere mortifications and penances.
St. Ulrich did much to improve the low education, weak morals and immoral conditions of his local clergy. He increased their training and raised their standards. He performed canonical visits and reformed the existing schools of theology. He also rebuilt decayed churches and monasteries. He made two pilgrimages to Rome in order to obtain relics for the sacred temples he was constructing. He even received imperial permission to mint his own coin in Augsburg.
ST. ULRICH AND THE FISH
St. Ulrich is often depicted holding a fish on account of the following miracle. He was once visiting with St. Conrad of Constance. As they walked their conversation over heavenly things became so engaging that they completely lost track of time and forgot to eat their meal. By the time they thought of their hunger it was well past midnight and was now a Friday - a day of abstinence. Now Ulrich never touched meat, but the picnic that had been prepared for them held the verboten sustenance. The two saints blessed their meager meal and the meat suddenly turned into fish!
CIVIL WAR
When King Henry died, he was succeeded by Otho I. His illegitimate son, Luitolf the Duke of Swabia, led a rebellion to claim the throne. Ulrich of course declared Augsburg for the true king. The rebels in return harassed and plundered his diocese. On several occasions, Ulrich's life was in grave danger and only through the protection of Divine Providence did her emerge alive from these terrible ordeals. Yet when Otho finally defeated the rebels before the walls of Ratisborn, it was Ulrich who pleaded with the king to pardon his son and the rest of the rebels. Otho could not refuse a request from such a holy man and peace was restored without further vengeance or acts of retaliation.
[column size="2-3" last="0"]FOREIGN INVASION
Throughout these years, the barbaric Magyars (Hungarians) remained a constant threat. In response, Ulrich built up strong walls around Augsburg and erected several fortresses to protect his people. When the Hungarians launched another major invasion, they found Augsburg a far more difficult conquest than before. They had to contend themselves with laying siege to the city. Then like Moses of old, St. Ulrich did not cease to pray and intercede for his people. He led them in daily processions and numerous devotions. God heard his prayers. Without any possible explanation, the Hungarians were seized with fear and in a panic fled in confusion. Their retreat was met by Otho I who cut them down at the Battle of Lechfeld (10 August 1955) and secured Germany for Christendom once more. In 962 the pope crowned Otho as Holy Roman Emperor and St. Ulrich assisted. Otho was of course always very thankful to Ulrich for helping him to victory in these various wars.[/column]
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A GOLDEN AGE IN HIS GOLDEN YEARS
St. Ulrich then beautifully rebuilt the cathedral of Augsburg and dedicated it to St. Afra, the celebrated patroness of Augsburg who was martyred in that city during the Roman persecutions of Emperor Diocletian. Under his wise and solicitous leadership, the people of Augsburg enjoyed many years of peace and prosperity. In his advanced age, Ulrich greatly desired to resign his office and retire to the monastery of St. Gal. However the local populace would not allow their beloved shepherd to leave them. Instead, he made another pilgrimage to Rome and was received with great honor by both the Pope in Rome and the Emperor and his wife in Ravenna.
Following the death of Emperor Otho I (May 973), Ulrich's health declined sharply. When he was too old and weak to say Mass, angels would come from Heaven to assist him. During his final sickness, he redoubled his pious fervor. In his final agony, he commanded his assitants to lay him on the floor upon blessed ashes strewn in the form of a cross and sprinkled with holy water. In this posture he died, amidst his clergy praying the Divine Office, on 4 July 973. He was eighty years old and had been bishop of Augsburg for over fifty years. He was buried in the church of St. Afra.
VENERATION
St. Ulrich's sanctity was attested by many miracles and he was canonized by Pope John XV in 993. Bishop Gerard of Augsburg wrote down the life of St. Ulrich for future generations. The church of St. Afra was renamed St. Ulrich and a smaller church attached to it, sharing a wall, continued with the name of St. Afra.
St. Ulrich had a great devotion to the holy souls and daily prayed the Office of the Dead. In honor of their great bishop's piety, this church was dedicated as a diocesan site to holds the records of the dead. Large volumes list the names of those who have died. Each day the page is turned and one can behold centuries of history in the register of the dead. Daily Mass and prayers are still offered there each day for all those citizens of Augsburg who died on that particular day.
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Sadly, during the Protestant Revolution, many churches fell to the heretics. In order to prevent increased bloodshed a compromise was often reached where one church would be preserved by Catholics and the other building taken over by Protestants. Thus today St. Ulrich Church remains Catholic but St. Afra is owned by the Lutherans. Nevertheless, pilgrims today can still visit the underground crypt of St. Ulrich, witness his likeness, offer their prayers, and assist at Holy Mass, which is frequently offered over remains of the great patron saint of Augsburg.
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