St. Willibrord, Confessor, First Bishop of Utrecht and Apostle to the Friesians (658-738 A.D.)
Saint Willibrord is the patron saint of The Netherlands. He was also a Benedictine monk and bishop. One biographer describes him as “comely of face, cheerful in spirit, wise in counsel, pleasing in speech, grave in character and energetic in everything he undertook for God.” Willibrord’s apostolate was one of zealous preaching shaped by the psalmody of the Divine Office and by the meditation practice of lectio divina.
MONASTIC TRAINING
Willibrord was born in Northumberland (England) and placed by his pious parents in the monastery of Ripon. There he was educated and formed by St. Wilfrid, founder of the monastery. His father, Wiligris, also retired to a monastery when he was advanced in years and lived as a hermit. Willibrord advanced in learning and piety and made his monastic profession under the Benedictines at a very young age. When he was twenty, in order to intensify his mortifications, he traveled to Ireland and with St. Egbert helped found a monastery. He spent twelve years there studying the sacred sciences and growing spiritually by the most fervent exercise of virtues. Though he was quite sickly, he punished his body severely and outdid all his confreres in penances. Nevertheless he always remained eminently humble, modest, well-disciplined and regular in his conduct.
MISSIONARY WORK
St. Egbert had long wanted to travel to Friesland in order to bring the Gospel to those unhappy lands where barbarism and idolatry still flourished. Yet the demands placed on him by others kept him quite busy in Ireland and Scotland. In his stead, Willibrord traveled to these lands and worked zealously for two years without any success. He returned a failure but St. Egbert refused to abandon this pious dream. The “failure” actually prompted him to greater prayer as he considered the many souls being lost in paganism. Willibrord was then ordained a priest and commissioned once more by St. Egbert to Christianize the Friesians. He was joined on this mission by St. Swidbert and ten other English monks (twelve in total).
After landing in France, and receiving great hospitality by Duke Pepin of Herstal, Willibrord embarked on a pilgrimage to Rome. There he cast himself at the feet of Pope St. Sergius I (687-701) and begged for his apostolic blessing and authority to preach the gospel to idolatrous nations. The saintly pontiff was impressed with his zeal and sanctity. He gave him many relics so as to consecrate churches and set up altars and granted him apostolic authority. Armed with these spiritual powers, Willibrord was filled with trusting confidence and journeyed northward. His companion, St. Swidbert, was also made a bishop and evangelized the lands surrounding Cologne.
For six years, St. Willibrord, under the protection of Pepin, preached with great success among the Friesians in the area controlled by the Franks. Pepin was so impressed that he petitioned the Vicar of Christ that Willibrord be consecrated a bishop. On account of his great humility, Willibrord attempted to evade this episcopal dignity; yet Pope Sergius ordained him Archbishop of the Friesians. In 696, Willibrord set up his See at Utrecht. He quickly began to spread the faith, set up monasteries of men and of women, and saw many conversions in the land. His method of evangelizing was extremely effective. (1) He would ‘plant a cross’ in the land. (2) Around it he would then erect a monastery. (3) Civilization and life would then flourish in the land surrounding the monastery and the barbarians would come to see the beauty and goodness of the Christian faith and embrace it wholeheartedly.
MIRACLES AND CONVERSIONS
One particular convent was devastated by a pestilence and many of the nuns were sick and dying. Willibrord said Holy Mass in their church and blessed water for them; from that moment on the plague ceased and all the ill recovered their health. As Pepin neared his death, Willibrord was able to convince him to put away his concubine, Alpais, and be reconciled with his rightful wife, Plectrudis. Willibrord baptized Charles Martel, son of Pepin and Alpais, and achieved a forgiveness so profound among all the family members that Charles Martel would be able to ascend the throne without any civil unrest. (Charles Martel is one of the founders of the European Middle Ages. He defeated the Moors at the Battle of Tours in 721. He did much to strengthen the papacy and supported St. Boniface. His grandson was the great Charlemagne.)
Not content with his evangelizing efforts. Willibrord traveled east to convert the lands under pagan kings (today Northern Germany, Holland, Luxembourg, Belgium and Denmark). He met much opposition from King Rodbod of Upper Freisland and King Ongend of Denmark. On one of his journeys, the missionary’s ship was driven onto an island named Fositeland, which the pagans of Denmark and Friesland considered sacred to their god, Foiste. No one was to kill an animal on it, to eat any vegetable of fruit that grew there, to draw water from its spring, unless in complete silence. To show them that their false god was a demon without out power before Christ, or at best a non-existent idol, St. Willibrord killed some game to provide food for his companions. Then he baptized three persons in the spring. Hearing him pronounce the words, “I baptize thee…” loudly, the pagans felt sure that he would go mad or drop dead, but of course, nothing happened. The people became confused and doubted their idol: was he being patient? Was he impotent? Or was he nonexistent? King Rodbod was told of this event and in fury ordered that lots be drawn to sacrifice one of the Christians and thus “calm the anger of Foiste.” Although cast nine times, the lot never fell upon Willibrord and instead some of his companions were martyred for Jesus Christ.
For one year, Willibroard was joined by St. Boniface, a fellow Englishmen and Benedictine monk. Their work however was severely hindered by the ongoing war between Pepin and Rodbod. Perhaps following the counsel of Willibroard (certainly his example), Boniface traveled to Rome to seek the apostolic blessing for his endeavors. Pope St. Gregory the Great consecrated Boniface a bishop and sent him back to be the "Apostle of the Germans". The lives of these two great saints intertwined and had many parallels.
After King Rodbod died, St. Willibrord eagerly went ahead converting many pagans with far less secular opposition. Although he was growing old, nothing could stop this apostle. On one occasion, as he preached on the island of Warckeren, he found an idol. The people believed it was very strong and offered sacrifices and made vows to it. Full of holy zeal, Willibrord seized the idol and smashed it to pieces. The pagan priest and guardian of the idol attacked him from behind. With is broadsword he fell blows upon Willibrord, but the Saint remained unharmed. Instead he pardoned the would be assassin and insisted that no one take vengeance on him. Alas, the unhappy man was possessed with a demon and lost all his senses.
A TRUE SHEPHERD
One reason that St. Willibrord was so successful is that he was extremely cautious in admitting men to holy orders. He feared lest an unworthy or slothful minister be sent among the people and by scandal defeat all the good which Divine Providence had wrought for the salvation of souls. St. Willibrord was also very strict in whom he admitted to baptism. He would carefully examine their way of life and question them regarding the tenets of the faith. This was to ensure that no one on account of sloth or ease would profane the Sacred Mysteries, i.e. the Holy Eucharist. (If only bishops today would consider well and heed these lessons.)
Alcuin, a noted biographer of saints, relates a number of miracles performed by Saint Willibrord. On one occasion, Willibrord came with his companions to the house of a friend of his and wished to break the fatigue of the long journey by taking a meal there, but it came to his ears that the head of the house had no wine. He gave orders that four small flasks — all that his companions carried with them for their needs on the journey — should be brought to him. He blessed them in the name of Christ who at the marriage feast of Cana changed water into wine. After Willibrord’s gracious blessing about forty people drank their fill from the small bottles. With great thanksgiving and joyful hearts, they said one to another: "The Lord Jesus has in truth fulfilled His promise in the Gospel: ‘He who believes in me will do the deeds I do, and greater than these shall he do.'”
After fifty years of preaching the gospel, St. Willibrord resigned the administration of the diocese and dedicated himself to teaching at the school he had founded at Utrecht. Although slowed and weakened by old age, Willibrord remained cheerful, wise, devout and full of love for souls, right to the end of his life. He was buried at his monastery of Epternac and his relics remain there to this day.