St Willibrord (AD 658-739) was bishop, missionary and is patron of the Benelux countries. Willibrord, from Northumbria in present day UK, was trained and ordained a priest abroad in Ireland. In Ireland he made many Irish contacts for future missions on mainland Europe. Willibrord was one of the first missionaries to the Benelux countries, (the Netherlands and Luxemburg to be more precise).
Willibrord was an anglo saxon, from Yorkshire and recieved his Catholic education after being weened from his Mother. St Wilfrid at Ripon was his teacher and guide. Wilfrid, was a leading light at the Synod of Whitby, A.D. 664, promoting the roman rite over the Celtic traditions, and over the Celtic Easter. Willibrord was professed at fifteen and in 678 he was sent to Rath Melsigi in Ireland for further studies and formation. Rath Melsigi was an important monastic settlement in Ireland for the Anglo-Saxons. After twelve years in Ireland, Willibrord was ordained priest in 690, and he then immediately returned to England.
Missionary priest
After some time, Willibrord set out for Iona in Scotland, to promote the use of the roman rite among the people of what was then the Dal Riada kingdom. From there, with a band of monks they all went to Frisia which is in present day Netherlands. In Frisia they were well received by Pepin of Herstal, duke and prince of the Franks.
Mission mandate of Pope Sergius I
Before he began his mission in Frisia, Willibrord went to Rome to obtain approval from Pope Sergius I, for his mission and to take with him some relics for the future new churches to be. Willibrord’s mission was a success and in 695, with Pepin’s recommendation, he was consecrated in Rome as the archbishop of the Frisians.
A new monastic centre at Echternach
In 701 Willibrord established a new missionary monastery at Echternach in Luxemburg. He did this with the help of some monks from Ireland. This centre became an important library and scriptorium in the Frankish empire. Duke Pepin died in 714, to be succeeded by a pagan Frisian prince Radbod, who drove Willibrord out of Frisia for a time, until Radbod died in 719.
Method in his missionary madness
Willibrord’s missionary methods worked like this… In Denmark he bought thirty slave-boys to bring up as Christians. In Heligoland he discarded a pagan custom, of drawing water with the strictest silence, for Willibrord baptised three persons at the well, in full voice.
The Saint’s influence after his death
Willibrord died in his early eighties at his monastery at Echternach. He became venerated as a saint and pilgrims came to his grave. An annual dancing procession takes place in Echternach on Whit Tuesday to honour St. Willibrord. Professor Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, of the NUIG university in Galway in the west of Ireland, believes there is a connection through Willibrord, between Irish and Echternach manuscripts and also a connection between the dancing procession in Ethernach and an influence of Irish dancing.
The church universal celebrates St. Willibrord on the 7th of November
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