Ludger

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For the British company, see Ludger Limited. For other people, see Ludger (name).
Saint

Ludger
Werden, Germany

Ludger (

Bishop of Münster in Westphalia. He has been called the "Apostle of Saxony".[1]

Early life to ordination

Ludger's parents, Thiadgrim and Liafburg, were wealthy Christian Frisians of noble descent. In 753 Ludger saw the great Apostle of

Ethelbert of York) and to study under Alcuin, but after a year he returned to Utrecht. Some time later he was granted an opportunity to continue his studies at York, when he developed a friendship with Alcuin which lasted throughout life.[2]

In 772 friction arose between the

Lauwers Zee.[2]

The Netherlands

After Ludger had been ordained at

Ostergau (or Ostracha, i.e., East Frisia) were committed to his charge, of which missions Dokkum, the place of the martyrdom of Boniface, was made the centre. Every autumn however he came back to Utrecht to teach at the cathedral school. He worked in this way for about seven years, until Widukind in 784 persuaded the Frisians to drive out the missionaries, burn the churches, and return to the pagan gods.[2]

Ludger heals Frisian singer Bernlef from his blindness (statue at Lochem, Gelderland, The Netherlands).

Ludger escaped with his disciples, and in 785 visited Rome, where he was well received by Pope Adrian I, who gave him much advice and special faculties. From Rome he went to Monte Cassino, where he lived according to the Rule of Saint Benedict, but did not bind himself by vows.[3] The news of Widukind's submission, and the arrival of Charlemagne at Monte Cassino in 787, put an end to Ludger's peaceful retirement. He was appointed missionary to five districts east of the river Lauwers, around the estuaries of the Hunze, the Fivel, and the Ems, which were still occupied almost entirely by pagans. He began his work armed with characteristic energy and faith in God, and had a significant advantage in that he knew the language and habits of the people, and put this knowledge to good use in achieving their conversion.

He worked in many places: the island of Bant, long since sunk beneath the sea, is mentioned as the scene of his apostolic work. He visited Heligoland (Fossitesland), where Willibrord had preached, where he destroyed the remains of paganism and built a Christian church. The well, formerly sacred to the pagan gods, he re-dedicated as his baptismal font. On his return he met the blind bard Bernlef, last of the Frisian skalds, allegedly cured his blindness, and made him a devout Christian.[3]

Westphalia and Saxony

In 793 Charlemagne wished to make Ludger

Hainaut
, was given him, and he was told to pick his fellow-workers from the members of that abbey.

As Mimigernaford (also Mimigardeford or Miningarvard) had been designated the centre of the new district, Ludger built a monastery for canons regular there, from which the place took the name of

Hersfeld, Nottuln and others. Near the church of Nottuln he built a home for his sister, Gerburgis, who had consecrated herself to God. Many other women soon joined her, and so originated the first convent in Westphalia (c. 803). Better known among his foundations, however, is the abbey at Werden,[4] founded (after an abortive attempt to establish a religious house at Wichmond on the Erft
) in c. 800 and consecrated in 804, on ground which Ludger himself had acquired, in fulfilment of his desire, formed since his stay at Monte Cassino, to found a Benedictine house.

Later life

Alcuin recommended him to Charlemagne, who had

Hildebold, Archbishop of Cologne, consecrate Ludger as bishop of Munster on 30 March 805. Ludger's principal concern was to have a good and efficient clergy. To a great extent he educated his students personally, and generally took some of them on his missionary tours. He also founded the monastery of Helmstad, afterwards called Ludger-Clooster, or Ludger's Cloister, in the duchy of Brunswick.[5]

It was said of him that his peaceful methods were far more effective in promoting Christianity than the aggressive tactics of Charlemagne. He was criticised during his life for spending money on alms that should have gone towards the ornamentation of his churches. He suffered thereby, but was able to convince Charlemagne that this was no fault.[5]

Death and relics

On Passion Sunday 809, Ludger heard Mass at Coesfeld early in the morning and preached, then went to Billerbeck, where at 9:00 he again preached, and said his last Mass. That evening he died peacefully in the company of his followers, at the age of sixty-six.[1]

A dispute arose between Münster and Werden for the possession of his remains. His brother

Hildegrim was appealed to, and after consultation with the emperor
, decided in favour of Werden, where the relics still remain. Portions have, however, since been brought to Münster and Billerbeck.

Veneration

The successive Vitae, beginning with the serious contemporary biographical work of Altfrid and passing through the Vita Secunda and Vita Tertia to the Libellus Monasteriensis de miraculis sancti Liudgeri (The Little Book of Münster on the Miracles of Saint Ludger) of c. 1170, demonstrate the growth of the legend. Votive practice in Münster seems to have focused on a very large and elaborate cross containing a number of relics of the saint. The cult seems to have remained mostly local, and largely to have faded in the later Middle Ages. He is the patron saint of Werden, East Frisia, and Deventer.[6]

Ludger is represented either as a bishop holding a church and a book

feast day
is celebrated on 26 March.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saint Liudger.

References

  1. ^ a b c Monks of Ramsgate. “Ludger”. Book of Saints, 1921. CatholicSaints.Info. 9 November 2014Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. ^ a b c Mershman, Francis. "St. Ludger." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 24 January 2020Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ a b c Duffy, Patrick/ "St Ludger of Münster (742-809)", Catholic Ireland, March 26, 2012
  4. ^ Shea, John Dawson Gilmary. “Saint Ludger, Bishop”. Pictorial Lives of the Saints, 1889. CatholicSaints.Info. 6 February 2014Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. ^ a b Butler, Alban. "St. Ludger, Bishop of Munster", Lives of the SaintsPublic Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. ^ a b “Saint Ludger”. New Catholic Dictionary. CatholicSaints.Info. 11 August 2018

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "St. Ludger". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

Sources

This article includes some information from the German Wikipedia (mostly in German):

  • Börsting, Heinrich, Borger, Hugo, Elbern, Victor H.: Sankt Liudger 809-1959. Gedenkschrift zum 1150. Todestage des Heiligen, Essen-Werden 1959
  • Börsting, Heinrich and Schröder, Alois (eds): Liudger und sein Erbe, 2 vols (= Westfalia Sacra, Bd.1-2), Münster 1948-1950
  • Boser: Am Grabe des hl. Ludger (Münster, 1908).
  • Buhlmann, Michael: Liudger an der Ruhr, in: Ich verkünde euch Christus. St. Liudger, Zeuge des Glaubens 742-809 [1998], pp 22–42
  • Buhlmann, Michael: Liudger und Karl der Große, in: Ich verkünde euch Christus. St. Liudger, Zeuge des Glaubens 742-809 [2001], pp 5–48
  • Buhlmann, Michael: Liudger in den Münsteraner Chroniken des Mittelalters und der frühen Neuzeit, in: Ich verkünde euch Christus. St. Liudger, Zeuge des Glaubens 742-809 [2002], pp 76–100
  • Buhlmann, Michael: Liudger und sein bischöfliches Wirken in der Zeit. Sächsischer Missionsbezirk und Münsteraner Bistum Liudgers in der Kirchenorganisation des karolingischen Frankenreichs, in: Seid Zeugen des Glaubens [2005], pp 55–89
  • Diekamp, Wilhelm (ed): Die Vitae sancti Liudgeri (= Die Geschichtsquellen des Bistums Münster, Bd.4), Münster 1881
  • Ficker, Julius (ed): Die Münsterischen Chroniken des Mittelalters (= Die Geschichtsquellen des Bistums Münster, Bd.1), Münster 1859
  • Freise, Eckhard: Vom vorchristlichen Mimigernaford zum "honestum monasterium" Liudgers, in: Geschichte der Stadt Münster, ed F-J Jakobi, Bd.1: Von den Anfängen bis zum Ende des Fürstbistums, Münster, 3rd ed, 1994, pp 1–51
  • Freise, Eckhard (ed): Liudger, in: Lexikon des Mittelalters, vol 5, Sp.2038
  • Gerchow, Jan (ed): Das Jahrtausend der Mönche. KlosterWelt - Werden 799-1803 (exhibition catalogue), Essen-Köln 1999
  • Kaus, Eberhard: Zu den Liudger-Viten des 9. Jahrhunderts, Westfälische Zeitung, 142 (1992), pp 9–55
  • Levison, W: England and the Continent in the Eighth Century (1946)
  • Löwe, Heinz: Liudger als Zeitkritiker, in: HJb 74 (1955), pp 79–91
  • Pingsmann: Der hl. Ludgerus (Freiburg, 1879)
  • Revue Bénédictine, III, 107; VII, 412
  • Schrade, H: Die vita des hl Liudger und ihre Bilder (1960)
  • Senger, Basilius (ed): Liudger in seiner Zeit. Altfrid über Liudger. Liudgers Erinnerungen, Münster, 4th ed, 1986
  • Stadler: Heiligenlexikon
  • ISBN 3-487-11845-9
    .
  • Barbara Stühlmeyer: Liudger, ein Friese, der die Welt verändert. In: Karfunkel. Zeitschrift für erlebbare Geschichte, 61, 2005, S. 107-110, ISSN 0944-2677.
  • ISBN 978-3-89889-155-4
    .

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saint Ludger.
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