Saint Alberic of Utrecht, nl, Alberik I van Utrecht, (died 21 August 784) was a
Benedictine monk
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
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, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, found ...
and
bishop of Utrecht
List of bishops and archbishops of the diocese and archdioceses of Utrecht.
Medieval diocese from 695 to 1580
Founders of the Utrecht diocese
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...
, in what is today the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
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, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
.
Life
Alberic was the nephew of
Saint Gregory of Utrecht. Little is known of Alberic before he joined the Order of Saint Benedict.
It is known that he served as
prior
Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some religious orders. The word is derived from the Latin for "earlier" or "first". Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior. In abbeys, a prior would be l ...
of the
Monastery of Saint Martin in Utrecht. When Gregory died in 775, Alberic succeeded his uncle in administering the diocese of Utrecht. He later traveled to Cologne where he was consecrated Bishop of Utrecht.
Alberic strove to deepen the faith of his faithful who still preserved many pagan traditions.
His bishopric was noted for the success of its mission among the pagan
Teutons
The Teutons ( la, Teutones, , grc, Τεύτονες) were an ancient northern European tribe mentioned by Roman authors. The Teutons are best known for their participation, together with the Cimbri and other groups, in the Cimbrian War with th ...
,
as well as the reorganization of the school of Utrecht. In addition, Alberic directed the mission of
Ludger
Ludger ( la, Ludgerus; also Lüdiger or Liudger) (born at Zuilen near Utrecht 742; died 26 March 809 at Billerbeck) was a missionary among the Frisians and Saxons, founder of Werden Abbey and the first Bishop of Münster in Westphalia. He has ...
in
Ostergau.
Alberic was a good friend of
Alcuin
Alcuin of York (; la, Flaccus Albinus Alcuinus; 735 – 19 May 804) – also called Ealhwine, Alhwin, or Alchoin – was a scholar, clergyman, poet, and teacher from York, Northumbria. He was born around 735 and became the student o ...
, a teacher and poet from
York
York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
, England, preeminent among the scholars of that era. This relationship likely speaks to Alberic's own intelligence,
as the saint has been noted for his "encyclopedic knowledge of the faith."
Notes
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Although sources state that Alberic succeeded his uncle to the see of Utrecht, Gregory was not a bishop, but in fact an "administrator," an abbot.
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
in 777.
References
External links
Alberic of Utrecht at ''Patron Saints Index''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alberic Of Utrecht
784 deaths
Bishops of Utrecht
8th-century Frankish bishops
8th-century Christian saints
Medieval Dutch saints
Year of birth unknown
Dutch Benedictines