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
The Frisians are a Germanic ethnic group native to the coastal regions of the Netherlands and northwestern Germany. They inhabit an area known as Frisia and are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen and, in Germany, ...
Bishop of Münster
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
Ludger's parents, Thiadgrim and Liafburg, were wealthy Christian Frisians of noble descent. In 753 Ludger saw the great Apostle of Germany, Boniface, which, together with the subsequent martyrdom of the saint, made a deep impression on him. At his own request he was sent to the Utrecht Cathedral School (''Martinsstift''), founded by
Gregory of Utrecht
Gregory of Utrecht ( 700/705 – August 25, 776) was born of a noble family at Trier.
in 756 or 757, and made good progress. In 767 Gregory, who did not wish to receive episcopal consecration himself, sent Alubert, who had come from England to assist him in his missionary work, to York to be consecrated bishop. Ludger accompanied him to be ordained into the diaconate (as he duly was, by 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.Mershman, Francis. "St. Ludger." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 24 January 2020
In 772 friction arose between the Anglo-Saxons and the Frisians, and Ludger - for the sake of his personal safety - left for home, taking with him a number of valuable books. He remained in the ''Martinsstift'' until the death of Gregory in 775, in honour of whose memory he wrote the biography ''Vita Gregorii''. He was then sent to
Deventer
Deventer (; Sallands: ) is a city and municipality in the Salland historical region of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands. In 2020, Deventer had a population of 100,913. The city is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, bu ...
to restore the chapel destroyed by the
pagan
Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
Saxons and to find the relics of Lebuinus, who had worked there as missionary, built the chapel, and died there in c. 775. Ludger succeeded, and returned to teach in the ''Martinsstift'', after which he and others were sent north to destroy pagan places of worship west of the
Lauwers Zee
Lauwersmeer () is a man-made lake in the north of the Netherlands, on the border of the provinces of Groningen and Friesland. The lake was formed on 23 May 1969, when the dike between the bay called Lauwers Sea and the Wadden Sea was closed. It is ...
.
The Netherlands
After Ludger had been ordained at Cologne on 7 July 777, the missions of ''
Ostergau
Eastergoa (also Ostergau, Ostergo, or Oostergo) was one of the seven areas and one of the three '' Gaue'' within what is today the province of Friesland in the Netherlands.
Area
On its west side Eastergoa was bordered by the Middelsee with ...
'' (or ''Ostracha'', i.e.,
East Frisia
East Frisia or East Friesland (german: Ostfriesland; ; stq, Aastfräislound) is a historic region in the northwest of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is primarily located on the western half of the East Frisian peninsula, to the east of West 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.
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
The ''Rule of Saint Benedict'' ( la, Regula Sancti Benedicti) is a book of precepts written in Latin in 516 by St Benedict of Nursia ( AD 480–550) for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot.
The spirit of Saint Benedict's Ru ...
, but did not bind himself by vows.Duffy, Patrick/ "St Ludger of Münster (742-809)", Catholic Ireland, March 26, 2012 /ref> 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
skald
A skald, or skáld (Old Norse: , later ; , meaning "poet"), is one of the often named poets who composed skaldic poetry, one of the two kinds of Old Norse poetry, the other being Eddic poetry, which is anonymous. Skaldic poems were traditionally ...
s, cured his blindness, and made him a devout Christian.
Westphalia and Saxony
In 793 Charlemagne wished to make Ludger
Bishop of Trier
The Diocese of Trier, in English historically also known as ''Treves'' (IPA "tɾivz") from French ''Trèves'', is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic church in Germany.St. Ludger's Abbey at
Helmstedt
Helmstedt (; Eastphalian: ''Helmstidde'') is a town on the eastern edge of the German state of Lower Saxony. It is the capital of the District of Helmstedt. The historic university and Hanseatic city conserves an important monumental heritage of ...
was founded as part of his missionary activity in this part of Germany. To meet necessary expenses the income of the Abbey of Leuze, in the present Belgian province of 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 Münster. Here he lived with his monks according to the rule of Saint Chrodegang of Metz, which in 789 had been made obligatory in the Frankish territories. He also built a chapel on the left bank of the Aa in honour of the
Blessed Virgin
Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
, as well as the churches of Billerbeck,
Coesfeld
Coesfeld (; Westphalian: ''Koosfeld'') is the capital of the district of Coesfeld in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
History
Coesfeld received its city rights in 1197, but was first recorded earlier than that in the biography of St ...
, 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, Shea, John Dawson Gilmary. “Saint Ludger, Bishop”. ''Pictorial Lives of the Saints'', 1889. CatholicSaints.Info. 6 February 2014 /ref> 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
Hildebold (died 3 September 818) was the Bishop of Cologne from 787 until 795 and the first Archbishop of Cologne thereafter.
A friend of Charlemagne, in 791 Hildebold was made the archchaplain and chancellor of the Imperial Council. At the req ...
, 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.Butler, Alban. "St. Ludger, Bishop of Munster", ''Lives of the Saints'' /ref>
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.
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.
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. “Saint Ludger”. New Catholic Dictionary. CatholicSaints.Info. 11 August 2018 /ref>
Ludger is represented either as a bishop holding a church and a book or as standing between two geese (occasionally described as swans). His
feast day
The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...
is celebrated on 26 March.
References
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 742-809 998 pp 22–42
* Buhlmann, Michael: ''Liudger und Karl der Große'', in: Ich verkünde euch Christus. St. Liudger, Zeuge des Glaubens 742-809
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*001, fictional British agent, see 00 Agent
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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 742-809 002 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
005
''005'' is a 1981 arcade game by Sega. They advertised it as the first of their RasterScan Convert-a-Game series, designed so that it could be changed into another game in minutes "at a substantial savings". It is one of the first examples of a ...
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
* Stühlmeyer, Barbara: ''Das Liudgeroffizium des Benediktinerklosters Essen Werden (Transkription und Analyse)''. In: ''Die Gesänge der Hildegard von Bingen. Eine musikologische, theologische und kulturhistorische Untersuchung''. Phil.Diss., Hildesheim: Olms, 2003, .
* Barbara Stühlmeyer: ''Liudger, ein Friese, der die Welt verändert''. In: ''Karfunkel. Zeitschrift für erlebbare Geschichte'', 61, 2005, S. 107-110, ISSN 0944-2677.
* Stühlmeyer, Ludger: ''Handschriften im Vergleich: Das Ludgerusoffizium des 12. Jh. in der Abtei Gerleve''. In: ''Curia sonans. Die Musikgeschichte der Stadt Hof. Eine Studie zur Kultur Oberfrankens. Von der Gründung des Bistums Bamberg bis zur Gegenwart''. Phil.Diss., Bamberg: Bayerische Verlagsanstalt, Heinrichs-Verlag 2010, .