Winibald (Winebald, Winnibald, Wunebald, Wynbald) (c. 702 - 18 December 761) was abbot of the Benedictine double monastery of

Heidenheim am Hahnenkamm Heidenheim () is a municipality in the Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen district, in Bavaria, Germany. Heidenheim is an old German market town, which resides in the administrative region of Middle Franconia in the middle of Bavaria. It belongs to the ru ...

. Traditionally, he is called the brother of Willibald and Walpurga.

Life

Winibald's father was a West Saxon nobleman, Richard the Pilgrim and his mother was

Wuna of Wessex Wuna of Wessex (also known as Wunna, Winna, Wina, and Bonna) was a 7th and 8th-century Anglo-Saxon noblewoman and Christian saint. The name Wuna means "The Joyful One". Her actual name is unknown, but she has been called Wuna since the Middle A ...

. Willibald was his brother. With his father and brother he made a pilgrimage to Rome around the year 721. His father died in Italy.Mershman, Francis. "Sts. Willibald and Winnebald." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 24 Apr. 2019 In Rome, they fell ill, possibly with malaria, although Hygeburg says it was the Black Plague. Once recovered, Willibord continued to the Holy Land, while Winebald, who from his childhood did not have a strong constitution, remained at Rome, to recover and study. In 730, Winibald returned to England and engaged a third brother and several amongst his kindred and acquaintance to accompany him in his journey back to Rome to begin a monastic life there.Stevens, Clifford. ''The One Year Book of Saints'', OSV Publishing
/ref> Around 737, Boniface visited Rome. By this time Willibald had returned from his travels, and had become a monk at Monte Cassino. Boniface recruited both nephews for the German mission. Willibald was ordained and based in Eichstätt. Boniface received a promise that Winnebald would go to Germany. Winibald arrived in Thuringia on 30 November, 740, and was ordained priest. He was placed in charge of seven churches, including one at

Erfurt Erfurt () is the capital and largest city in the Central German state of Thuringia. It is located in the wide valley of the Gera river (progression: ), in the southern part of the Thuringian Basin, north of the Thuringian Forest. It sits in ...

. Winibald established a monastery in

Schwanfeld Schwanfeld is a municipality in the Schweinfurt district in Bavaria, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and t ...

, but in 742 transferred it to Heidenheim, where the brothers founded a double monastery for the training of priests and as a center of learning. Winibald became the first abbot.Stanton, Richard. ''A Menology of England and Wales'', Burns & Oates, 1892, p. 602
/ref> Winibald took part in the Concilium Germanicum, in 742, and subscribed Pepin's donation to Fulda in 753. In 762, he joined the League of Attigny, a confraternity of prayer established by Chrodegang, Archbishop of Metz. All this the saint accomplished in spite of continual illness, which prevented him from ending his life at Monte Cassino as he had hoped. Winibald died at Heidenheim on December 18, 761.

Veneration

Winebald's feast day is December 18. In art, he is portrayed as an abbot with a bricklayer's trowel. He is a patron saint of construction workers. Adelbert of Heidenheim wrote a biography of him in the 12th century.

References

External links

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Saints of December 18
{{Authority control 8th-century Christian saints 761 deaths West Saxon saints Incorrupt saints Year of birth unknown