Saint Fulrad (french: Fulrade; la, Fulradus) was born in 710 into a wealthy family, and died on July 16, 784 as the

Abbot of Saint-Denis This is a list of abbots and grand priors of the Basilica of Saint-Denis. This list is drawn mostly from Félicie d'Ayzac, ''Histoire de Saint-Denys'' (Paris, 1861), Vol. 1, pp. cxxiii–cxxxi. Abbots For the first part of this list, dates may ...

Bunson and Bunson 2003, pp.345. He was the counselor of both

Pippin Pippin or Pepin may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Pippin (comics), ''Pippin'' (comics), a children's comic produced from 1966 to 1986 * Pippin (musical), ''Pippin'' (musical), a Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz loosely based on the life ...

and

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first E ...

. Historians see Fulrad as important due to his significance in the rise of the Frankish Kingdom, and the insight he gives into early

Carolingian The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippi ...

society.DeLeeuw 1995, pp.431. He was noted to have been always on the side on

, especially during the attack from the

Saxons The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

on Regnum Francorum (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

for

Frankia ''Frankia'' is a genus of nitrogen-fixing bacteria that live in symbiosis with actinorhizal plants, similar to the ''Rhizobium'' bacteria found in the root nodules of legumes in the family Fabaceae. ''Frankia'' also initiate the forming of root ...

), and the Royal Mandatum (a royal official of the Carolingian administrative

hierarchy A hierarchy (from Greek: , from , 'president of sacred rites') is an arrangement of items (objects, names, values, categories, etc.) that are represented as being "above", "below", or "at the same level as" one another. Hierarchy is an important ...

). Other historians have taken a closer look at Fulrad's interactions with the

papacy The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

. When Fulrad was the counselor of Pepin he was closely in contact with the papacy to gain approval for Pepin's appointment as King of the Franks. During his time under Charlemagne, he had dealings with the papacy again for different reasons.Bachrach 2013, pp.457. When he became Abbot of Saint-Denis in the mid-eighth century, Fulrad's life became important in the lives of distinct historical figures in various ways. Saint Fulrad's

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 do ...

is on July 16.

Biography

In 710 Fulrad was born in

Alsace Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...

.Butler and Burns 2000, pp.129. He joined the

abbey of Saint-Denis The Basilica of Saint-Denis (french: Basilique royale de Saint-Denis, links=no, now formally known as the ) is a large former medieval abbey church and present cathedral in the commune of Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. The building ...

, and in 750 he was elected its abbot. With his new position, Fulrad increased the size of the abbey with his inheritance from his parents; as well he retook the land stolen from the abbey by

Charles Martel Charles Martel ( – 22 October 741) was a Frankish political and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was the de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death. He was a son of the Frankish statesm ...

. Fulrad took full advantage of his position to increase his “reach as a leader”.Bolgia, McKitterick, and Osborne 2011, pp.137. Fulrad founded new monasteries and operated them himself in the beginning; the monasteries were located in Alsace-Lorraine and Alemannia. Each monastery had

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...

, which made them

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

destinations; Fulrad profited from them with the taking some of the money that travelers placed on the collection near the saint's relic; however “as abbot of Saint-Denis, Fulrad’s personal property also belonged to the monastery he led”. With the new monasteries and them being popular pilgrimage destinations, Fulrad asked Pope Stephan II to have a “cloister” bishop in order to provide the pastoral services he was now unable to do at his other monasteries. As abbot, his main priority was to take care and be at the head of Saint-Denis abbey; that is why he was granted the bishop to take care of his other monasteries. With the position Fulrad had, he advised Frankish bishops; and would go on to have a higher role in the church as a “quasi-bishop”. Fulrad never became bishop, however he did climb up the ladder of the

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