Saint of March 26: San Ludgero. Catholic Santoral

Today, March 26, we remember San Ludgero, a great missionary of the Europe of the Middle Ages. He is known as the great evangelizer of the frisios peoples (Netherlands) and Saxons (Germany); He was the founder of the Werden Abbey and the first bishop of Münster, Westfalia (Germany).

His life was characterized by the delivery and dedication put at the service of the announcement of the Gospel among the European pagans of his time, and for the impulse he gave to the foundation of monasteries, churches and schools. Today he is venerated in a special way in Holland, Denmark and Germany.

Evangelizing impulse

Ludgero – sometimes “Lüdiger” or “Liudger” – was born in Frisia around 745, within a noble family. He lived in the times of Charlemagne and the expansion of the Carolingian Empire, produced between 772 and 804.

Those were days when Christianity was also in the process of expansion, especially in the regions belonging to the so -called “Germania Magna”, Roman province founded centuries before by Julio César. This province was located between the Rin and Elba rivers.

It is often said that the evangelization of those lands had two great impulses: the first, headed by St. Bonifacio -the great evangelizer of Germany -; and the second, driven by San Ludgero.

Our saint lived for a while in the British Isles with the aim of forming, becoming a disciple of the famous theologian Alcuino de York. In 777 he was ordered priest in Colonia (Germany) and then sent to his homeland, Frisia, as a missionary.

Missionary of grace in freedom

His work there was marked by a spirit of respect and freedom, unlike other evangelizing efforts of the time. Precisely for that reason, tradition suggests that San Ludgero was very successful, achieving the conversion of many people.

Ludgero’s pastoral attitude was considered exemplary and a strong counterpoint to the way of acting from Charlemagne, who in his attempt to expand Christianity succumbed more than once to the use of force.

Some time later, he would make a trip to the Benedictine Abbey of Montecasino, located to the south of Rome, with the desire to get away from the conflict between the Carlomagne forces and his main Saxon opponent, the Widukind warrior. There he would remain for a long period, until Charlemagne went personally to ask him to return to Frisia and continue the preaching.

The emperor also wanted Ludgero to assume the episcopate of Trveris, whose headquarters was vacant. With that idea in mind, he asked the Pope to name Ludgero. Unfortunately, the saint did not accept the proposal and returned to Frisia as a simple missionary.

Back in his land, he erected a monastery in the territory where the city of Münster is located today, at that time belonging to the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Colonia.

In 804 he was appointed Bishop of Münster and five years later he died, on March 26, 809. Today his remains rest in Werden, a place that has become a destination of hundreds of pilgrims and devotees. The Roman martyrology points out that his apostolic work was very fruitful because he knew how to congenize preaching, prayer and action.