BL. NILS HERMANSSON, BISHOP OF LINKÖPING - 2 MAY

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MAY

Saints celebrated on the 2nd of May

Prayer to the Angels and the Saints

Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.

In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.

Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.

Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.

BL. NILS HERMANSSON, BISHOP OF LINKÖPING 

⬅️More information about Blessed Nils, Bishop of Linköping

Nicolaus Hermanni (Sanctus Nicolaus (Hermanni), episcopus Lincopensis) in Swedish: Nils Hermansson, bishop of Linköping, born in ca. 1326 and died 1391.

HE WAS RELATED TO ST BRIDGET OF SWEDEN

Born in a family of burghers in Skänninge, Östergötland. Probably on his mother’s side, he was related to Birgitta Birgersdotter, the future Saint Birgitta [Bridget], and was tutor for some of her children. After studies in Paris and Orléans, he obtained the grade of baccalaureus in legibus. 

A DEFENDER OF CHURCH RIGHTS

In 1361, he was archdeacon at Linköping Cathedral, where he distinguished himself as a defender of the liberties of the Church in a turbulent time. In 1374 he was elected Bishop. Due to resistance from King Albert, he was not able to take office in Linköping until October, 1376. 

THE CONSECRATION OF VADSTENA ABBEY

His time was one of restoration for the Linköping Church, with frequent visitations of parishes, standardization of the liturgy, and the consecration of Vadstena abbey in 1384. When he died on May 2, 1391, he was remembered as a saintly person and as the author of offices and liturgical hymns.

MIRACLES AFTER THE HOLY BISHOP'S DEATH

At the tomb of Bishop Nils in Linköping Cathedral, miracles were reported from 1401, and in 1417, a canonisation process was initiated in the form of a processus in partibus (the part of a canonisation process that was held in the saint’s own country) in Vadstena and Linköping. Permission for translation was given by Pope Alexander VI on July 16, 1497, and translation was carried out on February 4, 1515.

Beginning in 1519, the Blessed Nils was commemorated on the first Sunday of May, which was- erroneously -held to be the day of his passing away. In 1520, a decision was made by the Bishop and Cathedral Chapter of Linköping to commemorate the translation of the Blessed Bishop on the Sunday following Septuagesima. 

(Source: Anders Fröjmark, Wikihost.uib.no -

https://wikihost.uib.no/medieval/index.php/Sanctus_Nicolaus_(Hermanni),_episcopus_Lincopensis)