Skip to main content

ST WOLBODO, BISHOP OF LIEGE - 21 APRIL

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN APRIL

Saints celebrated on the 21st of April

WELCOME!

SAINT WOLBODO, BISHOP OF LIEGE

Saint Wolbodo (Volbodo), commemorated on April 21 and April 30, was Bishop of Liège (Lüttich). He rests in the St Lawrence Church in Liège. Wolbodo, who is also referred to as "Blessed Wolbodo", was of born in Flanders of noble family and was probably educated by pious monks in Utrecht. An excellent student, Wolbodo later became Magister scholarum and soon also provost at Utrecht Cathedral. Emperor Henry II, the saint, counted him among his friends and made him his court chaplain. When the episcopal see of Liège became vacant due to Baldrich's death in 1017, Wolbodo was appointed his successor, and consecrated by Archbishop Heribert of Cologne. 

As bishop he tended his flock, the inheritance of Christ, in purity of heart with wisdom and consideration. He spent many nights without sleep, walking from one church to another, even in winter, so that his feet were often very sore. The sick and poor also received plenty and good things from his episcopal table, while he made do with little for himself. Once he travelled to Cologne, where the emperor was staying for Christmas and impressed him by his selflessness and generosity towards the disenfranchised. The emperor spent the following Easter in Liège and on this occasion entrusted him with the expansion and care of the newly built St Jacob's Monastery, for which he provided him with significant funds. 

Around Easter time in 1021, Wolbodo became so seriously ill that he felt his death approaching. He lay down on sackcloth and ashes, spending the remainder of his earthly pilgrimage in incessant prayer. Nevertheless the devil undertook to frighten him, but the holy bishop dispelled any fear, sprinkling himself with holy water and protecting himself by the Sign of the Cross, the symbol and glory of the faithful believers, and exclaimed: "O wretched inhabitant of the darkness, I have nothing to do with you, for my portion is Christ in the land of the living!" After this incident, Bishop Lawrence appeared to Wolbodo and told him that the following Thursday, he would be with him in eternity. He did indeed die on the specified date after receiving the Last Rites, amid constant prayers, during which he clasped and kissed the crucifix, for the edification of all those present. His solemn funeral took place on Friday.

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints)

Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Saint Wolbodo may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Sources of these articles (in the original German): books.google.co.uk, de-academic.com, zeno.org, openlibrary.org






Comments

Popular posts from this blog

WELCOME

  Please pick your saints: January - Saints by date  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11    12    13    14    15    16    17   18    19    20    21    22    23    24    25    26    27    28    29    30    31   February - Saints by date  1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11    12    13    14    15    16    17 18    19    20    21    22    23    24    25    26    27    28    29   March - Saints by date: 1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11    12    13    14    15    16    17   18    19    20    21    22    23    24    25    26    27    28    29    30    31   April - Saints by date: 1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11    12    13    14    15    16    17   18    19    20    21    22    23    24    25    26    27    28    29    30   May - Saints by date: 1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10    11    12    13    14    15    16    17   18    19    20    21    22    23    24    25    26    27    28    29    30   

ST JOHN BERCHMANS, RELIGIOUS - 13 AUGUST

  ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN AUGUST Saints celebrated on the 13th of August WELCOME! SAINT JOHN BERCHMANS, RELIGIOUS   (Patron Saint of Altar Servers.) The eldest boy of a poor cordwainer, in a small Belgian town, John was ever a dutiful, prayerful, and studious child. Our Lord called him when but young to leave his father and his father’s house, to serve Him in the Society of Jesus.  And because he was so good a son, it cost his father much to give him up to God; but he was too good a Christian to refuse outright.  HE WAS SENT TO ROME John had hardly taken his religious vows when he was sent to the centre of Christendom, the holy city of Rome. His modesty, his purity, shone out as great virtue always does; and the young laymen who attended the lectures would come to gaze upon his beautiful and holy face, and go away the better for the sight. GREAT VIRTUE Three short years, and his last sickness found him sighing for heaven, and three days before the great feast of Mary’s Assumption in 1

ST LAURA OF CORDOBA, WIDOW AND MARTYR - 19 OCTOBER

  WELCOME! SAINT LAURA OF CORDOBA, WIDOW AND MARTYR   Laura, a widow and martyr of Cordoba in Spain, is mentioned in the Spanish martyrology of Tamajode Salazar, who refers to Luitprand, where it says the following: St Laura is said to have been of a noble family, and  according to the wishes of her parents she married an equally noble man and gave birth to two daughters.  After the death of her husband and her daughters, she went to the monastery of St Aurea, named St-Maria de Cuteclara, and after her martyrdom led the same for nine years as her successor.  After she had made wonderful progress in all virtues, she was finally summoned to renounce the faith before a Saracen judge. But since she remained steadfast, she was first beaten very cruelly and then thrown into a bath of boiling pitch, where she remained in praise of God for three hours and then flew to heaven on October 19, 864.   St Laura is of the 48 Martyrs of Cordoba. PRAYER: Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that we who