ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN MARCH
Saints celebrated on the 19th of March
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SAINT LANDOALD, MISSIONARY
Saint Landoald (Landoaldus) (March 19), Archpriest of the Roman Church, is venerated in Wintershofen (Wintershoven, Wintershovium, Curtis hiernis) and Ghent (Gandavum) in Belgium, along with his holy companions Amantius, Adrian, Julian, and Venciana and Adeltrudis. The Bollandists* published a vita of these saints (March 19 - III. 34-42). This work replaced an earlier biography which had got lost and was compiled by Abbot Harigerus at the behest of Bishop Nodgern of Liège. Harigerus, writing around the year 980, begins his account by describing how many holy men shone during the time of the Frankish kings (Clothar, Dagobert, Sigebert, etc.), and that one who stood out in particular among them was Saint Landoald.
The Bollandists* state to have corrected several historical inaccuracies contained in Abbot Harigerus' report regarding Bishop Amandus of Maastricht. According to this account, Saint Amandus was born around 594, travelled to Rome for the first time in 627, was consecrated bishop there in 628, and subsequently preached the Gospel in several places. In 630, he went to Rome for the second time, then preached in Ghent in 631, founded several monasteries in various locations, baptised Sigebert in 635, led the monastery of St Peter, which he founded in Ghent (which was later named after Saint Bavo), from 636 to 646. Moreover, he built the monastery of Elnon in 638, appointed Saint Florberius as abbot of Ghent in 644, and finally succeeded St [Name missing], who died on July 25, 646. Bishop John of Maastricht (not Utrecht) was appointed Bishop of Maastricht (Trajectum ad Mosam). But he did not hold this very burdensome office for long; for as early as 649 he petitioned Saint Pope Martin I to be relieved of this responsibility. In 650 he made his third journey to Rome, and it was here that he asked the aforementioned Pope for assistants to preach the Gospel to the pagans.
A year later, he was assigned the following helpers who henceforth accompanied him: our Saint Landoald, who is described as Roman Archpriest, and the deacon Amantius, as well as the holy women Vinciana and Adeltrudis, along with seven other unnamed men and women. After visiting various monasteries in France, Saint Amandus went with them to Belgium, where, at the request of the holy bishop Remaclus of Maastricht, he left behind our Saint Landoald, his successor, to assist him in his episcopal work, while Saint Amandus himself carried out his great activity in many other places and finally died at the age of 90 on February 6, 684.
The aforementioned vita states as a legend (fama) that Saint Landoald served as Bishop of Maastricht for nine years. The claim that Bishop Lambert, as a boy, was educated and therefore received from his father Aper the estate of Wintershofen (Wintershoven, also Windoheim and Widoheim), located near Maastricht, in order to live there and build a church, is endorsed by the Bollandists* insofar as he was among those "wise men" to whose discipline the boy, born in 650, was entrusted. Landoald and Lambert are said to have performed several miracles together. For example, when the workers building the church of Wintershofen lacked clear water, Saint Landoald is said to have caused a fresh spring to gush forth with the boy Lambert invoking the name of Jesus and making the holy sign of the cross. On another occasion, Landoald commanded Lambert to bring fire, and Lambert actually brought glowing coals in his clothing without his garment being damaged by the fire.
Around the year 659, Landoald built a church and monastery in Wintershofen, where he lived for a considerable time and received daily provisions from King Childeric, who frequently resided in Maastricht. On one occasion, Adrian, who ran this errant, was stopped and killed by robbers who believed he was carrying treasure.
Soon after, on March 19, 688, Saint Landoald also died and was buried, along with his companions, in the church he himself had built in honour of St Peter. Deacon Saint Amantius was interred in the same coffin as him.
Given the many miracles that occurred at their tomb and prompted by heavenly visions, Saint Floreberius, Bishop of Liège and successor of Saint Hubert, had the saints' remains brought to his church a few years later and arranged for a befitting resting place. This first translation of relics took place on December 1, a date also recorded in some martyrologies. During the Norman invasion of Gaul (c. 881), the faithful, fearing desecration, reburied their bodies. However, on March 5, at the instigation of a certain Lantzo, they were exhumed once more and - yet again - a myriad of amazing miracles occurred at the saints' intercession. The Wintershofen monastery, meanwhile, which had been seized by the godless, was returned to the monks of Ghent by Emperor Otto II in 980. Our saints' relics, along with those of Saint Landrada, were brought to this city on March 25, specifically to the monastery of Saint Bavo, whereupon God again worked many miracles through them. Finally, on June 13, 982, they were transferred to the basilica by Bishop Lindulphus of Noyon (Novioma) amidst great festivities. This last translation was also celebrated in Ghent on June 13 with a special feast.
The Roman Martyrology*, on March 19, lists just these two: Saint Landoald as a "Roman priest," as well as Deacon Amantius.
Church art depicts Landoald, as Archpriest of the Roman Church, as a Cardinal, while the martyr Saint Adrian features as a messenger with a staff and letters in his hand.
(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 3, Augsburg, 1869, pp. 671-72)
*A hagiography source used by the authors
Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations
PRAYER:
Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Saint Landoald 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
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