St.Willibaldud

Willibaldus

CURRICULUM VITAE

He came from an exceptional royal family in England. He entered the clergy in Rome. While traveling to the Holy Land, he was imprisoned in Syria on false suspicion. After his release, he visited the Holy Land and, on his way through Constantinople, entered the monastery of Montecassino, where he was appointed gatekeeper. On his third trip to Rome, St. Boniface chose him as a collaborator in preaching the Gospel to the Germanic tribes and consecrated him as bishop of Eichstädt. He and his brother Vunibald founded two monasteries. In one, Vunibald was the abbot, in the other, their sister Valburga was the abbess.

Willibald always remained humble, charitable, and zealous in apostolic work.

CV FOR MEDITATION

A PILGRIM ON THE PATH OF HOPE, FAITH AND LOVE

He was born on 22 October 700 in southern England. He is one of the three canonized children of King St. Richard. His siblings are Vunibald, commemorated on 18 December, and Valburga, commemorated on 25 February. His father was related to the Anglo-Saxon court, and his mother Bona was a close relative of St. Boniface.

In the third year of his life, Willibald fell seriously ill and the doctors gave him no hope. His parents dedicated him to the Lord in front of the cross, promising that if he recovered, he would devote himself to the service of God. The child miraculously recovered, and from the age of six his parents entrusted his upbringing to the monks of the Valtheim monastery, where Egbald was the abbot. Already in his childhood, Willibald began to voluntarily submit to the religious rules and cultivate the virtues of obedience, humility, and self-denial. He studied in the monastery and longed to make a pilgrimage to Rome and Jerusalem, which his royal father not only allowed him to undertake but also joined him on, along with his younger son Vunibald.

During their pilgrimage, their father died before reaching Rome in Lucca, Tuscany. He is commemorated as a saint on 7 February. They arrived in Rome on 12 November 720 and entered the spiritual state in the Benedictine monastery there. In the spring, after overcoming a fever, Willibald, accompanied by two companions, set out on another pilgrimage, during which they fasted strictly, slept on the bare ground, and visited memorable churches. From Naples, they sailed to Sicily, visited the tomb of St. Agatha in Catania, sailed to Cyprus, where they venerated the tomb of St. Epiphanius in Salamis, and with four other pilgrims, they arrived in Emessa in Syria. There, the Mohammedans considered them spies and imprisoned them. However, a Christian merchant took them in, from whom they received food and even allowed them to go out in the company of his son. Finally, a Spaniard, who was highly respected at the ruler’s court, secured their freedom.

After a stop in Damascus, Willibald’s group arrived in Palestine in the autumn of 724. In Galilee, the pilgrims visited all the sacred places consecrated by the life of Christ. After bathing in the place of the baptism of the Lord, they reached Jerusalem via Jericho around November 725. In this city, Willibald fell seriously ill (it is said to have been malaria) and lovingly linked his suffering with the suffering of Jesus carrying the cross. After recovering and saying goodbye to the city in which our salvation was completed, he continued his journey to Bethlehem. He then stopped at the places mentioned in the Bible and visited the sacred temples. His return journey from the Holy Land deliberately led via Constantinople. There he stayed at famous places, including the great temple in Nicaea. Finally, he returned from the eastern countries by ship to Italy with papal and imperial envoys.

Near Naples, in Lucullan, he venerated the tomb of St. Severinus and in 729 came to the main monastery of the Order of St. Benedict in Montecassino. There he became a porter, displaying humility, kindness, and using his experience to serve others.

His uncle Boniface (commentary 5. 6.) knew about him and during his third trip to Rome in 738, he asked Pope Gregory III for Willibald as a collaborator for the apostolate in Germany. At that time, Willibald was sent to Rome as an escort at the request of a Spanish priest. When he met with the Pope, he was told of a call to joint apostolic work with Boniface, whose assistant was also his brother Vunibald. On his way to Bavaria, he stopped by his father’s grave in Lucca. In Bavaria, he visited Duke Odile and then the Frankish Count Svitgar, who offered Boniface the Eichstätt region to found a new bishopric. Willibald was sent to assess the area and arrange the necessary matters. To establish a bishopric with a monastery, he chose a place with a Marian church visited by the inhabitants of the surrounding huts. He then participated in the construction of the large church of the Mother of God and the monastery buildings. In that church, Willibald received the sacrament of priesthood on June 22, 740. Soon a large settlement grew up in the area and more houses were constantly being built.

Willibald became bishop around 21 October 741 and the following year he participated in the church council in Attigany. In the Eichstätt monastery he trained missionaries who helped him spread the gospel among the pagans. In 748 his own sister Valburga joined him as a collaborator, for whom Willibald built a monastery near Eichstätt and made her abbess. Then he and his brother built two larger monasteries in a place called Heidenheim. Through Willibald’s efforts, faith and Christian education spread throughout his Eichstätt bishopric. He outlived both of his siblings in his zealous work.

He was canonized in 938 by Pope Leo VII.