Saint Willibrord: from Ireland to The Netherlands

Missionary Monk and Archbishop
Saint Willibrord, whom we remember today, was educated at the monastery of Ripon in England under the direction of Saint Wilfred. In the year 678 he went to a monastery at Clonmelsh (Garryhundon) in County Carlow, Ireland where he remained for twelve years and was ordained a priest. Pope Sergius consecrated him missionary archbishop of the Frisians in 695.

Fostering a Eucharistic Culture
Saint Willibrord’s approach to evangelization needs to be rediscovered in our own day. What exactly did he do? First, he erected an altar. Over the altar he set up the cross. And around the altar and the cross he built a monastery, giving primacy to the praise of the Divine Majesty. Saint Willibrord preached the Gospel by modeling a society centred in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and by fostering a Eucharistic culture. This is the mission of every monastery: to illustrate what the family can be, and to demonstrate the fruitfulness of a culture of life rooted in the sacrificial love of the Most Holy Eucharist.