St. Ludger

Saint Ludger

Bishop & Confessor

Ludger was born to a wealthy noble Frisian couple in the early 740s. As a young man he encountered St. Boniface, the Apostle to the Germans, and was greatly inspired by Boniface’s martyrdom. Ludger studied under Boniface’s disciple, St. Gregory of Utrecht, then traveled to England to be ordained a deacon and to continue his education under Bl. Alcuin of York, with whom Ludger maintained a lifelong friendship. Ludger was ordained a priest back on the continent, and he preached throughout Frisia until a pagan uprising led by the Saxons forced him to leave. He spent several years with the Benedictines at Monte Cassino, though he took no vows. After the Emperor Bl. Charlemagne conquered the Saxons, Ludger returned to Frisia and resumed his missionary work, with such success that Charlemagne appointed him missionary to Saxony. With the help of his younger brother St. Hildegrim and sister St. Gerburgis, Ludger founded many churches and monasteries, and was finally reluctantly consecrated as bishop of Münster. The Apostle of Saxony died on March 26th in the year of Our Lord 809.

Traditional Roman Martyrology for March 26th

AT Rome, on the Lavican road, St. Castulus, martyr, chamberlain in the palace of the emperor. For harboring the Christians, he was three times suspended by the hands, three times cited before the tribunals, and as he persevered in the confession of the Lord, he was thrown into a pit, overwhelmed with a mass of sand, and thus obtained the crown of martyrdom.

In the same city, the crowning of the holy martyrs Peter, Marcian, Jovinus, Thecla, Cassian, and others.

At Pentapolis, in Lybia, the birthday of the holy martyrs Theodore, bishop, Irenaeus, deacon, Serapion and Ammonius, lectors.

At Sirmium, the holy martyrs Montanus, priest, and Maxima, who were cast into a river for the faith of Christ.

Also, the holy martyrs Quadratus, Theodosius, Emmanuel, and forty others.

At Alexandria, the holy martyrs Eutychius and others, who died by the sword for the Catholic faith, in the time of Constantine, under the Arian bishop George.

The same day, St. Ludger, bishop of Munster, who preached the Gospel to the Saxons.

At Saragossa, in Spain, St. Braulio, bishop and confessor.

At Treves, St. Felix, bishop.

℣. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.

℟. Thanks be to God.