Saint Willibrord (c.657 - c.738) was an English missionary, known as the Apostle to the Frisians in modern Netherlands. Events June 2 - Pope Eugene I dies and is subsequently canonized. ... Events Xukpi suffers a major defeat against Quirigua Saint Boniface visits Rome, and goes on to establish bishopries in Bavaria Births Deaths Categories: 738 ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (mid-2004) - Density Ranked 1st UK 50. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Bishop of Utrecht, Apostle of the Frisians, and son of St. Hilgis, born in Northumbria, 658; died at Echternach, Luxembourg, November 7, 739. The origin of the Diocese dates back to 695 when St. ... Alternate meanings: See Apostle (Mormonism), The Apostle (1997 movie) The Twelve Apostles (in Greek απόστολος apostolos = someone sent forth/sent out, an emissary) were probably Jewish men (10 names are Aramaic, 4 names are Greek) chosen from among the disciples, who were sent forth by Jesus of Nazareth to preach the... The Roman historian Tacitus, in his Germania, mentioned the Frisians among people he grouped together as the Ingvaeones. ... Section from Shepherds map of the British Isles about 802 AD showing the kingdom of Northumbria Northumbria is primarily the name of an Anglian kingdom which was formed in Great Britain at the beginning of the 7th century, and of the much smaller earldom which succeeded the kingdom. ... Basilica in Echternach Echternach, Luxembourg, a commune in the canton of the same name and in the district of Grevenmacher, near the eastern border with Germany, is the oldest town (current population 4610) in Luxembourg. ...

His father, Wilgils or St. Hilgis, an Angle or, as Alcuin styles him, a Saxon, of Northumbria, withdrew from the world and constructed for himself a little oratory dedicated to St Andrew. The king and nobles of the district endowed him with estates till he was at last able to build a church, over which Alcuin afterwards ruled. This article is about angles in geometry. ... Flaccus Albinus Alcuin (about 735 - May 19, 804) was a monk from York, England. ... A map showing the general locations of the major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms The Anglo-Saxons were a group of Germanic tribes from Angeln—a peninsula in the southern part of Schleswig, protruding into the Baltic Sea, and what is now Lower Saxony, in the north-west coast of Germany—who... Section from Shepherds map of the British Isles about 802 AD showing the kingdom of Northumbria Northumbria is primarily the name of an Anglian kingdom which was formed in Great Britain at the beginning of the 7th century, and of the much smaller earldom which succeeded the kingdom. ... Andrew is an English males personal name. ... A monarch is a type of ruler or head of state, whose titles and ascent are often inherited, not earned, and who represents a larger monarchical system which has established rules and customs regarding succession, duties, and powers. ... The Lords and Barons prove their Nobility by hanging their Banners and exposing their Coats-of-arms at the Windows of the Lodge of the Heralds. ...

A disciple of St. Wilfrid, he was sent to the Abbey of Ripon almost as soon as he was weaned. Later he joined the Benedictines. He spent the years between the ages of 20 and 32 in the Abbey of Rathmelsigi (identified by some as Mellifont in County Louth) Ireland, which was a center of European learning in the 7th century. During this time he studied under Saint Egbert, who sent him and twelve companions to Christianize the pagan North Germanic tribes of Frisia, at the request of Pepin, Christian king of the Franks and nominal suzerain over that region. At the request of Pepin he traveled twice to Rome, finally being consecrated Bishop of the Frisians in the Church of St. Cecilia. It was November 21, 695 and he was given the name of Clement. He was also given the pallium by the pope. He returned to Frisia to preach and to build numerous churches, among them a monastery at Utrecht, where he established his cathedral and is counted the first Bishop of Utrecht. In 698 he established an abbey at a Roman villa of Echternach, in Luxemburg near Trier, which was presented to him by Irmina, daughter of Dagobert II, king of the Franks. Wilfrid (c. ... Map sources for Ripon at grid reference SE3171 Ripon is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, 214 miles NNW from London. ... A Benedictine is a person who follows the Rule of Saint Benedict, whether belonging to the Roman Catholic Church, or to one of the Anglican or Protestant churches. ... Mellifont Abbey is the first Cistercian abbey to be built in Ireland. ... County Louth (An Lú in Irish) is a county on the east coast of Ireland. ... Saint Egbert (died 729) was a hermit in Northumbria in Anglo-Saxon England. ... Pippin, often also spelt Pepin, was the name of several important figures in the Carolingian family that ruled the Frankish Empire in what is now France and the western parts of Germany in the Middle Ages: Pippin of Landen Pippin of Herstal Pippin III (father of Charlemagne) Pippin the Hunchback... City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus – SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) Founded 21 April 753 BC mythical, 1st millennium BC Region Latium Mayor Walter Veltroni (Democratici di Sinistra) Area  - City Proper  1290 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 2,546,807 almost 4,000,000 1... A Pallium The Pallium or Pall (derived, so far as the name is concerned, from the Roman pallium or palla, a woollen cloak) is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Roman Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the Pope, but for many centuries past bestowed by him on metropolitans and primates as... The origin of the Diocese dates back to 695 when St. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Roman villa. ... Trier: The Porta Nigra, viewed from outside Location of Trier Trier (French: Trèves, Spanish: Treveris) is Germanys oldest city. ... Dagobert II (650 - December 23, 679) was a Frankish King, son of Sigebert III. After his father died in 656, Dagobert was ordered to be killed. ...

In 716 the pagan Radbod, king of the Frisians, retook possession of Frisia, burning churches and killing many missionaries. Within a Christian context, Paganism (from Latin paganus) and Heathenry are a catch-all terms which has come to connote a broad set of spiritual/religious beliefs and practices of a natural religion (as opposed to a revealed religion based on a revealed text). ... Several kings named Radbod (Frisian Redbod) were king of the Frisians, (dux in the Merovingian chronicles). ...

After the death of Radbod in 719, Willibrord returned to resume his work, aided by St. Boniface. His frequent visits to the Abbey of Echternach resulted in his being interred there after his passing, and he was quickly judged to be a saint. His feast is celebrated on November 7 outside of England, but on November 29 in England, by order of pope Leo XIII. For the Roman general of this name, see Bonifacius. ... In general, the term Saint refers to someone who is exceptionally virtuous and holy. ... Village Feast. ... His Holiness Pope Leo XIII, born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci (March 2, 1810–July 20, 1903), was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, having succeeded Blessed Pius IX on February 20, 1878 and reigning until his own death. ...

Numerous miracles and relics have been attributed to him, and in one particularly memorable moment, the transport of his relics was celebrated thusly "the Five bishops in full pontificals assisted; engaged in the dance were 2 Swiss guards, 16 standard-bearers, 3045 singers, 136 priests, 426 musicians, 15,085 dancers, and 2032 players" (Studien u. Mittheilungen, 1906, p. 551).

A Life was written by Alcuin and dedicated to the Abbot of Echternach. Alcuin probably made use of an older one written by a British monk, which is now lost. Bede also makes mention of Willibrord. Nothing written by Willibrord can be found save a marginal note in the Calendar of Echternach giving some chronological data. A copy of the Gospels (Bibliothèque National, Paris, 9389) under the name of Willibrord is an Irish codex no doubt brought by Willibrord from Ireland. Flaccus Albinus Alcuin (about 735 - May 19, 804) was a monk from York, England. ... Depiction of Bede from the Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493 Bede (Latin Beda), also known as Saint Bede or, more commonly, the Venerable Bede (c. ... The new buildings of the library. ... A codex (Latin for book; plural codices) is a handwritten book from late Antiquity or the Early Middle Ages. ...

The Dancing Procession at Echternach

Willibrord's Abbey of Echternach was a major center in the Middle Ages, which preserved a famous library and scriptorium, but it owes its modern fame to the curious dancing procession which takes place annually on Whit Tuesday, in honor of St. Willibrord. This aspect of the cult of the saint may be traced back almost to the date of his death; among the stream of pilgrims to his tomb in the abbey church have been Emperors Lothair I, Conrad, and later Maxmilian (in 1512).

Catholic historians are reticent about ascribing any pre-Christian antecedents to the dancing procession and claim only that its origin cannot be stated with certainty. A neutral observer, without denigrating the event in the least, may recognize elements of pagan cult, such as the ones that were criticized by Saint Eligius in the 7th century. Documents of the fifteenth century speak of it as a long-established custom at that time, and a similar "dancing" procession, which used to take place in the small town of Prüm in the Eifel, was documented as early as 1342. Legends are referred to that relate the dancing procession to averted plague or offer a fable about a condemned fiddler, but the dancing procession to the saint's tomb is an annual ceremony done as an act of penance on behalf of afflicted relations and especially in order to avert epilepsy, St. Vitus's dance, or convulsions. The event begins in the morning at the bridge over the Sure, with a sermon by the parish priest (formerly by the abbot of the monastery); after this the procession moves towards the basilica, through the town's streets, a distance of about 1.5 kilometres. Three steps forward are taken, then two back, so that five steps are required in order to advance one pace. The results is that it is well after midday before the last of the dancers has reached the church. They go four or five abreast, holding each other by the hand or arm. Many bands accompany them, playing a traditional melody which has been handed down for centuries. A large number of priests and religious also accompany the procession, and not infrequently there are several bishops as well. On arrival at the church, the dance is continued around the tomb of St. Willibrord, which stands in the crypt beneath the high altar. Litanies and prayers in his honor are recited, and the whole concludes with a benediction of the sacrament. Signature of St. ... The Eifel is a hilly region in Germany. ...

In the past, the Dancing Procession has adopted other forms. At one time, the pilgrims would repeatedly stop at the sound of the bell donated by Emperor Maximilian, falling to their knees before moving forward a few more steps. At another time, pilgrims would crawl under a stone, facing the cross of St. Willibrord. A "cattle-bell dance" used to take place in front of the cross, which was erected on the marketplace; this dance was prohibited in 1664.

Echternach's Dancing Procession attracts tourists and pilgrims. The procession took place annually without intermission until 1777. There has been an uneasy relationship with the church hierarchy: in 1777, the music and dancing of the "dancing saints" were forbidden by Archbishop Wenceslas who declared that there should only be a pilgrim's procession, and in 1786 Emperor Joseph II abolished the procession altogether. Attempts were made to revive it ten years later, and though the French Revolution effectually prevented it, it was recommenced in 1802 and has continued ever since. In 1826 the Government tried to change the day to a Sunday, but since 1830 it has always taken place on Whit Tuesday, a traditional day, which, significantly, bears no direct relation to St. Willibrord himself.

External links

• A reconstructed portrait of Willibrord, based on historical sources, in a contemporary style.
• Biography of St. Willibrord
• The Dancing Procession of Echternach

Reference

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1911 This article incorporates text from the Catholic Encyclopedia, which is in the public domain. The Catholic Encyclopedia is an English-language encyclopedia published in 1913 by the The writing of the encyclopedia began on January 11, 1905 under the supervision of five editors: Charles G. Herbermann, Professor of Latin and Librarian of the College of the City of New York Edward A. Pace, then... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...