WILLEHAD (UILHAED), Saint. — First bishop of Bremen, born in Northumberland ca. 740, died at Blexen on the Weser on 8 Nov. 789.
A friend of Alcuin (v.), he was probably educated at the school of York. Around 770 he was a priest and worked for the spread of the Gospel in the region of Dockum (Frisia), where St Boniface had been martyred (754). Having met with no lasting success there, he moved (780) on the orders of Charlemagne into still pagan Saxony on the lower Weser, but continued his attempts at conversion among the Frisians. His missionary activity was hindered by the second uprising of Widukind (782), and V. first fled to Frisia, then stayed in Rome and later spent two years in the Abbey of Echternach (Luxembourg). After Widukind’s conversion (785), V. immediately went (winter 785), with Charlemagne’s consent, back to the Weser to resume his work of conversion. On 13 July 787 he was consecrated bishop at Worms and was assigned Bremen as his see; on 1 Nov. 789 he consecrated in Bremen the episcopal church of St Peter, a splendid wooden structure, but died seven days later. Feast: 13 July (day of consecration) or 8 Nov.