WILLEHAD (Uilhard), Saint. - First bishop of Bremen, b. in Northumberland ca. 740, d. at Brexen on the Weser on 8 November 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). Since he had no lasting success there, he moved (780) by order of Charlemagne to still-pagan Saxony on the lower Weser, but he continued his attempts at conversion among the Frisians. His missionary activity having been hindered by the second insurrection of Widukind (782), V. first fled to Frisia, then stayed in Rome and afterwards dwelt for 2 years in the Abbey of Echternach (Luxembourg). After the conversion of Widukind (785), V. went at once (winter 785), with the consent of Charlemagne, back to the Weser to continue there his work of conversion. On 13 July 787 he was consecrated bishop at Worms, and had Bremen as his see; on 1 November 789 he consecrated at Bremen the episcopal church of St. Peter, a splendid wooden building; but he died 7 days later. Feast on 13 July (the day of the consecration) or 8 November.

Bibliography10 works

BIBL.: sources: Vita s. Willehadi Bremensis Episcopi, in MGH, Script., II, pp. 378-90; Acta SS. Novembris, III, Brussels 1910, pp. 842-51; M. Laurent and W. Wattenbach, Die Lebensbeschreibungen des hl. Willibrord... und Willehads v. Bremen, 3rd ed. unchanged, Leipzig 1941; O. H. May, Regesten der Erzbischöfe v. Bremen, I, Bremen 1928, pp. 1-4; BHL, p. 1283, and suppl., p. 313. - Studies: J. Ev. Wulr, St. W., Breslau 1889; A. Tappehorn, Das Leben d. hl. W., Dalmen 1901; A. Hauck, Kirchengesch. Deutschlands, II, 3rd ed., Leipzig 1912, pp. 362-99; A. Zimmermann, Kaleud. Bened., III, Metten 1935, pp. 276-79; K. D. Schmidt, W. und die Christinisierung von Bremen-Verden, in Zeitschr. d. Gesellsch. f. niedersächs. Kirchengesch., 41 (1936), pp. 5-23; Martyr. Romanum, p. 505. Ermanno Ries

@incollection{ec12_villeado_uilhard_santo, author = {Ries, Ermanno}, title = {Villeado (Uilhard), santo}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {XII}, pages = {1429}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1954}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/villeado-uilhard-santo} }

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Willehad (Uilhard), Saint

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