Saint Egbert

Egbert proposed to bring the light of the faith to the Germans and the Frisians; but Saint Boisil saint Boisil Prior of Melrose who advised Egbert. , prior of Melrose, who knew the needs of his own country, sent word to him that God did not require him to make such great journeys to develop his talents, and advised him to leave to others the task of converting the infidels, and to go to the islands of Scotland and Ireland, in order to instruct the monks there. Despite this advice, he set out for Germany; but, a few days after his departure, a violent storm arose which, threatening to swallow the ship, recalled to the Saint's mind the warnings of Boisil, and forced him to turn back and set sail for the small islands.

He landed on the island of Hy or île de Hy ou Iona Small island that became the center of Columba's activity and his burial place. Iona, today Colmaille, a name it derives from Saint Colum saint Colomb Eponymous founder of the island of Iona. ba, situated to the north of Ireland, on the side of Scotland. The monks of this island were then in great repute; and it was this reputation that contributed to accrediting the error according to which, like the Quartodecimans, they celebrated with the Britons and the Scots of Ireland the feast of Easter on the fourteenth moon, an error condemned at the Council of Nicaea; whereas the English, converted by Augustine and the other missi onaries of Saint Gregor saint Grégoire le Grand Pope and author of the Dialogues, primary narrator of the life of Servulus. y the Great, followed the usage of the Roman Church, and celebrated it only on the following Sunday. This divergence occasioned a great schism in the British churches, and caused much scandal among the faithful accustomed to regarding this point of discipline as one of the bases of their religion. The stubbornness with which these good monks held to their error exposed them to losing the fruits of their penance and the merit of their perfect obedience.

Egbert, upon his arrival among them, applied himself primarily to convincing them on this point. The gentleness with which he proceeded soon won him their full confidence; he showed them the difference that exists between the essential articles of faith and matters of pure discipline, and brought them to the point of conforming to the usage of Rome regarding the celebration of the feast of Easter and several other practices. This occurred in 716. Egbert lived for another thirteen years, and died on Easter Sunday (that is to say, the new Easter Sunday, for the Irish), at the moment he had just celebrated the Holy Mass. He was ninety years old. The day of his death was April 24, 729; he is named on this day in several martyrologies: the new Roman martyrology also praises his humility and his abstinence. The Benedictines place him among the Saints Bénédictins Religious order occupying the monastery of Honnecourt. of their Order, because they believe that the communities he formed adopted, during his life or shortly after his death, the Rule of Saint Benedict.

Taken from Baillet, under April 24, according to various places in the Ecclesiastical Histo ry of the Vene vénérable Bède Contemporary historian and primary source on Egbert. rable Bede, who lived in the time of Saint Egbert. See also the Acta SS., vol. III Aprilis, pp. 313-315; Batavia Sacra, part I, p. 32; Rees and Weis, vol. V, p. 311, and the Antiquities of the Anglo-Saxon Church, by Doctor John Lingard, p. 528, which proves that it is to Saint Egbert that the honor of having established the missions in Germany must be attributed: indeed, it was Saint Wibert saint Willibrord Apostle of the Frisians, he miraculously healed the community of Irmina. , Saint Willibrord, the two Saints Ewald, and other disciples of Saint Egbert who spread the light of the Gospe l in Frise Region of origin of the saint. Frisia and in northern Germania.