Adalbert of Egmond
Encyclopedia
Saint Adalbert of Egmond (also called Adelbert of Egmond) (died in the first half of the 8th century in Egmond
) was a Northumbria
n Anglo-Saxon
missionary. He was one of Saint Willibrord
's companions in preaching the gospel
in Holland and Frisia
.
and, according to some sources, to have been first a monk at the Abbey of Rathmelsigi
(possibly on the site of the later Mellifont Abbey
, Co. Louth
) and to have assisted in Ireland
with the missionary work of Saint Egbert
. He then went in c 690 to assist Saint Willibrord
(who had also been at Rathmelsigi) in the mission field of Frisia
, where he became associated particularly with Egmond. He was buried there, and miracles were reported at his tomb, over which a church was built.
(or Holland), of which Adalbert was made the patron. The Vita was not commissioned until the 990s, which presumably accounts for its lack of facts. Adalbert's relics were translated to the newly built abbey (initially a nunnery) for veneration. After the Reformation
and the destruction of the abbey, they were preserved in Haarlem
. The cult was reinstated when the abbey was re-founded in 1923, and the relics were returned there in 1984. The saint's skull, painstakingly restored, is also preserved beneath the high altar. His feast day is 25 June.
Egmond
Egmond is a former municipality in the north-western Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. In 2001, it was merged with the municipalities of Schoorl and Bergen to form the municipality of Bergen. The three main villages in the former municipality are Egmond aan den Hoef, Egmond aan Zee...
) was a Northumbria
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
n Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
missionary. He was one of Saint Willibrord
Willibrord
__notoc__Willibrord was a Northumbrian missionary saint, known as the "Apostle to the Frisians" in the modern Netherlands...
's companions in preaching the gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
in Holland and Frisia
Frisia
Frisia is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the North Sea, i.e. the German Bight. Frisia is the traditional homeland of the Frisians, a Germanic people who speak Frisian, a language group closely related to the English language...
.
Biography
The Life of Adalbert is not rich in fact. He is said to have been born in NorthumbriaNorthumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
and, according to some sources, to have been first a monk at the Abbey of Rathmelsigi
Abbey of Rathmelsigi
The Abbey of Rathmelsigi or of Rath Melsigi, "in the language of the Scots" according to Bede was a prominent abbey in the seventh-century kingdom of Connaught, in Ireland...
(possibly on the site of the later Mellifont Abbey
Mellifont Abbey
Mellifont Abbey , located in County Louth, was the first Cistercian abbey to be built in Ireland.-Origins:Founded in 1142 on the orders of Saint Malachy, Archbishop of Armagh, Mellifont Abbey sits on the banks of the River Mattock, some ten km north-west of Drogheda.By 1170, Mellifont had one...
, Co. Louth
County Louth
County Louth is a county of Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Louth. Louth County Council is the local authority for the county...
) and to have assisted in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
with the missionary work of Saint Egbert
Egbert
Several Anglo-Saxon persons were named Ecgberht . The name itself means "Bright Edge," such as that of a blade.*Ecgberht of Kent *Saint Egbert , hermit and missionary...
. He then went in c 690 to assist Saint Willibrord
Willibrord
__notoc__Willibrord was a Northumbrian missionary saint, known as the "Apostle to the Frisians" in the modern Netherlands...
(who had also been at Rathmelsigi) in the mission field of Frisia
Frisia
Frisia is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the North Sea, i.e. the German Bight. Frisia is the traditional homeland of the Frisians, a Germanic people who speak Frisian, a language group closely related to the English language...
, where he became associated particularly with Egmond. He was buried there, and miracles were reported at his tomb, over which a church was built.
Veneration
His continued remembrance rests largely on the foundation of the Benedictine monastery, Egmond Abbey, the first in the country, some two hundred years later by Count Dirk I of West FrisiaCount of Holland
The Counts of Holland ruled over the County of Holland in the Low Countries between the 10th and the 16th century.-House of Holland:The first count of Holland, Dirk I, was the son or foster-son of Gerolf, Count in Frisia...
(or Holland), of which Adalbert was made the patron. The Vita was not commissioned until the 990s, which presumably accounts for its lack of facts. Adalbert's relics were translated to the newly built abbey (initially a nunnery) for veneration. After the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
and the destruction of the abbey, they were preserved in Haarlem
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
. The cult was reinstated when the abbey was re-founded in 1923, and the relics were returned there in 1984. The saint's skull, painstakingly restored, is also preserved beneath the high altar. His feast day is 25 June.