Saint Ansgar - February 3

Saint Ansgar
Also known as
Amschar
Anscario
Anschar
Anscharius
Ansgario
Ansgarius
Anskar
Apostle of the North
Apostle of Scandanavia
Oscar
Scharies
Memorial
3 February
Profile
Born to the French nobility. Benedictine monk at Old Corbie Abbey in Picardy (in modern France) and New Corbie in Westphalia (in modern Germany). Studied under Saint Adelard of Corbie and Saint Paschasius Radbert. Accompanied the converted King Harold to Denmark when the exiled king returned home. Missionary to Denmark and Sweden. Founded first Christian church in Sweden c.832. Abbot of New Corbie c.834. Archbishop of Hamburg, Germany, ordained by Pope Gregory IV. Papal legate to the Scandanavian countries. Established the first Christian school in Denmark, but was run out by pagans, and the school was burned to the ground. Campaigned against slavery. Archbishop of Bremen, Germany. Converted Erik, King of Jutland. Great preacher, a miracle worker, and greatly devoted to the poor and sick. Sadly, after his death most of his gains for the Church in the north were lost to resurgent paganism.
Born
801 at Amiens, Picardy, France
Died
3 February 865 at Bremen, Germany
relics at Bremen and Hamburg in Germany, and Copenhagen, Denmark
Canonized
Pre-Congregation
Patronage
Bremen, Germany, diocese of
Denmark
Hamburg, Germany, archdiocese of
Scandinavia
Sweden
Representation
man holding the catheral of Hamburg, Germany
man wearing a fur pelise
catholicsaints.info/saint-ansgar/