Ansgar

Ansgar was a Benedictine monk who became known as the "Apostle of the North" for his missionary work in Scandinavia. He was born in 801 near Amiens, France, and entered the monastery of Corbie at a young age. He was educated there and later taught at the monastery of Corvey in Westphalia. In 826, he accompanied King Harald Klak of Denmark, who had been baptized in Mainz, to his homeland and preached the gospel there. He also visited Sweden in 829 and 854, where he made some converts and established a small church. He was appointed as the first archbishop of Hamburg in 831 by Emperor Louis the Pious, who gave him authority over all the northern lands. He also received papal approval from Pope Gregory IV. He faced many difficulties and dangers in his missionary journeys, such as pagan resistance, Viking raids, political intrigues, and ecclesiastical disputes. He also suffered from ill health and poverty. He founded several churches and monasteries in Germany and Scandinavia, such as the abbey of Turholt in Flanders, the monastery of Ribe in Denmark, and the church of Birka in Sweden. He also supported the translation of the Bible into Old Norse and encouraged learning and culture among his converts. He died in Bremen on February 3, 865, and was buried in the cathedral there. He was canonized shortly after his death by Pope Nicholas I. His feast day is February 3 in the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion, and February 4 in the Eastern Orthodox Church. He is the patron saint of Scandinavia, Iceland, and Greenland. His life was written by his successor and disciple Rimbert in the Vita Ansgarii (Life of Ansgar). He is remembered as a humble, zealous, and compassionate servant of God who devoted his life to spreading the gospel in hostile lands.