Saint of the Day – 25 August – Saint Gregory of Utrecht (c700-776) Bishop, Confessor

Saint of the Day – 25 August – Saint Gregory of Utrecht (c700-776) Bishop, Confessor, Prince, disciple of St Boniface, Abbot. Born in c700 at Trier, Germany and died on 25 August 776 at of natural causes. Also known as – Gregory of Pfalzel.

Gregory was born in the territory of Triers and was a Prince of Royal blood, for his grandmother Adela, his father Albric’s mother, was the daughter of Dagobert II, King of Austrasia. This lady, after the death of her husband, built the Monastery of Palens, near Triers and, putting on the religious habit, was chosen the first Abbess. Her sister Irwina, who had also renounced the world, died as the Abbess of Horre.

Gregory, returning one day from his studies, when he was fifteen years of age, was desired, by his Grandmother, to read to the Nuns at Palens. St Boniface, who was travelling from Friesland passed that way and was present on this occasion. Gregory was desired by the Abbess, after he finished his reading, to explain the instructions which he had read, in favour of those who did not understand Latin but this, he said, he was not able to do, probably because he was not sufficiently confident with the Teutonic language.

Wherefore, Saint Boniface rising up, did that office for him and added many pathetic (in the original meaning of this word being ‘capable of touching or feeling’) exhortations to virtue, probably both in the Latin and Teutonic languages. Gregory was so moved by his discourses that he resolved, upon the spot, to forsake the world and attend that holy man wherever he went. His family do not seem to have opposed his inclination; for Saint Boniface took him with himself and would be himself Gregory’s master and instructor.

He seems to have placed him, for some time, in the Monastery of Ordorf for the convenience of finishing his studies but, the great Apostle of Germany, took Gregory, at a very young age, to share in the hardships and labours of his mission. Gregory accompanied him on all his missionary journeys and greedily learned from the Saint all the secrets of sanctit. St Boniface always loved him as his son. The disciple was a faithful imitator of his master’s spirit and great virtues. Gregory also accompanied him in his journeys to Rome to see the Pope..

Saint Boniface a little before his Martyrdom, sent him to Utrecht to govern a Monastery lately founded there. He had previously e appointed Eoban as the Bishop of that See. Saints Boniface and Eoban received together the Crown of Martyrdom in 754 – after which Pope Stephen III and King Pepin obliged Saint Gregory to take upon himself the care of the See of Utrecht but by various historical and discending documents, it appears that he never received the Palium nor was he ever Consecrated as the Bishop. He administered the Diocess for twenty-two years, until his death – he never was more than Priest, as appears from his Vita, written by his disciple, Saint Ludger (742-809) Bishop of Munster.
About St Ludger – https://anastpaul.com/2019/03/26/saint-of-the-day-26-march-st-ludger-c-742-809/

When the murderers of his two brothers were sent to him by the civil magistrates to be put to what death he should think fit, (according to the barbarous custom of the country in that age, which left the punishment of the assassins to the direction of the relations of the deceased person) – the Saint gave everyone of them a suit of clothes with alms and dismissed them with good advic

By his zealous preaching and prudent care, he rendered the Church of Utrecht the most flourishing in all that Country. His eminent spirit of mortification and prayer, his invincible meekness and silence under all injuries, his great charity for the poor and endless assistance to them, his humility and his patience during three years severe illness, crowned him with the glory of the Saints, to which he passed on the 25th of August, in 776. His relics were religiously kept at Utrecht and examined in the Episcopal visitations in 1421 and 1597.