Saint of the Day – 12 June – Saint Odulf of Utrecht (Died c865) Priest, Monk, Prior., zealous Missionary to the Frisians. Odulf was gifted with the charism of prophecy. Born in Brabant (in modern Belgium) and died in c865 of natural causes at his Monastery, Saint Martin of Utrecht. Patronages – Borgloon, Belgium, Evesham, England, Stavoren, Holland, Utrecht, Holland. Also known as – Odulph of Stavoren, Odulf of Evesham, Odolfo…Odulf…Odulfo…Odulphus… Additional Memorial – 18 July on some calendars.
According to a fairly reliable Vita from the 10th Century, Odulf, son of the Frankish Ludgis of Oorschoot, was educated at the school of Utrecht, where he excelled in his studies and attracted all by his piety and learning. Ordained a Priest, he was attracted by the monastic life of prayer and detachment from the world but his parents ardently desired him to exercise pastoral care in Oorschoot, since the local Church stood on their property and probably belonged to them.
After a few years, having distributed his goods among the poor, Odulf took on the monastic Habit in the Monastery of Saint Martin of Utrecht attached to the Cathedral. He became Prior there while St Frederick was the Bishop, who, havingby the aid of Odulf, completed the mission among the Frisians, asked him to dedicate himself to pastoral care in the recently erected Church of Pensoren. Odulf accepted, on condition that he could later return to the Monastery to retire and die there.
After a very fruitful activity, he returned in an unspecified year to his Monastery. The Norman incursions of the following decades brought serious damage and suffering to Oorschoot, as Odulf had predicted if the community had strayed from the straight path of Christian truth. Odulf intervened decisively in the election of Bishop Ungaro.
He died around the year 865 and his cult soon spread around Holland and Belgium. His remains were later transferred from Utrecht, where however a Relic remained, to Pensoren and from there, in around 1034 to London and Evesham Abbey – it is told that St Odulf’s Relics were actually stolen and re-appeared in England, where our Saint became the Patron of Evesham. His Feast Day is on June 12th.
AnaStpaul 