Saint Adulf
Saint Adulf (also known as Adolf or Adolph of Osnabrück — not to be confused with Blessed Adolf, Bishop of Osnabrück; dates uncertain, probably late 7th–early 8th century) was an Anglo-Saxon missionary bishop associated with Saint Switbert of Kaiserswerth and the early Christian mission to the Old Saxons and Frisians in the Rhine delta region of present-day Germany and the Netherlands. He is commemorated in some local calendars and martyrologies as a confessor bishop. His feast day is February 17 in some traditions.
Adulf appears in the hagiographic tradition as one of the companions of Saint Switbert (also spelled Suitbert), an Anglo-Saxon missionary who worked alongside Saint Willibrord in the Frankish mission to the Frisians and Saxons c. 690–710 AD. Adulf's own biography is extremely thin, and he is primarily known through his association with this mission field. Some sources identify him as a bishop who labored in the missionary territories of the Lower Rhine.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Adulf
| Saint Adulf | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | February 17 |
| Profession | Missionary bishop |
| Rel. Affiliation | Early Christianity; Catholic Church; Anglo-Saxon missionary tradition |
| Attributes | Bishop's vestments; missionary cross |
| Birthplace | Unknown (probably Anglo-Saxon England) |
| Death Place | Rhine delta region (present-day Germany/Netherlands) |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes; confessor bishop |
| Primary Shrine | Lower Rhine region |
| Liturgical Class | Not included in the General Roman Calendar |
| Historic Class | Not included |
Biography
Birth
The birthplace and birth date of Saint Adulf cannot be confirmed from available historical sources. He was probably of Anglo-Saxon origin, as many of the missionaries who worked in the Rhine delta region in the late seventh and early eighth centuries were Anglo-Saxons following the model of Saints Wilfrid and Willibrord.
Early Life
No details of Saint Adulf's early life are preserved in available sources.
Occupation
Saint Adulf is associated with the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Old Saxons and Frisians in the Rhine delta region, in the period around 690–710 AD. He is linked with Saint Switbert, one of Saint Willibrord's missionary companions who was consecrated bishop by Saint Wilfrid of York and who founded the monastery of Kaiserswerth on the Rhine.
Vocation
Saint Adulf's vocation was that of a missionary bishop in the frontier territories of early medieval Christianity in northwestern Europe.
Death
Saint Adulf died, probably in the early eighth century, in the missionary territories of the Lower Rhine. No further details of his death are documented in available sources.
Significant events
- Associated with the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Frisians and Saxons in the Rhine delta region.
- Companion of Saint Switbert of Kaiserswerth in the missionary tradition of Saint Willibrord.
- Venerated locally in the Lower Rhine region.
- Feast day: February 17 in some local calendars.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: None
Death location: Rhine delta region (present-day Germany/Netherlands)
Notable location: Missionary territory of his labors (Lower Rhine region, Germany/Netherlands)
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Dynamic content
Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Saint Adulf have been added to the database yet.
Media
No media found for this saint.
Shrines
Dynamic shrines
No results
No shrines where this saint is the primary saint.
List of shrines
No shrines formally dedicated to Saint Adulf have been identified in available sources.
Canonization
Servant of God
Recognized by ancient local tradition in the Lower Rhine region.
Venerable
Not applicable.
Beatification
Not applicable.
Canonization
Recognized through ancient local tradition.
Miracles
No specific miracles attributed to Saint Adulf are documented in available sources.
Miracle for beatification
Not applicable.
Miracle for canonization
Not applicable.
Patronage
No specific patronage is assigned to Saint Adulf.
Feast day
February 17 (in some local calendars)
Veneration
Saint Adulf is venerated locally in the Lower Rhine tradition as a missionary bishop-confessor of the early Anglo-Saxon mission.
Prayers
Authored
There are prayers authored by this saint in prayers list yet.
Intercessory
There are no prayers asking for this saint's intercession in prayers list yet.
External links
References
- Local Lower Rhine hagiographic tradition.
- Levison, Wilhelm. England and the Continent in the Eighth Century. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946.