St. William of Roskilde

  Posted on September 2, 2019  by admin  No comments

Born: Anglo-Saxon

Died: 1067 of natural causes

Venerated: in Roman Catholic Church

Canonized: 21 January 1224 by Pope Honorius III

Feast: 2 September

Priest. Court chaplain to King Canute of England and Denmark. During a trip to Denmark, William saw a crying need for Christian missionaries, and he worked there the rest of his life. Bishop of Roskilde, Zeeland. He decreed that a person who had shed blood unjustly could not receive the sacraments until he had done public penance.

King Sweyn, who was one of the targets of this order, came to the cathedral with armed men. William stood at the door, armed only with his crozier. When the guards threatened to attack him, William offered no resistence. Sweyn asked forgiveness, and gave the church a gift of lands in token his penance.