Saint Gregory of Utrecht

Abbot; b. about 707 or 708; d. 775 or 780. Gregory was born of a noble family at

Trier. His father Alberic was the son of Addula, who, as widow, was Abbess of

Pfalzel (Palatiolum) near Trier. On account of the similarity of names, and in

consequence of a forged last will, Addula has been frequently confounded with

Adala (Adela), daughter of Dagobert II of Austrasia--thus falsely making Gregory

a scion of the royal house of the Merovingians. He received his early education at

Pfalzel. When, in 722, St. Boniface passed through Trier on his way from Frisia

to Hessia and Thuringia, he rested at this convent. Gregory was called upon to

read the Sacred Scriptures at the meals. St. Boniface gave an explanation and

dwelt upon the merits of an apostolic life, in such warm and convincing terms

that the heart of Gregory was filled with enthusiasm. He announced his intention

of going with St. Boniface and nothing could move him from his resolution. He

now became the disciple and in time the helper of the great Apostle of Germany,

sharing his hardships and labours, accompanying him in all his missionary tours,

and learning from the saint the secret of sanctity. In 738 St. Boniface made his

third journey to Rome; Gregory went with him and brought back many valuable

additions for his library. About 750 Gregory was made Abbot of St. Martin's, in

Utrecht. In 744 St. Willibrord, the first Bishop of Utrecht, had died but had

received no successor. St. Boniface had taken charge and had appointed an

administrator. In 754 he started on his last missionary trip and took with him the

administrator, St. Eoban, who was to share his crown of martyrdom. After this

Pope Stephen II (III) and Pepin ordered Gregory to look after the diocese. For this

reason some (even the Mart. Rom.) call him bishop, though he never received

episcopal consecration. The school of his abbey, a kind of missionary seminary,

was now a centre of piety and learning. Students flocked to it from all sides:

Franks, Frisians, Saxons, even Bavarians and Swabians. England, though it had

splendid schools of its own, sent scholars. Among his disciples St. Liudger is

best known. He became the first Bishop of Munster later, and wrote the life of

Gregory. In it (Acta SS., Aug., V, 240) he extols the virtues of Gregory, his

contempt of riches, his sobriety, his forgiving spirit and his almsdeeds. Some

three years before Gregory's death, a lameness attacked his left side and

gradually spread over his entire body. At the approach of death he had himself

carried into church and there breathed his last. His relics were religiously kept at

Utrecht, and in 1421 and 1597 were examined at episcopal visitations. A large

portion of his head is in the church of St. Amelberga at Sustern, where an official

recognition took place 25 Sept., 1885, by the Bishop of Roermond (Anal. Boll.,

V, 162). A letter written by St. Lullus, Bishop of Mainz, to St. Gregory is still

extant (P.L., XCVI, 821).

Francis Mershman

Transcribed by Judy Levandoski

The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VII

Nihil Obstat, June 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor

Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York

The Catholic Encyclopedia: NewAdvent.org