Saint Ewald The Fair

Biography

Saint Ewald The Fair, also known as Hewald the Fair, was a priest who hailed from Northumbria, England. He studied in Ireland and there he became acquainted with another renowned saint, Willibrord of Echternach. In the late 7th century, Saint Ewald The Fair, along with Saint Ewald The Black, embarked on a courageous mission to bring Christianity to Saxony. Saxony was a pagan land, deeply rooted in its old religion, and the Saxons were resistant to embracing the teachings of Christianity. Despite the challenges, the Ewalds fearlessly carried out their mission, preaching the Gospel and spreading the message of Christ's love. However, their efforts were met with opposition and hostility from the pagan Saxons. The locals, fearing the abandonment of their old faith, subjected Saint Ewald The Fair and Saint Ewald The Black to unimaginable torture and eventually murdered them in cold blood. This brutal act of martyrdom took place around the year 690. The Saxon pagans, hoping to eliminate any trace of the saints, threw Saint Ewald The Fair's body into the River Rhine. However, miraculously, his remains were moved 40 miles upstream, to a spot where their friends were camping. His body was recovered, thus preserving the sacred relics. These holy relics were later translated to the church of Saint Cunibert in Cologne, Germany, by Duke Pepin of Austrasia. In 1121, some fragments of the relics were also taken to the Premonstratensian monastery of Florennes in the province of Namur by Saint Norbert. Tragically, during the 16th-century Reformation, when Anabaptists were rising in power, many of Saint Ewald The Fair's relics were destroyed. Despite this loss, his memory and sacrifice continue to inspire believers. Saint Ewald The Fair was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church, though this occurred before the formal establishment of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. His feast day is celebrated on October 3rd. Today, Saint Ewald The Fair is revered as a martyr and a shining example of unwavering faith and dedication to spreading the Good News. He is particularly venerated as the patron saint of Westphalia, a region in the present-day western part of Germany.