Agilfrid (died 13 December 787) was a Roman Catholic bishop, who was an associate of

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

and served as the

Bishop of Liège A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

from 769 until his death in 787.

Biography

Agilfrid was born in the early 8th century into a noble

Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages, a group of Low Germanic languages also commonly referred to as "Frankish" varieties * Francia, a post-Roman ...

family, and has been said to be a relative of

. Due to no clarification of how Agilfrid was related to him, historians suggest that he was related through one of his wives. Agilfrid served as an

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the head of an independent monastery for men in various Western Christian traditions. The name is derived from ''abba'', the Aramaic form of the Hebrew ''ab'', and means "father". The female equivale ...

Saint-Amand Abbey Saint-Amand Abbey (''Abbaye de Saint-Amand''), once known as Elno, Elnon or Elnone Abbey, is a former Benedictine abbey in Saint-Amand-les-Eaux, Nord, France. History The abbey was founded around 633-639 in what was once a great tract of uni ...

and

Saint Bavo's Abbey Saint Bavo's Abbey () is a former abbey in the currently Belgium, Belgian city of Ghent. It was founded in the 7th century by Amandus, Saint Amand, who also founded Saint Peter's Abbey, Ghent, near the confluence of the Leie and Scheldt rivers. O ...

prior to his ascension to bishop, and is assumed to have retained the title of abbot during his episcopate. Sometime in 754, Agilfrid, while returning from

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, acquired and brought the

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

Pharaildis Saint Pharaildis or Pharailde () is an 8th-century Belgian virgin and patron saint of Ghent. Her dates are imprecise, but she lived to a great age and died on January 5 at ninety.Engelbert, Omer. ''The Lives of the Saints.'' Christopher and Ann ...

and Bavo of Ghent from

Lotharingia Lotharingia was a historical region and an early medieval polity that existed during the late Carolingian and early Ottonian era, from the middle of the 9th to the middle of the 10th century. It was established in 855 by the Treaty of Prüm, a ...

to Saint Bavo's Abbey, where they remain present to this day. Agilfrid was said to be well respected at the

courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary a ...

of Charlemagne, who granted him several franchises and considerable assets in favor of his church, and appointed Agilfrid as

in 769, replacing the previously deceased Fulcaire. Charlemagne also visited the

Diocese of Liège In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associated ...

on multiple occasions, celebrating

Easter Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...

. According to the '' Annales Laubacenses'', in 774, Agilfrid was entrusted by Charlemagne to handle the detention of

Desiderius Desiderius, also known as Daufer or Dauferius (born – died ), was king of the Lombards in northern Italy, ruling from 756 to 774. The Frankish king of renown, Charlemagne, married Desiderius's daughter and subsequently conquered his realm. De ...

and his wife Ansa. It has recently been suggested, that Agilfrid

sanctified Sanctified may refer to: *Sanctification, the process of making holy Music Albums * ''Sanctified'' (album), by Morgana Lefay, 1995 *''Sanctified'', by the Rance Allen Group, 1975 Songs * "Sanctified" (song), by Rick Ross featuring Big Sean and ...

the first church in

Osnabrück Osnabrück (; ; archaic English: ''Osnaburg'') is a city in Lower Saxony in western Germany. It is situated on the river Hase in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest. With a population of 168 ...

sometime from 783 to 787, which was a wooden church and served as the seat for the Diocese of Osnabrück at the time of establishment. Agilfrid died on 13 December 787 and was succeeded by Gerbald.

Notes

References

Works cited

* * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Agilfride 8th-century births 787 deaths 8th-century bishops 8th-century Frankish bishops Belgian Roman Catholic bishops