Anskar

(801-Feb. 3, 865). Also known as Ansgar, which means “God's Spear,” he is known as the Apostle to the Scandinavians and as the Apostle of the North. Born in Corbie, France, and educated at the monastery there, he went to Denmark as a missionary in 826 and established a school at Schleswig. From 829 to 831, he was a missionary in Sweden. In 831, Emperor Louis established a see at Hamburg, Germany, which was responsible for missionary work in Scandinavia and northern Germany. In 832, Pope Gregory IV appointed Anskar Bishop of Hamburg, and in 848 he became the first Archbishop of Bremen. Although there is some debate as to the long-term effectiveness of Anskar's work, he is the patron saint of Denmark. His life is commemorated in the Episcopal calendar of the church year on Feb. 3.