Alberic of Utrecht

Who was Alberic of Utrecht?

Saint Alberic of Utrecht was a Benedictine monk and bishop of Utrecht, in what is today the Netherlands.

Alberic was the nephew of Saint Gregory of Utrecht. Little is known of Alberic before he joined the Order of Saint Benedict. It is known that he served as prior of the Cathedral of Saint Martin. When Gregory died in 775, Alberic succeeded his uncle as the bishop of Utrecht. His bishopric was noted for the success of its mission among the pagan Teutons, as well as the reorganization of the school of Utrecht. In addition, Alberic directed the mission of Ludger in Ostergau.

Alberic was a good friend of Alcuin, a teacher and poet from York, England, preeminent among the scholars of that era. This relationship likely speaks to Alberic's own intelligence, as the saint has been noted for his "encyclopedic knowledge of the faith."