Albert of Louvain

Who was Albert of Louvain?

Saint Albert of Louvain or Albert of Leuven was Prince-Bishop of Liège from 22 September 1191 till January 1192. He was canonized in 1613.

He was a son of Godfrey III, Count of Leuven, and brother of Henry I, Duke of Lorraine and Brabant, and was chosen Bishop of Liège in 1191 by the people and the Church. Emperor Henry VI proposed his own choice, causing Albert to journey to Rome to appeal to Celestine III. The pope ordained him a deacon and sent him to the Archbishop of Rheims. The archbishop ordained Albert a priest and consecrated him as a bishop. Outside of Rheims, Albert was accosted by eight followers of Henry VI, who stabbed him to death. It is unsure in what year Albert was killed.

His feast day is 21 November. His body reposed at Rheims until 1612, when the Archduke Albert of Austria had the body moved to Brussels. His relics were shared with the Cathedral of Liège in 1822.

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed.. "St. Albert". Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company.