S. Amandus having resigned the see of Maestricht into the hands of S. Remacle, to resume his first vocation of mission work in the Low Countries, went to Rome to obtain the approval of his design by pope Martin. The pope not only approved of it, but gave him Landoald, a priest of the Roman Church, of Lombard family, to accompany and assist him in his work. S. Amandus was also joined by the deacon Amantius. They left Rome, and after visiting some of the monasteries of France, arrived in the country between the Meuse and the Scheldt, where S. Remacle met S. Amandus, and persuaded him to allow him to keep Landoald with him to assist him in the work of evangelising his diocese. Landoald had a large field for the exercise of his zeal in the diocese of Maestricht, only partially converted to the faith. A rich man named Aper gave him a piece of land at Wintershoven, on the river Herck, to the west of Maestricht, where he built a church, which he dedicated to S. Peter, in 659. Landoald continued his labours under S. Theodard, the successor of S. Remacle, making Wintershoven his head-quarters, and sending from time to time one of his little community to Maestricht to beg. One of his disciples, Adrian by name, was returning from his quest of alms, when he was waylaid by some robbers, and murdered. S. Landoald did not long survive him, and there is reason to believe that he died before S. Lambert succeeded, in the see of Maestricht, to S. Theodard, who was martyred in 668. He was buried in the church of Wintershoven, but his body was taken up in 735, and transported into Maestricht, but from fear of the Normans it was concealed, and taken up again along with the bodies of S. Amantius and S. Adrian, by Euraculus, bishop of Liége, but they were claimed by the monks of S. Bavo, at Ghent, who were proprietors of Wintershoven, and the bodies were translated to Ghent in 980.

S. ALKMUND, M.

(A.D. 800.)

[Anglican Martyrologies. Authorities:—Florence of Worcester, William of Malmesbury, Simeon of Durham, and Thurgot of Durham.]

A great discrepancy exists in the accounts given of this saint. Malmesbury is certainly not to be trusted in his relation, and we must follow the account of Simeon of Durham. Ceolwulf, king of Northumbria, abdicated in 737, and was succeeded by Egbert, who was succeeded in 758 by his brother Osulf, who was killed in 759, leaving a son, named Ethelwald. He was succeeded, not by his son Ethelwald, but by another Ethelwald, surnamed Moll, who was banished in 765, when Alcred, son of Eanwin, a descendant of Ida, came to the throne. He was banished in 774, and the crown rested on the head of Ethelred, son of Ethelwald Moll, who was banished in 779, and succeeded by Ethelwald, son of Osulf. But this Ethelwald was killed in 788, whereupon Osred, son of Alcred, came to the throne. Osred's younger brother was S. Alkmund, the subject of this memoir. But Osred was deposed, in 790, by Ethelred, son of Ethelwald Moll, who had been exiled in 779, and this king put Osred to death in 792; and Alkmund, in 800, was murdered by order of king Eardulf, who came to the throne in 797, after the assassination of Ethelred in 796.

Alkmund had spent some years in banishment among the Picts, and was loved and revered for his spotless innocence and gentleness in a period of crime and violence. Harpsfield, following Radulph Diceto, says Alkmund fell in battle against the West Saxons, which is certainly wrong. He also makes Alkmund the son of Ethelred, which is also a mistake; and Malmesbury calls his father Alfred. The name probably was Alcfred.

S. Alkmund was buried at Lilleshut, in Shropshire, but his body was afterwards translated to Derby, and he is honoured as the patron of that town.

[March 20.]

S. Joachim, Father of the B. Virgin Mary.
SS. Photina, Joseph, Victor, and Companions, MM., 1st cent.
S. Archippus, Companion of S. Paul, 1st cent.
SS. Paul, Cyril, and Companions, MM. in Syria.
SS. Alexandra, Claudia, and Others, MM. at Amisa, 4th cent.
S. Urbicius, B. of Metz, circ. A.D. 420.
S. Martin, Archb. of Braga, in Portugal, A.D. 580.
S. Cuthbert, B. of Lindisfarne, A.D. 687.
S. Herbert, P.H. in an island of Derwentwater, A.D. 687.
S. Wulfram, B. of Sens, A.D. 741.
SS. John, Sergius, Cosmas, and Companions, Monks MM. in the Laura of S. Sabas, near Jerusalem, A.D. 797.
S. Nicetas, B.M. at Apollonia, 8th cent.
B. Ambrose, O.P. at Sienna, A.D. 1287.
B. Hippolytus Galantini, Founder of the Institute of Christian Brothers, at Florence, A.D. 1619.