Saint Willibrord was born in 658 in northern England and after his early studies at the Abbey of Ripon near York, he entered the Benedictine Order. At the age of 39, he was ordained a priest in Ireland. At that time, he felt a strong call to preach the gospel in the area we now call the Netherlands. He and about ten other monks set up a home base in a beautiful little valley known as Echternach. The land for this project was given to him by St. Irmina, a noble woman who had become a nun and an abbess after the death of her husband.

Willibrord went to Rome where he was consecrated a bishop, thus becoming the first bishop of Holland. He laboured many years as a missionary with great success but also with some big setbacks. Not one to give up easily he always managed to re-evenagelize areas that had been lost to the gospel because of hostile rulers in the areas.

St. Willibrord died at the age of 81 and was buried in Echternach, Luxembourg. Miracles have occurred at this tomb for many centuries. He is particularly revered as a saint to be invoked for the protection and cure of sick children especially those suffering from epilepsy.