Why did Paul become the patron saint of Münster Cathedral?

Before Liudger arrived in Münster, another missionary had already been active there. Consequently, upon Liudger’s arrival, there were already Christians and a church dedicated to St. Mary in the city; it was in this church that Liudger’s body was laid out after his death.

It remains uncertain whether Liudger built his own mission church in Münster in 793 or whether he (initially) continued to use an existing mission church established by a predecessor. The patron saint to whom this early mission church was dedicated is unknown. Liudger’s *Vita* (biography) records the founding of a monastery in Münster but makes no mention of the construction of a church.

Churches of that era were typically dedicated to the *Salvator* (Jesus) and the Mother of God. These dedications were followed by those of major saints whose relics were present.

Paul—the Role Model?

Tradition holds that Liudger held Paul in special reverence and that the choice of patronage originated with him. As a traveling missionary, Liudger placed himself within the tradition of the Apostles and great missionaries such as Willibrord and Boniface. All of them left their homelands to spread the Christian faith in foreign lands. For them, Paul was a significant source of inspiration and a figure with whom they identified.

However, mission churches and the sees of missionary bishops in the 8th and 9th centuries show no concentration of dedications to St. Paul. Paul was not considered the quintessential missionary patron at that time.

Liudger received an extensive education in York, which included an in-depth study of Pauline texts and teachings. While there, he was also taught by Alcuin, a prominent scholar and advisor to Charlemagne.

When Liudger consecrated a church in Dokkum following his education, he received the verses for the consecration from Alcuin himself. The church was dedicated both to Boniface—who had been killed there—and to the Apostle Paul. Liudger’s regard for Paul may thus have stemmed from his education in York as well as his own self-conception as a missionary. To choose Paul as patron, Liudger required one thing above all: relics of Paul.

The Relics of Paul

The cathedral in Münster possessed relics of Paul at an early date; the first mention of the cathedral’s dedication to Paul, in 889, refers to them. The relic could have arrived in Münster with Liudger. It is also possible that a missionary preceding Liudger brought relics of Paul to Münster.

A relic of Paul is a highly significant saintly relic. Within the missionary church—and subsequently the early cathedral—it would certainly have ranked among the most precious relics.

Did the relic of Paul thus establish the focus on the patronage of Paul from the very beginning? Was it perhaps brought to Münster for that specific purpose—precisely because Liudger intended to choose his role model as the cathedral’s patron?

When was the choice of patron made? Was it only upon the establishment of the episcopal church in 805, or as early as the missionary church founded in 793? If Paul was a deliberate choice on Liudger’s part, why did he choose this saint for Münster rather than for the proprietary church—and eventual burial site—he founded at Essen-Werden around 799?

Or did the presence of significant relics of Paul lead to him becoming the cathedral’s principal saint and namesake—from Liudger’s time through to 889—partly to distinguish it from the existing Church of St. Mary?

An English Model?

Liudger founded monasteries in both Münster and Essen-Werden. While Paul became the patron saint in Münster, Peter took on that role in Essen-Werden. Did Liudger deliberately split the pair of these two important apostles?

Liudger was familiar with a famous example from England. The double monastery of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow is located there; its dedication was divided between Saint Paul and Saint Peter.

The division—assigning Paul to Liudger’s missionary monastery and its church in Münster, and Peter (bearing the keys to heaven) to the burial site in Essen—appears logical.

However, there are significant differences in the layout of the English sites compared to the local ones. Furthermore, the dedications to these saints cannot be documented prior to the period following Liudger’s time.

Conclusion:

Based on the current evidence, there is no single, definitive explanation for the dedication of the Münster church to Saint Paul. It is possible that a combination of factors influenced this unique choice for a cathedral.