Offsite Post: ‘St Ansgar in the Prairies and in the Frost’

 

Draw up the dividing line,

North to south in the middle

Of the stormy sea, a mirror

Image on each side:  To the east

Germany and Scandinavia;

To the west, the Great Plains

Of North America,

From Kansas to North Dakota,

Over to Wisconsin,

And later into Manitoba,

Fanning out through Canada:

Germans, Swedes, Danes, and Norse

Living their ancient life

On both sides of the Atlantic –

‘Ope’ spoken by the tongue

And lutefisk ready on the plate;

Hamburgs, Bremens, and Malmos

Spread across the Midwest,

Home to Meyerses, Nelsons,

Schmitzes, Schneiders –

One body united across the ocean,

Sharing a common father

In the ever young and ancient

Orthodox Church,

Saint Ansgar the Enlightener,

Apostle of the northern lands,

Overthrower of idols,

Powerful preacher,

Worker of wonders.

 . . .

The rest is at https://www.newenglishreview.org/articles/st-ansgar-in-the-prairies-and-the-frost/.

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Details about St Ansgar (+865) are available at this page:

https://orthodoxwiki.org/Ansgar

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Holy Ælfred the Great, King of England, South Patron, pray for us sinners at the Souð, unworthy though we are!

Anathema to the Union!