Ewald the Black
priest and martyr in Saxony
Feast: 3 October (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
In Saxony, in present-day Germany, two holy martyrs named Ewald, the first called the Black, the other the White: priests of English origin, formed on the example of Saint Willibrord and his companions, they crossed into Saxony and, having begun to preach Christ, were seized by the pagans and suffered martyrdom.
The miracles
There was never a formal cause: he has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.
Why that counted as sanctity
The Roman Martyrology remembers him on 3 October as an English-born priest who preached Christ in Saxony and was seized by the pagans and martyred.
Connected on this site
- Ewald le blanc et Ewald le noir Saint“The two Ewalds were priests from Northumbria who shared a name and were told apart as Ewald the Black and Ewald the Fair, from the colour of their hair.” — this site's research
- Roman Martyrology, 3 October (Italian Bishops' Conference, Santo del giorno)
- Wikidata Q28648434 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
Checked against the sources listed on 22 September 2026. Corrections welcome.