St. Kjeld

Kjeld (Latin: Chetillus, Ketillus, Danish: Keld, Kjeld; fl. 1145–d. 1150) was a 12th-century Danish clergyman. He is venerated as a saint in Denmark, by both Catholics and Danish Lutherans.

Kjeld was born in the early 12th century to wealthy parents, who lived on a farm in the Randers area. He was a godly boy, and it was soon decided that he should have a future in the church. He was sent to Viborg, where he joined the cathedral chapter at the cathedral. The cathedral chapter was the place where priests were trained and while they lived as canons at the cathedral they were in charge of the worship services at the cathedral, and assisted the bishop in his administrative work. Canons lived in a monastic community under Augustine's Rule and they were led by a dean.

Kjeld thrived in the cathedral chapter, where he was elected as head of the cathedral chapter school and around 1145 he was elected dean of the other canons. Kjeld was apparently a very caring, generous, and compassionate man who gave all he managed for the sick, poor, and needy. It is told in his biography that when Viborg city in 1145 was threatened by fire, Kjeld ran to the tower of the cathedral, where he prayed fervently to God to spare the city and the church, after which the fire raging slowed noticeably.

Despite the fact that the canons had chosen Kjeld as their dean, there soon came disputes between them and him, apparently because they did not like his generous distribution of the cathedral chapter funds to the poor. The canons elected a new dean and Kjeld moved to Aalborg for a while. Though Kjeld was popular in Aalborg he longed for spreading the Christian faith and the ability to achieve martyrdom among the Wends. He went on a pilgrimage to Rome, where he visited the tombs of the Apostles and had an audience with Pope Eugene III (1145-1153). He sought the pope's permission to go on a mission among the Wends, but although he got the authorization, the Pope expressed that he would rather see Kjeld return to Viborg and continue his work as dean of the cathedral chapter. The Pope wrote to the cathedral chapter who had to bow and take Kjeld back. But soon after, in 1150, Kjeld died in Viborg and was buried in the cathedral.

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