Ansgar preached the gospel in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and northern Germany. Born in Picardy, France, around 801, he attended the monastery in Corby and studied theology. After his studies, he joined the monastery at Corby. Then he engaged in missionary work with great zeal.
He was able to persuade King Harold of Denmark, who was in hiding at the time, to believe. When Harold returned to his hometown, he took Ansgar with him. That is how he got the opportunity to preach the gospel in Denmark. Around the same time, the King of Sweden invited Angar to his country for evangelistic preaching.
In 831, Pope Gregory IV appointed Ansgar as Bishop and Apostolic Nuncio to Hamburg. He then went on to achieve great success in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and northern Germany. In 845, a group of conquerors invaded Hamburg and completely destroyed it. With that, Sweden and Denmark turned to idolatry. Only in Germany did the lamp of faith go out. So Ansgar returned to Denmark and engaged in evangelism. As a result, there were promising gains.
In Sweden, however, the superstitious king wrote a letter to determine whether Christian missionaries should be allowed into his country. The quorum fell in favor of the missionaries. Taking advantage of that opportunity, the Ansgar traveled throughout Sweden with a few excellent apostles, preaching the Kingdom of God and establishing numerous churches.
Ansgar, who had undergone rigorous rituals, wore rough clothes. Often the feet of the poor were washed and food was served to them. Most days the only food was bread and water. He used to sing devotional songs composed by himself along with psalms. He died in Bremen at the age of sixty-seven.