As king of Denmark, St. Canute expanded the Church’s reach and power, and he is remembered as the first Danish saint—and the namesake of Notre Dame’s most famous football coach.

He was born in 1042, and ascended to the throne in 1080. He was ambitious and devout—he appropriated land for the Church and arranged for the support of clergy by enforcing tithes. He was generous in building churches and schools.

Canute was the grandson of another king Canute, who reigned over England, Denmark, and Norway in his age, and the young Canute imagined himself the rightful heir to this territory. He assembled his fleet to invade England in 1085, but was delayed by infighting and the attack was eventually abandoned.

Though he made the Church into a strong ally, he alienated his subjects by strictly enforcing tithes and the observance of feasts. A rebellion arose, and at one point, Canute was cornered by rebels in one of the churches he built. Canute received Communion and confessed his sins, even as bricks were being thrown through the windows. The rebels eventually broke through the doors and stormed inside, slaying Canute at the altar, along with his brother and 17 others.

Though he is noted as a martyr, it is not clear that he died for the faith, and his cause for sainthood might have been politically-motivated. Nevertheless, there were reports of miracles happening at his tomb. He was canonized in 1101, and as the first Danish saint, he is patron of Denmark. St. Canute is also the namesake of Notre Dame football coach, Knute Rockne (who immigrated from Norway).

Relics of St. Canute rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, and the image of his slaying is used here with permission from Catholic.org.

St. Canute, patron saint of Denmark and Notre Dame’s Knute Rockne—pray for us!