lives of the british saints

376 Pages·2009·1.13 MB·English

by  Vladimir Moss

LIVES OF THE BRITISH SAINTS
Vladimir Moss
Copyright: Vladimir Moss, 2009
1. SAINTS ACCA AND ALCMUND, BISHOPS OF HEXHAM ......................5
2. SAINT ADRIAN, ABBOT OF CANTERBURY...............................................8
3. SAINT ADRIAN, HIEROMARTYR BISHOP OF MAY and those with him
....................................................................................................................................9
4. SAINT AIDAN, BISHOP OF LINDISFARNE...............................................11
5. SAINT ALBAN, PROTOMARTYR OF BRITAIN.........................................16
6. SAINT ALCMUND, MARTYR-KING OF NORTHUMBRIA ....................20
7. SAINT ALDHELM, BISHOP OF SHERBORNE...........................................21
8. SAINT ALFRED, MARTYR-PRINCE OF ENGLAND ................................27
9. SAINT ALPHEGE, HIEROMARTYR ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
..................................................................................................................................30
10. SAINT ALPHEGE “THE BALD”, BISHOP OF WINCHESTER...............41
11. SAINT ASAPH, BISHOP OF ST. ASAPH’S ................................................42
12. SAINTS AUGUSTINE, LAURENCE, MELLITUS, JUSTUS, HONORIUS
AND DEUSDEDIT, ARCHBISHOPS OF CANTERBURY..............................43
13. SAINTS BALDRED AND BALDRED, MONKS OF BASS ROCK ...........54
14. SAINT BATHILD, QUEEN OF FRANCE....................................................55
15. SAINT BEDE “THE VENERABLE” OF JARROW .....................................57
16. SAINT BENIGNUS (BEONNA) OF GLASTONBURY..............................60
17. SAINT BEUNO, ABBOT OF CLYNNOG....................................................62
18. SAINT BIRINUS, BISHOP OF DORCHESTER-ON-THAMES ................65
19. SAINT BIRNSTAN (BIRSTAN, BEORNSTAN), BISHOP OF
WINCHESTER.......................................................................................................67
20. SAINT BOISIL, ABBOT OF MELROSE .......................................................68
21. SAINTS BOTOLPH, ABBOT, AND ADOLPH, BISHOP, OF IKANHOE
..................................................................................................................................70
22. SAINT CEDD, BISHOP OF ESSEX...............................................................72
23. SAINT CEOLWULF, MONK OF LINDISFARNE......................................74
24. SAINT CLYDOG, MARTYR-PRINCE OF EWYAS....................................75
25. SAINT CONGAR, BISHOP OF CONGRESBURY .....................................76
26. SAINT CONSTANTINE, MONK-MARTYR OF CORNWALL ...............78
27. SAINT CREDAN, ABBOT OF EVESHAM..................................................80
28. SAINT CUTHBURGA, ABBESS OF WIMBORNE.....................................81
29. SAINT CUTHMANN, HERMIT OF STEYNING .......................................82
30. SAINTS CYNEBURGA, CYNESWITHA AND TIBBA, NUNS OF
MERCIA .................................................................................................................84
31. SAINT DECUMAN, MONK-MARTYR OF WATCHET...........................85
32. SAINT DIUMA, BISHOP OF MERCIA .......................................................86
33. SAINT DONNAN (DONAN), HIEROMARTYR OF THE ISLE OF EIGG
and those with him ...............................................................................................87
34. SAINT DUNSTAN, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY..........................88
35. SAINT EANSWYTHE, ABBESS OF FOLKESTONE................................103
36. SAINT EATA, BISHOP OF HEXHAM ......................................................105
37. SAINT EBBA, ABBESS OF COLDINGHAM ............................................106
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38. SAINT EDBURGA, NUN OF WINCHESTER ..........................................108
39. SAINT EDGAR “THE PEACEABLE”, KING OF ENGLAND ...............110
40. SAINT EDITH OF POLESWORTH............................................................111
41. SAINT EDITH, NUN OF WILTON............................................................112
42. SAINT EDMUND, MARTYR-KING OF EAST ANGLIA and those with
him ........................................................................................................................117
43. SAINT EDWARD THE CONFESSOR, KING OF ENGLAND...............129
44. SAINT EDWARD THE MARTYR, KING OF ENGLAND .....................153
45. SAINT EDWIN, MARTYR-KING OF NORTHUMBRIA ........................163
46. SAINT EDWOLD, HERMIT OF CERNE ...................................................165
47. SAINT EGBERT, BISHOP, OF IONA.........................................................167
48. SAINT EGWIN, BISHOP OF WORCESTER .............................................170
49. SAINT ELGIVA, QUEEN OF ENGLAND ................................................176
50. SAINTS ERKENWALD, BISHOP OF LONDON, AND ETHELBURGA,
ABBESS OF BARKING.......................................................................................177
51. SAINT ETHELBERT, MARTYR-KING OF EAST ANGLIA ...................183
52. SAINTS ETHELDREDA, SEXBURGA AND ERMENHILDA, QUEENS
AND ABBESSES OF ELY, AND HUNA, PRIEST-HERMIT OF HONEY
HILL......................................................................................................................188
53. SAINTS ETHELFLEDA AND MORWENNA, ABBESSES OF ROMSEY
................................................................................................................................193
54. SAINTS ETHELRED AND ETHELBRICHT, MARTYR-PRINCES OF
KENT ....................................................................................................................195
55. SAINT ETHELRED, MARTYR-KING OF WESSEX ................................197
56. SAINT ETHELWIN, HERMIT OF ATHELNEY.......................................198
57. SAINT ETHELWOLD, BISHOP OF WINCHESTER and those with him
................................................................................................................................199
59. SAINT ETHILWALD, HERMIT OF FARNE ............................................211
60. SAINT FELIX, BISHOP OF DUNWICH....................................................212
61. SAINT FERGUS, BISHOP OF GLAMIS.....................................................213
62. SAINTS FINAN, EDBERT, EDFRITH AND ETHILWALD, BISHOPS OF
LINDISFARNE ....................................................................................................214
63. SAINT FRIDESWIDE, ABBESS OF OXFORD ..........................................216
64. SAINT FRITHESTAN, BISHOP OF WINCHESTER................................218
65. SAINT FURSEY, ABBOT OF BURGH CASTLE .......................................219
67. SAINT GRIMBALD, ABBOT OF WINCHESTER ....................................223
68. SAINT HEDDA, BISHOP OF WINCHESTER..........................................225
69. SAINT HELIER, MONK-MARTYR OF JERSEY.......................................226
70. HOLY HIEROMARTYRS AND MONK-MARTYRS OF IONA.............230
71. SAINT HILDA, ABBESS OF WHITBY.......................................................233
72. SAINT HYBALD, ABBOT OF HYBALDSTOW .......................................235
73. SAINT ISHMAEL, BISHOP OF MENEVIA ..............................................236
74. SAINT ISSUI, MONK-MARTYR OF PATRICIO......................................237
75. SAINT IWI, HIERODEACON OF LINDISFARNE..................................238
76. SAINT JOHN OF BEVERLEY, BISHOP OF YORK..................................239
77. SAINT JUSTINIAN, HIEROMARTYR OF RAMSEY ISLAND..............244
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78. SAINT KENELM, MARTYR-KING OF MERCIA....................................247
79. SAINT LIDE, BISHOP OF THE SCILLY ISLES ........................................249
80. SAINT MAGLORIUS (MAGLOIRE), BISHOP OF SARK .......................251
81. SAINT MAUGHOLD (MACCALD), BISHOP OF THE ISLE OF MAN
and those with him .............................................................................................253
82. SAINT MELOR (MYLOR), MARTYR-PRINCE OF BRITTANY............256
83. SAINT MILDBURGA, ABBESS OF MUCH WENLOCK........................259
84. SAINT MILDGYTHA, NUN OF NORTHUMBRIA ................................265
85. SAINT MILDRED, ABBESS OF THANET IN KENT ..............................266
86. SAINT NATHALAN, BISHOP, OF ABERDEEN .....................................270
87. SAINT NECTAN, MONK-MARTYR OF HARTLAND..........................271
88. SAINT NEOT, ABBOT OF CORNWALL..................................................278
90. SAINT ODA “THE GOOD”, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY ........284
91. SAINT OLAF, MARTYR-KING OF NORWAY........................................287
92. SAINT OSWALD, MARTYR-KING OF NORTHUMBRIA ....................293
93. SAINT OSWALD, ARCHBISHOP OF YORK...........................................299
94. SAINT OSYTH, MARTYR-ABBESS OF CHICH ......................................305
95. SAINTS PAULINUS AND ITHAMAR, BISHOPS OF ROCHESTER ...307
96. SAINT PEGA, HERMITESS OF PEAKIRK ...............................................310
97. SAINT RUMWOLD, INFANT OF BUCKINGHAM................................312
98. SAINTS SIDWELL AND JUTHWARA, VIRGIN-MARTYRS OF EXETER
................................................................................................................................314
99. SAINTS SIGBERT AND SEBBI, MONKS OF EAST ANGLIA ...............317
100. SAINT SIGFRID, BISHOP OF VAXJO AND ENLIGHTENER OF
SWEDEN and those with him...........................................................................320
101. SAINT SWITHUN, BISHOP OF WINCHESTER ...................................323
102. SAINT TEWDRIG, MARTYR-KING OF GWENT .................................331
103. SAINT THEODORE, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY....................333
104. SAINT WALBURGA, ABBESS OF HEIDENHEIM ...............................336
105. SAINT WALSTAN, LAYMAN OF TAVERHAM ..................................338
106. SAINT WENDREDA, HERMITESS OF MARCH ..................................340
107. SAINT WERBURGA, ABBESS OF CHESTER ........................................341
108. SAINT WILLIAM, BISHOP OF ROSKILDE ...........................................344
109. SAINT WINIFRED, VIRGIN-MARTYR OF HOLYWELL ....................345
110. SAINT WISTAN, MARTYR-KING OF MERCIA...................................347
111. SAINT WITHBURGA, HERMITESS OF EAST DEREHAM.................348
112. SAINT WULFHILDA, ABBESS OF BARKING ......................................349
113. SAINT WULSIN, BISHOP OF SHERBORNE .........................................354
114. SAINT IVO, BISHOP OF ST. IVE’S ..........................................................360
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1. SAINTS ACCA AND ALCMUND, BISHOPS OF HEXHAM
Our holy Father Acca as a young man joined the household of Bosa, bishop
of York, and later became a disciple of the great St. Wilfrid, bishop of York
and later of Hexham. For thirteen years he accompanied his teacher on his
journeys through England and on the continent, and was a witness at his holy
repose. And when Wilfrid died, in 709, he became his successor as abbot and
bishop of Hexham in Northumbria.
The Venerable Bede called Acca "the dearest and best loved of all bishops
on this earth." Bede also praised his theological library and dedicated several
of his works to him. On becoming bishop of Hexham Acca completed three of
Wilfrid's smaller churches and splendidly adorned his cathedral at Hexham,
providing it with ornaments of gold, silver and precious stones, and
decorating the altars with purple and silk. Moreover, he invited an excellent
singer called Maban who had been taught church harmony at Canterbury to
teach himself and the people. He himself was a chanter of great skill.
In 732 Acca either retired or was expelled from his see, and later became
bishop of Whithorn in Southern Scotland. He died on October 20, 740, and
was buried near the east wall of his cathedral in Hexham. Parts of two stone
crosses which were placed at his tomb still survive.
In about 1030, Alfred Westow, a Hexham priest and a sacrist at Durham,
translated the relics of St. Acca, following a Divine revelation, to a place of
more fitting honour in the church. At that time the saint's vestments were
found in all their pristine freshness and strength, and were displayed by the
brethren of the church for the veneration of the faithful. Above his chest was
found a portable altar with the inscription Almae Trinitati, agiae Sophiae,
sanctae Mariae. This also was the object of great veneration. Many miracles
were wrought through this saint. Those attempting to infringe the sanctuary
of his church were driven off in a wondrous and terrible manner, and those
who tried to steal relics were prevented from doing so.
A brother of the church by the name of Aldred related the following story.
When he was an adolescent and was living in the house of his brother, a
priest, he was once asked by his brother to keep an eye on some relics of St.
Acca which he had wrapped in a cloth and laid on the altar of St. Michael in
the southern porch of the church. Then it came into the mind of Aldred that a
certain church (we may guess that it was Durham) would be greatly enriched
by the bones of St. Acca. So, after prostrating himself on the ground and
praying the seven penitential psalms, he entered the porch with the intention
of taking them away. Suddenly he felt heat as of fire which thrust him back in
great trepidation. Thinking that he had approached with insufficient
reverence and preparation, he again prostrated himself and poured forth still
more ardent prayers to the Lord. But on approaching a second time he felt a
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still fiercer heat opposing him. Realizing that his intention was not in
accordance with the will of God, he withdrew.
Our holy Father Alcmund was bishop of Hexham from 767 to 781, reposed
on September 7, 781, and was buried next to St. Acca. In 1032, he appeared by
night to a certain very pious man by the name of Dregmo who lived near the
church at Hexham. Wearing pontifical vestments and holding a pastoral staff
in his hand, he nudged Dregmo with it and said:
"Rise, go to Alfred, son of Westow, a priest of the Church of Durham, and
tell him to transfer my body from this place to a more honourable one within
the church. For it is fitting that those whom the King of kings has vested with
a stole of glory and immortality in the heavens should be venerated by those
on earth."
Dregmo asked: "Lord, who are you?"
He replied: "I am Alcmund, bishop of the Church of Hexham, who was, by
the grace of God, the fourth after blessed Wilfrid to be in charge of this place.
My body is next to that of my predecessor, the holy bishop Acca of venerable
memory. You also be present at its translation with the priest."
After saying this, he disappeared. The next morning, Dregmo went to the
priest Alfred and related everything in order. He joyfully assembled the
people, told them what had happened, and fixed a day for the translation. On
the appointed day they lifted the bones from the tomb, wrapped them in linen
and placed them on a bier; but since the hour for celebrating the Divine
Liturgy had passed, they placed the holy relics in the porch of St. Peter at the
western end of the church, intending to transfer them the following day with
psalms and hymns and the celebration of the Divine Liturgy.
But that night, the priest Alfred, who was keeping vigil with his clerics
around the holy body, rose when the others were sleeping and took a part of
the finger of the saint, intending to give it to the Church of Durham. The next
morning a great multitude came to the translation. But when the priest and
those with him came to lift the body, it was immovable. Thinking themselves
unworthy, they retired, and others came up. But they, too, were unable to lift
it. When noone was found who could lift it, the people looked at each other in
consternation, while the priest, still ignorant that he was the cause, exhorted
them to pray to God to reveal who was to blame for this. That night, St.
Alcmund appeared a second time to Dregmo, who had suddenly been
overwhelmed with sleep, and with a stern face said to him:
"What is this that you have wanted to do? Did you think to bring me back
into the church mutilated, when I served God and St. Andrew here in
wholeness of body and spirit? Go, therefore, and witness in the presence of all
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the people that what has unwisely been taken away from my body should be
restored, or else you will never be able to remove me from this place in which
I now am."
And when he had said this, he showed him his hand with part of the finger
missing. The next day, Dregmo stood in the middle of the people and told
them all that had been revealed to him in the night, vehemently urging that
the person who had presumed to do this should be punished. Then the priest,
perceiving that he was at fault, prostrated himself in the midst of the people
and revealed to them the motives for which he had committed the crime.
Begging for forgiveness, he restored that which he had taken away. Then the
clerics who were present came up and without any effort lifted the holy body
and transferred it into the church on August 6.
Later, Alfred translated a portion of the relics of Saints Acca and Alcmund,
together with portions of the relics of the other Northumbrian saints: the
hermits Baldred and Bilfrid, the Martyr-King Oswin, St. Boisil of Melrose, St.
Ebba of Coldingham and the Venerable Bede, to his church of Durham.
St. Acca is commemorated on October 20.
Holy Fathers Acca and Alcmund, pray to God for us!
(Sources: The Venerable Bede, Ecclesiastical History; Eddius Stephanus, Life of
St. Wilfrid; Simeon of Durham Opera Omnia, ed. T. Arnold, Rolls Series, 1882-
85, vol. II, pp. 36-37, 51-52; History of the Church of Durham, ch. 42; David
Farmer, The Oxford Dictionary of Saints, Oxford: Clarendon, 1978, pp. 1-2, 10)
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2. SAINT ADRIAN, ABBOT OF CANTERBURY
Our holy Father Adrian was a native of North Africa "well versed," as the
Venerable Bede says, "in the Holy Scriptures, trained both in monastic and
ecclesiastical ways and equally skilled in the Greek and Latin tongues". He
was living in the monastery of Nerida, near Naples in Italy, when Pope
Vitalian called on him to accept the see of Canterbury. However, St. Adrian
declined, saying he was unworthy of so exalted a rank, and suggested instead
the elderly monk Theodore, a native of Tarsus in Cilicia. The pope accepted
his suggestion, but only on condition that he accompanied St. Theodore to
England. For, as Bede says, "he had already travelled twice through Gaul on
various missions and was therefore better acquainted with the road and had
an adequate number of followers; also, being a fellow labourer in his teaching
work, he would take great care to prevent Theodore from introducing into the
church over which he presided any Greek customs which might be contrary
to the true faith [Bede probably means the Monothelite heresy then raging in
the East]. So on May 27, 668 Saints Theodore and Adrian set off together for
England. They went by sea to Marseilles and then by land to Arles. They were
detained for some time in France by Ebroin, Mayor of the palace of Neustria,
who suspected them of being agents of the Byzantine emperor. However, on
May 27, 669 the two saints arrived in Canterbury.
St. Theodore immediately placed St. Adrian in charge of the monastery of
St. Peter in Canterbury, where he taught Greek and Latin and all the
ecclesiastical sciences, educating a whole generation of English churchmen.
He reposed on January 9, 710, and his tomb was glorified by miracles. In 1091,
when repairs were being carried out to the church buildings in Canterbury,
his tomb was opened and his body was found to be incorrupt.
St. Adrian is commemorated on January 9.
Holy Father Adrian, pray to God for us!
(Sources: The Venerable Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People, IV, 1,2;
David Farmer, The Oxford Dictionary of Saints, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1978,
p. 3)
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3. SAINT ADRIAN, HIEROMARTYR BISHOP OF MAY and
those with him
The Breviary of Aberdeen has the following information about St. Adrian:-
“St. Adrian was born in the parts of Hungary and province of Pannonia; he
was of royal descent, and of episcopal rank; his diligence in the sacred order
being attested by the many clerics and seculars who were his companions.
Desiring to benefit other nations, and inflamed with zeal for the Christian
religion, he betook himself to the eastern parts of Scotia, then occupied by the
Picts, having along with him 6606 companions, among whom the most
notable were Glodianus, who was crowned with martyrdom, Gayus, and
Monanus, white-robed confessors, Stolbrandus and other bishops, adorned
with the mitre. The names of the rest are written in purple blood in the book
of life. These did many signs and wonders in the midst of the Picts, but at
length desiring a habitation of their own, they expelled the demons and wild
beasts from the Island of Maya [May, in the Firth of Forth, off the east coast of
Scotland], and there made a place of prayer. They occupied themselves in
devotion until the Danes, who had devastated all Britannia, which is now
called Anglia, landed on the island, when the holy confessors of God opposed
them with the spiritual weapons of the heavenly warfare. The enemy not
brooking this, fell violently on the blessed Adrian, the victim of the Lord, with
swords, and crowned him with a glorious martyrdom; and in order that
concerning them the words of the prophet should be verified anew, where the
disconsolate Rachel is said to have bewailed her children, these most cruel
executioners made an attack upon that holy and heavenly multitude who
persevered in the confession of Christ, and who, like sheep, fell before their
swords in the Isle of May, where the martyrs of God, who in this life loved to
serve Him together, in death were not separated. There was one spirit in them
and one faith. In that Isle of May there was anciently erected [by King David I
of Scotland] a monastery of fair course masonry, which was destroyed by the
Angles, but the church remains to this day much visited for its miracles by the
people, and thither women come in hopes of offspring. There is also a
celebrated cemetery, where the bodies of the martyrs repose.”
In spite of the Breviary’s declaration that St. Adrian came from Hungary,
other sources claim that he was an Irish bishop without a see, and that he
had, not 6606, but 100 companions (Fordun). According to Boece, these
companions included both Scots and Englishmen, which leads some to
surmise that the Englishmen may have come from the church of St. Acca,
Bishop of Hexham, who, on being driven from his see, founded a bishopric
among the Picts in 732. The date of the martyrdom is given as March 4, 875,
which accords with information from other sources that a battle between the
Scots and the pagan Danes under Halfdun took place in that year, many Scots
being killed. In some lists, St. Adrian is given as the first bishop of St.
Andrews.
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St. Adrian is commemorated on March 4.
Holy Hieromartyr Adrian and those with you, pray to God for us!
(Sources: David Farmer, The Oxford Dictionary of Saints, Oxford: The
Clarendon Press, 1978, p. 4; John Marsden, The Fury of the Northmen, London:
Kyle Cathie, 1996, p. 153; Alexander Forbes, Calendars of Scottish Saints,
Edinburgh: Edmonston & Douglas, 1872, pp. 266-268)
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