Celtic and Old English Saints 3 November =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= * St. Winifred of Holywell * St. Vulganius of Arras * St. Rumwald of Brackley * St. Cristiolus of Wales * St. Elerius of Wales * St. Tanglen of Scotland * St. Guenhael of Landevenec * St. Gwyddfarch of Moel yr Ancr =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
St. Gwenvrewi of Holywell, Abbess of Denbighshire, Wales (Winefride, Winifred, Winefride, Wenefrida, Gwenfrewi, Guinevra) --------------------------------------------------------------- Died c. 680. Winifred is evidently an historical personage, but it is equally true that her true story can no longer be reconstructed because the written information is too late to be reliable. Winefred was the daughter of Trevith, one of the chief advisers of the king of North Wales. Through her mother she is related to the Welsh saint Beuno, a holy priest. Her parents put her under instruction with this holy man, from whom she learned the heavenly doctrine with great eagerness. She grew daily in virtue and desired to shun all earthly things so that she might devote herself entirely to God. With the consent of her parents, she consecrated herself entirely to God by a vow of virginity, choosing Jesus Christ as her Spouse. Tradition says that a prince of that country named Caradoc (Caradog of Hawarden or Penarlag or Tegeingl in Flintshire) fell violently in love with her. One day finding her alone in the house where she was preparing things for use at the altar, her parents having already gone to the church service, he tried to seduce her. Winefred told him she was already espoused to another, but he would not leave her alone. Sensing his evil designs she excused herself on the plea that she must first adorn herself more becomingly. When she was free of him she escaped through her own chamber at the rear of the house and fled toward the church with all speed. The prince, tired of waiting and suspecting some kind of deceit, looking out of the house saw a figure hurrying along the valley. Violently angry at being deceived, he mounted his horse but was not able to overtake Winefred until she reached the door of the church. He was so angry that he raised his sword and struck her before she could enter. Hearing the tumult outside, Saint Beuno and her parents came out immediately, to find their dying child lying slain before them at their feet. The saint cursed the slayer, some writers saying that the ground opened and swallowed him up. The saint then praying to God, restored Winefred to life again. It was on this spot where her blood had flowed that a fountain gushed forth from the ground. On account of this blood-shedding she was always regarded as a martyr, though she lived for many years thereafter. The spot became known as Holywell, a place of pilgrimage for many succeeding ages, even to the present. After the death of Saint Beuno, having taken the veil, Saint Winefred went to live at the convent she established at Guthurin (Gwytherin in Denbigshire); there, with other holy virgins, she gave her life to God. (Another version says she succeeded Abbess Tenoi at the convent of a double monastery already on the site.) She died on June 24. In the 12th century (1138), her relics were taken from Guthurin to Shrewsbury and deposited with great honour in the Benedictine Abbey, founded there some 50 years earlier. Her cultus spread to England as well. Miracles were attested at Guthurin, Shrewsbury, as well as at Holywell (a.k.a. Treffynnon, Welltown). Her story was recorded by a monk named Elerius as early as 660. It can be safely said, however, from the names of her contemporaries, that she lived and died in the first half of the 7th century, about the same time as Saint Eanswith of Kent (Murray). At Holywell such vast quantities of water spring without interruption that it is estimated 24 tons are raised every minute, or 240 tons in less than 10 minutes. The water is always clear as crystal. No place was more famous for pilgrimages in the age of faith, where the divine mercy was implored through the intercession of Saint Winefred, who at that spot had glorified God and sanctified her own soul. Many extraordinary physical cures of leprosy, skin diseases, and other ailments are recorded up to the time of the wicked Reformation. Many authentic records of cures during the 17th century are also extant, so that the people still made pilgrimages there. Part of the beautiful Gothic building erected by Henry VII and his mother, the Countess of Derby, still remains. The people never forgot this holy place or the saint whom they invoked. During the last century the pilgrimages were revived. Pilgrimages to Saint Winefred's Well persisted after the Reformation, and they do to this day. Two poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins are devoted to this saint. There is evidence that the abbot Saint Beuno (f.d. April 21) was a man of importance, but is story, too, as written in 1346, is legendary. His name is particularly associated with Clynnog in Caernarvonshire, where sick people were still brought to his supposed burying-place towards the end of the 18th century. He may well have had a small monastery there (Attwater). In art Winefred is depicted as a Celtic maiden with a sword, fountain at her feet, and red ring around her neck where her head has been severed and restored. Sometimes she is shown with her head being restored by Saint Beuno, at others as an abbess with a ring around her neck, standing near the fountain (Roeder). She is venerated at Holywell, Wales. Reputed as abbess of Gwytherin, Denbighshire. Saint Beuno, Abbot, is chiefly venerated at Clynnog, Carnarvonshire (d. 630). (Attwater, Benedictines, Delaney, Encyclopaedia, Metcalf, Murray). Troparion of St Winefred tone 8 Caradog's anger struck off thy head, O pious Winefred,/ but by the prayers of the Wonderworker Beuno thy mutilated form was miraculously made whole and restored to life./ As thou didst dedicate thy life to God's service in thanksgiving for His abundant mercy,/ pray that we, never forgetting His mercy towards us, may live only for Him that our souls may be saved. Icon of Saint Winefred: http://www.allmercifulsavior.com/icons/Icons-Winifred.htm##1 Holywell - Clwyd by Roy Fry & Tristan Gray Hulse http://www.bath.ac.uk/lispring/sourcearchive/ns1/ns1tgh2.htm Winifred's Well: http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~dylanwad/StWinefride/Pamphlet.htm http://britannia.com/celtic/wales/sacred/winifred.html http://www.britannia.com/travel/barbaraballard/winifred.html http://castlewales.com/abbeys.html is a nice site of religious sites in Wales with some good pictures. Have a look especially at the link to St Winefride's well, the little chantry chapel above the well is where the annual Orthodox pilgrimage is held in October. "The Lives and Miracles of St. Winifred of Holywell and Shrewsbury." Translated by Hugh Feiss, OSB. Toronto: Peregrina Publishing Co, 1999. St. Vulganius (Wulganus, Vulmar) of Arras, Hermit --------------------------------------------------- Died c. 704. Saint Vulganius was an Irishman, Welshman, or Englishman (according to a manuscript at Lens he was born at Canterbury) who crossed over to France and evangelized the Atrebati. Finally he lived as a hermit at Arras, under the obedience of the abbot of Saint Vedast. Some refer to him as a bishop. A portion of his relics are kept at the abbey of Liesse, others at Lens (near Douai) of which he is patron. A claim was made that his body rested at Christ Church in Canterbury "in a chest on the beam beyond the altar of Saint Stephen." (Benedictines, Farmer, Husenbeth). St. Rumwold, Infant Prince of Northumbria (Rumwald, Rumbald) --------------------------------------------------- Born at Sutton (King's Sutton, Northants); date unknown; feast day at Brackley was August 28 (probably the date of the translation of his relics). Saint Rumwald, whose shrine existed at Buckingham before the Norman Conquest, was said to be the maternal grandson of King Penda of Mercia and the son of a pagan prince of Northumbria. His 11th-century Life relates that, in 650, the 3-day-old prince pronounced the creed aloud immediately after his baptism, preached a sermon on the Holy Trinity and the need for virtuous living, and then died. The year following his death, his relics were moved by Bishop Widerin (who had baptized him) to Brackley in Northamptonshire. Two years later, his bones were again translated to Buckingham. Rumwald was honoured with a cultus, chiefly in Northantshire and Buckingham. He was also revered at monasteries in Mercia, Wessex, and Sweden; however, his name is omitted from monastic calendars after 1100. Churches were dedicated to his memory in Kent, Essex, Northantshire, Lincolnshire, Dorset, and North Yorkshire (where there is also a Romaldkirk). The well of Saint Rumwald survives at Alstrop, Northantshire (Benedictines, Farmer, Husenbeth). In art he is shown in the midst of this miraculous act (Roeder). A statue of Rumwald at Boxley in Kent was destroyed during the Reformation. He is invoked by the fishermen of Folkestone as their patron (Farmer). St. Cristiolus of Wales --------------------------------------------------- 7th century. Brother of Saint Sulian (f.d. September 1) and founder of churches in Pembrokeshire and Anglesey (Benedictines). St. Elerius, Prior in North Wales --------------------------------------------------- 6th century. A Welsh saint, mentioned in the legends concerning Saint Winefred (f.d. today). He is supposed to have presided over a monastery in northern Wales (Benedictines). St. Englat, Abbot of Tarves, Scotland (Englatiis, Tanglen) --------------------------------------------------- Died 966. The Scottish Saint Englatius, said by some to have been a bishop, lived at Tarves in Aberdeenshire (Benedictines). St. Guenhael of Landevenec, Abbot --------------------------------------------------- Died c. 550. Guenhael, meaning "white angel," was born in Brittany and educated at Landevenec under Saint Winwaloe (Guenole, f.d. March 3). In due course he became abbot there (Benedictines). St. Gwyddfarch, Hermit of Moel yr Ancr, Wales --------------------------------------------------- A number of ascetics chose the tops of hills. One such was the hermit and monastic founder St Gwyddfarch. We know little about his early life beyond the fact that he was part of the community founded by his spiritual father, St Llywelyn at Trallwng (Tre = town, Llwng = Llywelyn, i.e. Llywelyn's Town), now know in English as Welshpool. This was at some point during the sixth century. It was part of the "Eastern Mission" i.e. the influx of Christian Britons into Wales from what is now Shropshire and probably in particular from the town of Wroxeter (Uriconium). >From Trallwng Gwyddfarch set out into rather wilder country to the North East and settled in the Vyrnwy Valley near to the present-day village of Meifod. Above this valley is a solitary, steep-sided hill and it was close to the summit of this that Gwyddfarch built his cell, lived and finally died. It was here that he was buried and he is still there to this day. The hill is now known as Moel yr Ancr (the bald hill of the anchorite). Looking at the setting today it is astonishingly beautiful and pastoral and shows little signs of being a desert. In winter, however, when there is a cold East wind one can better appreciate that living on the top of that hill surrounded by wolf-infested woods was hard, cold and uncomfortable - not so far off the deserts of North Africa! St Gwyddfarch is commemorated on November 3rd. The above is from " The Deserts of Britain" by Fr Stephen Maxfield http://www.nireland.com/orthodox/deserts.htm Additional information from "History of the Church of the Holy Fathers" by Fr Stephen Maxfield http://www.shorthodox.freeserve.co.uk/History.htm ...With the withdrawal of the legions at the beginning of the fifth century a period of considerable political instability followed. However Viroconium continued to flourish for some time. For instance St Germanus of Auxerre came to Britain to counter the teachings of the heresiarch Pelagius in 429 and again in 447. He certainly visited Viroconium, indeed it seems to have been the base for his mission into what is now mid and north Wales: The last British Archbishop of London, Theonas (Teon) fled to Viroconium in 586 when London fell to the pagan Saxons. The range of hills known now as the Stiperstones are called, in Welsh, Carneddi Teon in memory of him. Some of Teon's disciples, including his grandson St Llywelyn, started a monastery at Welshpool, and their mission helped convert mid Wales particularly through the work of their disciples Sts Gwyddfarch and Tysilio. St. Tysilio (born c.548-640) (Latin-Disilius, English-Tysilio) was Prince Tyslio (or Sulio) was the second son of Brochfael Ysgythrog (of the Tusks). He fled his father's court at an early age to throw himself on the mercy of Abbot Gwyddfarch of Caer-Meguaidd (Meifod) and beg to become a monk. Caer-Meguaidd may be Meifod, the court of the Kings of Powys at the Manor of Mathrafal from around 750 or before. The place was also a major ecclesiastical centre. St.Gwyddfarch built the original church which was replaced by St.Tyslio in about 625. <Nennius, 28 British Cities> Lives kindly supplied by: For All the Saints: http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/ss-index.htm These Lives are archived at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celt-saints ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
