Celtic and Old English Saints 29 May =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= * St. Burian of Cornwall * St. Dyfrig of Caerleon =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
St. Burian, Virgin in Cornwall --------------------------------------- 6th century. Saint Buriana was another Irish woman who migrated to Cornwall, where Saint Buryan across from the Scilly Island perpetuates her name. King Athelstan built a college and church there to house her relics (Benedictines, Husenbeth). Present day church of St Buryan http://homepages.tesco.net/~k.wasley/buryan.htm Translation of the Relics of St. Dyfrig, Archbishop of Caerleon, Wales -------------------------------------------------- (also known as Dubricius Dubritius, Dubric, Dyfig, Devereux) Main Feast is 14 November Born at Madley (?), near Hereford; died c. 545. Saint Dyfrig was an important church leader, probably a monk, in southeast Wales and western Herefordshire. His earliest foundation was Ariconium (Archenfield, Hereford), but his most important centres were at Hentland (Henllan) and Moccas in the Wye valley. Dyfrig attracted numerous disciples to the two monasteries, and from them founded many other monasteries and churches. He was associated with Saint Illtyd and, according to the 7th-century vita of Saint Samson, with the island of Caldey for whose monastery he appointed Saint Samson (July 28) abbot. Later he consecrated Samson bishop. An ancient, but incomplete, inscription at Caldey reads Magl Dubr ("the tonsured servant of Dubricius"). Dyfrig and Saint Deinol (Daniel) were the two prelates who convinced Saint David to attend the synod of Brefi. Dyfrig spent the last years of his life at Ynys Enlli (Bardsey) and died there. In later medieval legends he becomes the 'archbishop of Caerleon' (Caerlon-on-Usk) and, according to the unreliable Geoffrey of Monmouth, crowns 'King' Arthur at Colchester (he is the high saint of Idylls of a King), and the ecclesiastical politics of the 12th century claimed him as founder of the Normans' see of Llandaff, where he was one of the four titular saints of the cathedral. The later vita written by Benedict of Gloucester claims that Dyfrig was a disciple of Saint Germanus of Auxerre, but this is unlikely. Legend also states that Saint David resigned in his favour as metropolitan of Wales. The relics of Saint Dyfrig were translated from Bardsey to Llandaff in 1120. He is the 'Dubric the high saint, Chief of the church in Britain' of Tennyson's Coming of Arthur, and the place-name Saint Devereux in Herefordshire is a corruption of the saint's name. Church dedications to him at Gwenddwr (Powys) and Porlock (Somerset) suggest that his disciples were active in the expansion of Christianity to the west and southwest, possibly in association with the multitudinous children Saint Brychan of Brecknock (Attwater, Benedictines, Doble, Delaney, Farmer). In art Saint Dubricius is depicted holding two crosiers and an archiepiscopal cross. He is venerated in Herefordshire, Monmouthshire, and Caldey Island (Roeder). Troparion of St Dyfrig tone 1 Thou art worthily honoured as the Father of Welsh Monasticism. O Hierarch Dyfrig,/ labouring to establish true asceticism with thy brother in the Faith, Samson of Dol/ whom thou didst raise to the dignity of the episcopate./ In thy pastoral love, O Saint,/ pray for us that despite our unspiritual lives/ Christ our God will grant us great mercy. Another Life and Stained Glass Window of Saint Dubricius http://www.geocities.com/~dubricius/dubricbg.html Saint Dubricius Home Page Interesting papers on mainly Welsh themes http://www.geocities.com/~dubricius/ Sources: ======== Attwater, D. (1983). The Penguin Dictionary of Saints, NY: Penguin Books. Benedictine Monks of St. Augustine Abbey, Ramsgate. (1947). The Book of Saints. NY: Macmillan. Benedictine Monks of St. Augustine Abbey, Ramsgate. (1966). The Book of Saints. NY: Thomas Y. Crowell. Delaney, J. J. (1983). Pocket Dictionary of Saints, NY: Doubleday Image. Doble, G. H. (1943). St. Dubricius. Farmer, D. H. (1997). The Oxford Dictionary of Saints. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Husenbeth, Rev. F. C., DD, VG (ed.). (1928). Butler's Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints. London: Virtue & Co. Roeder, H. (1956). Saints and Their Attributes, Chicago: Henry Regnery. For All the Saints: http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/ss-index.htm These Lives are archived at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celt-saints *****************************************
