Saint Edith of Wilton
Saint Edith of Wilton (born c. 961 AD in Kemsing, Kent, England; died September 16, 984 AD in Wilton, Wiltshire, England) was an Anglo-Saxon princess, the daughter of King Edgar the Peaceful and the nun Saint Wulfthryth. She was raised in the Convent of Wilton (founded by King Alfred the Great's daughter) and chose to remain a nun rather than accept a queenship. She is venerated for her holiness, her charity, and her miracles. Her feast day is September 16.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Edith of Wilton
| Saint Edith of Wilton | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | September 16 |
| Profession | Benedictine abbess; Anglo-Saxon princess; daughter of King Edgar; mystic |
| Rel. Affiliation | Order of Saint Benedict; Wilton Abbey |
| Patronage | Wilton; Wiltshire; Benedictine nuns; those who choose religious life over worldly honors |
| Attributes | Princess's crown set aside; nun's veil; lily (virginity); church she built (she built a church at Wilton) |
| Birthplace | Kemsing, Kent, England |
| Death Place | Wilton, Wiltshire, England |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes; died at approximately 22 years old |
| Primary Shrine | Wilton, Wiltshire — the convent site (now a parish church); her cult was centered here in the Middle Ages |
| Liturgical Class | Not included in universal Roman Calendar; observed locally |
| Historic Class | Not included |
Biography
Edith of Wilton was the daughter of King Saint Edgar the Peaceful and Wulfthryth (later venerated as Abbess Wulfthryth of Wilton, also possibly beatified). She was born around 961, possibly at Kemsing in Kent, and was taken by her mother to the Convent of Wilton in Wiltshire, where both mother and daughter lived as nuns from Edith's earliest childhood.
She was educated at Wilton and is described as a woman of great beauty and intelligence as well as deep piety. When her father King Edgar offered her the choice of several bishoprics (governing as abbess over episcopal lands) or a royal marriage, she refused all honors and remained at Wilton. Saint Dunstan of Canterbury, who attended her birth, was said to have prophesied her vocation.
She died on September 16, 984, at approximately 23 years of age. Her death at such a young age was mourned. Her body was found incorrupt at an exhumation. Miracles were reported at her tomb, which became a pilgrimage site. She was the subject of a biography by Goscelin of Saint-Bertin (c. 1080).
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Kemsing, Kent, England
Death location: Wilton, Wiltshire, England
Notable location: The ancient Benedictine convent where she was raised and lived; where she was abbess; where she died at about 22 years old (Wilton Abbey, Wilton, Wiltshire, England)
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Parishes
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Shrines
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Feast day
September 16
Veneration
Saint Edith of Wilton is venerated with a feast day on September 16.
Prayers
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