Saint Wilfrid
Saint Wilfrid (born c. 633 AD in Northumbria, England; died April 24, 710 AD in Oundle, Northamptonshire, England) was the Bishop of York whose career was one of the most turbulent and consequential in early English church history. He was a principal advocate at the Synod of Whitby (664 AD) for the Roman over the Celtic date of Easter, winning that debate and aligning the English church with Rome. He was exiled three times and traveled to Rome to appeal — inaugurating the practice of papal appeals from English bishops. He also preached in Sussex (the last pagan Anglo-Saxon kingdom) and Frisia. His feast day is October 12.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Wilfrid
| Saint Wilfrid | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | October 12 |
| Profession | Bishop of York; Bishop of Hexham; Bishop of Ripon; Benedictine abbot; advocate at the Synod of Whitby; pioneer of papal appeals; missionary to Sussex and Frisia |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Church of England (venerated); early English church; 7th-century Northumbrian Christianity; Roman party in the Celtic-Roman Easter controversy; Diocese of York; founding figure of English-papacy relations |
| Patronage | England; Ripon; Hexham; those involved in ecclesiastical controversies; the Diocese of Leeds; Benedictine monastic tradition in England |
| Attributes | Bishop's vestments; the Synod of Whitby (king and bishops before him); keys of Peter (his argument); fishing (the Sussex mission); architectural model (his buildings at Hexham and Ripon); a book (the Benedictine Rule) |
| Birthplace | Northumbria, England |
| Death Place | Oundle, Northamptonshire, England |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; died April 24, 710 AD, at the monastery of Oundle in Northamptonshire; he had been on a journey through his diocese of Hexham when he fell ill; he was taken to Oundle and died there; he was approximately 77 years old; he had survived three exiles, multiple ecclesiastical controversies, and had outlasted all the kings and bishops who had opposed him; his death came in a period of relative peace and reconciliation with the Archbishop of Canterbury |
| Primary Shrine | Ripon Cathedral, North Yorkshire — contains his crypt (the Saxon crypt beneath the cathedral is one of the oldest in England) and is the site of his principal veneration; October 12 feast observed; Church of England and Catholic veneration |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Roman Rite); October 12; Feast in England |
| Historic Class | Double (October 12) in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Wilfrid was born c. 633 AD in Northumbria, England. He was educated at Lindisfarne (the Irish monastic tradition) but traveled to Rome and became committed to Roman practice. He became Abbot of Ripon c. 658 AD.
At the Synod of Whitby (664 AD), he argued successfully for the Roman date of Easter against the Celtic tradition. King Oswiu ruled for Rome. This aligned the English church with Continental Christianity.
He was made Bishop of York. His turbulent career included three exiles, driven by conflicts with successive archbishops of Canterbury and kings of Northumbria. He twice appealed to Rome — the first English bishop to do so — and both times the Pope ruled in his favor; both times the rulings were resisted in England.
During his first exile (c. 681–686) he evangelized Sussex, the last pagan Anglo-Saxon kingdom. He also preached in Frisia (c. 678), one of the earliest contacts of the Roman mission with the Germanic Low Countries.
He built magnificent stone churches at Hexham and Ripon. He died April 24, 710 AD, at Oundle. He is buried at Ripon, whose Saxon crypt is one of the oldest church structures in England.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Northumbria, England
Death location: Oundle, Northamptonshire, England
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Dynamic content
Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Wilfrid have been added to the database yet.
Media
| Media | Length | AuthorCreator |
|---|---|---|
| October 12 Saint Wilfrid | Under 5 minutes | Breski1 |
| Saint Wilfrid, Archbishop of York - October 12th | Under 5 minutes | Saint of the Day |
Shrines
Dynamic shrines
No results
No shrines where this saint is the primary saint.
Known shrines
- Ripon Cathedral — his burial place; Saxon crypt; October 12 feast.
- Hexham Priory (Hexham Abbey) — his foundation; ancient Saxon crypt.
Feast day
October 12
Veneration
Saint Wilfrid was the 7th-century Bishop of York who won the Synod of Whitby (664 AD) for the Roman date of Easter, aligning the English church with Rome. He pioneered papal appeals from English bishops. He evangelized Sussex. Feast October 12.
Prayers
Authored
There are prayers authored by this saint in prayers list yet.
Intercessory
There are no prayers asking for this saint's intercession in prayers list yet.