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As we deepen our relationship with the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ, we grow in grace and are transformed by His love and mercy.
Died in the seventh century
Patron Saint of women who face unwanted advances, victims, martyrs, North Wales, and Shrewsbury
St. Winifred was a Welsh virgin and martyr who was miraculously restored to life. Her life story has been woven into legend and devotion for centuries. Born in the 7th century, she was the daughter of a Welsh nobleman. Her mother was the niece of St. Beuno, a Welsh abbot and missionary who guided her spiritual life.
From an early age, Winifred consecrated herself to God and desired to live as a nun. When a nobleman named Caradog sought her hand in marriage, she refused. Enraged by her vow of virginity, he struck off her head. According to tradition, a healing spring miraculously burst forth where her head fell. Her great uncle, St. Beuno, is said to have restored her life by reuniting her body and head.
After St. Beuno restored St. Winifred’s life, it is said he sat on a stone where her head had fallen and blessed the spring as a source of healing water. Today, the place of the spring—Holywell in Flintshire, Wales—remains a significant pilgrimage site known as “the Lourdes of Wales.”
Later, St. Winifred entered religious life, spending years in a convent at Holywell before moving to the abbey at Gwytherin, where she served as abbess. She dedicated her life to prayer and purity, performing many miracles during her life. Centuries later, devotion to St. Winifred spread throughout England. Her relics were taken to Shrewsbury Abbey in the 12th century, and a shrine was built in her honor. Pilgrims have long sought her intercession, particularly for healing.
St. Winifred’s story continues to inspire faith and courage, reminding us of the impact of a life consecrated to God. The Church formally accepted her through a process of veneration that recognized her as a saint on October 3, 1615. Her feast day is November 2 in most countries. However, in England and Wales, it’s celebrated on November 3.
According to tradition, when St. Winifred’s suitor, Caradog, decapitated her in anger for refusing to marry him, a spring of pure water gushed from the ground where her head fell. The water was said to have healing properties, and over the centuries, countless pilgrims have come to Holywell to seek cures for illnesses. The site is still a place of pilgrimage today and is often called the “Lourdes of Wales.” Many believe it’s the only place in Britain that has had pilgrims visiting continuously for over thirteen centuries.
For young Christian women, refusing marriage to a pagan suitor was a public rejection of both a man and his gods, which authorities viewed as an act of disgrace, defiance, and a refusal to denounce Christianity. While the immediate trigger was often the refusal of marriage, the ultimate “crime” for which they were executed was being Christian. In the early centuries of Christianity, many women consecrated themselves to God through vows of virginity. These “virgin martyrs”, like St. Agnes and St. Lucy, were powerful examples of courageous discipleship and devotion to Christ. St. Winifred belongs to this tradition of women who suffered for their faith and their vow of purity.
St. Beuno was a 7th-century Welsh abbot, missionary, and teacher. He founded nine monasteries and was known for his holiness and miracles. He was also St. Winifred’s great-uncle and spiritual mentor. According to legend, it was St. Beuno who restored her to life after her suitor, Caradog, beheaded her. The legend says that before he left the spot where St. Winifred’s head had rested, St. Beuno sat down on a stone by the spring and promised that “whoever on that spot should ask a benefit from God in the name of St Winifred would obtain the grace he asked if it was for the good of his soul.” Pilgrims to St. Winifred’s shrine kneel on St. Beuno’s stone to pray. St. Beuno’s feast day is celebrated on April 21.
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As we deepen our relationship with the Eternal Word, Jesus Christ, we grow in grace and are transformed by His love and mercy.
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