Monday, 12 October 2020

October 12th - Celebrating Saint Wilfred

 Short on ideas today so looked in the 'Celebrations of Saints' book to see who is celebrated today and it's Wilfred.

Wilfred was born around 633AD. He entered religious life as a teenager and studied at Lindisfarne, at Canterbury, in Gaul, and in Rome; he returned to Northumbria in about 660, and became the abbot of a newly founded monastery at Ripon. In 664 Wilfrid acted as spokesman for the Roman way of calculating Easter at the Synod of Whitby. (I learned all I know about the Synod of Whitby from the Sister Fidelma story "Absolution by Murder" by Peter Tremayne although that was years ago and I've since forgotten it!)

Bishop Colman of Lindisfarne argued that the Celtic rules for observing Easter were correct, deriving from the directive of St John. St Wilfrid said "The Roman way of calculating Easter derived from St Peter". King Oswy who had organised the synod, said "Peter is the guardian of the gates of heaven. Our Lord gave him the keys. I shall not contradict him".
 
(I've no idea how anyone knows what was said - maybe it's that Bede bloke! but that's why Easter is different every year and all due to the moon, Saint Peter and Saint Wilfred)

Saint Wilfrid (right), with Saints Cuthbert (centre) and Aiden(left), depicted in a stained-glass window in the church of St John Lee near Acomb in Northumberland

 Three stained glass windows, each depicting a mitred and robed figure. All three are carrying staves. 

 Another image is an Icon - Both illustrations from Wikipedia , he doesn't have an illustration in my Saints book.

 

                                                             

 He finished his life as Bishop of Hexham in Northumberland dying in 709 or 710.


Back Tomorrow 
Sue

 

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14 comments:

  1. Cro Magnon12 October 2020 at 07:57

    Personally I think the church should decide on a specific day for Easter. Having it floating around is very untidy.

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  2. Joy12 October 2020 at 09:07

    I've never heard of St Wilfred before, thanks very much. Personally, I like a wandering Easter and it can't really be that set because it has to be Thursday/Friday/Sunday.
    xx

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    1. Rachel Phillips12 October 2020 at 11:17

      Agree Joy. I love it that Easter moves around. If it gets set like Christmas then it will lose all religious significance and become nothing more than an exploited, over commercialised horror.

      Delete
    2. Sue in Suffolk12 October 2020 at 14:04

      I suppose the only people it would benefit to have it fixed would be schools

      Delete
  3. Tasker Dunham12 October 2020 at 09:46

    As mentioned in my blog, I've only just got to grips with the phases of the moon as derived from Sue in Suffolk, and now I'm struggling with how to calculate Easter, despite having recently visited Whitby.

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    Replies
    1. Sue in Suffolk12 October 2020 at 14:03

      I was pleased when I found how to add the Moon link as a gadget to the sidebar

      Delete
  4. The Weaver of Grass12 October 2020 at 10:36

    Poor Tasker (above) be like me - I just leave it to folk like Sue, who, when she can't think of anything to write about is a mine of information on this sort of thing. Why do you think I read her blog every day?

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    Replies
    1. Sue in Suffolk12 October 2020 at 14:00

      Thank you Pat - if you keep reading I'll keep writing

      Delete
  5. Sue 12 October 2020 at 12:15

    If you didn't tell us you were short of ideas we would never know ... you come up with all sorts of things to write about!! So shhhh ... just don't let us know, but carry on keeping us informed about all these wonderful things.

    I've never heard of St Wilfred, but it's a name I've never liked.

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    1. Sue in Suffolk12 October 2020 at 14:00

      When I used to go to the library van where we used to live a lady with a little boy called Wilf used to come on the van. Back then it sounded so old fashioned but now all the old names are back and it's probably quite common

      Delete
  6. Bonnie12 October 2020 at 19:09

    Thank you for another informative post! I have not heard of St Wilfred either. Sue your posts contain a wealth of interesting information!

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    Replies
    1. Sue in Suffolk12 October 2020 at 19:31

      Thank you - I'll keep writing as long as I possibly can

      Delete
  7. Jackie13 October 2020 at 02:40

    Very interesting. I love learning about the Saints and had never heard of Saint Wilfred.

    God bless.

    ReplyDelete

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