Egwin of Evesham

Saint Egwin of Evesham, OSB[lower-alpha 1] (died 30 December 717) was a Benedictine monk and, later, the third Bishop of Worcester in England.

Saint

Egwin

OSB
Scenes from the life of Saint Egwin, St Lawrence's Church, Evesham
Bishop of Worcester
Founder of Evesham
Born7th century
Worcester, Mercia
Died30 December 717
Evesham Abbey, Mercia
Venerated inRoman Catholic Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
Major shrineEvesham Abbey
Feast30 December
Attributesbishop holding a fish and a key[1]

Life

Egwin was born in Worcester of a noble family, and was a descendant of Mercian kings.[2] He may possibly have been a nephew of King Æthelred of Mercia. Having become a monk, his biographers say that king, clergy, and commoners all united in demanding Egwin's elevation to bishop; but the popularity which led him to the episcopal office dissipated in response to his performance as bishop.[2] He was consecrated bishop after 693.[3]

As a bishop he was known as a protector of orphans and widows and a fair judge. [4] He struggled with the local population over the acceptance of Christian morality, especially Christian marriage and clerical celibacy. Egwin's stern discipline created a resentment which, as King Æthelred was his friend, eventually found its way to his ecclesiastical superiors. He undertook a pilgrimage to Rome to seek vindication from the pope himself. According to a legend, he prepared for his journey by locking shackles on his feet, and throwing the key into the River Avon.

According to one account, as Egwin and his companions were passing through the Alps, they began to thirst. Those among his companions who did not acknowledge the bishop's sanctity asked him mockingly to pray for water as Moses once did in the desert. But others, who did believe in him, rebuked the unbelievers and asked him in a different tone, with true faith and hope. Egwin prostrated himself in prayer. On arising, they saw a pure stream of water gush forth out of the rock.[5]

While he prayed before the tomb of the Apostles in Rome, one of his servants brought him the very key—found in the mouth of a fish that had just been caught in the Tiber.[2] Egwin then released himself from his self-imposed bonds and straight away obtained from the pope an authoritative release from his enemies' obloquy.

Upon his return to England, he founded Evesham Abbey, which became one of the great Benedictine houses of medieval England. It was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, who had reportedly made known to a swineherd named Eof just where a church should be built in her honour.[6]

One of the last important acts of his episcopate was his participation in the first great Council of Clovesho. According to the Benedictine historian, Jean Mabillon, he died on 30 December 720,[2] although his death is generally accepted as having occurred three years earlier on 30 December 717.[3] He died at the abbey he had founded, and his remains were enshrined there.

A hagiography was written by Byrhtferth of Ramsey, a monk at Ramsey Abbey, around 1016.[7] Another Vita Sancti Egwini, was written by Dominic of Evesham, a medieval prior of Evesham Abbey around 1130.[8] His tomb was destroyed, along with the abbey church, at the time of the dissolution of the abbey in 1540.

Notes
  1. Also Ecgwin, Ecgwine and Eegwine

Citations
  1. Patron Saints Index entry for St Egwin of Worcester Archived 8 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine accessed on 3 November 2007
  2. Macpherson, Ewan. "St. Egwin." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 17 May 2013
  3. Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 223
  4. Monks of Ramsgate. "Egwin". Book of Saints, 1921. CatholicSaints.Info. 22 November 2012
  5. Moss, Vladimir. "Saint Egwin of Worcester", Orthodox America
  6. Foley, O.F.M., Leonard. Saint of the Day, Lives, Lessons, and Feast, (revised by Pat McCormack), Franciscan Media ISBN 978-0-86716-887-7
  7. Lapidge, Michael (2004). "Byrhtferth of Ramsey (fl. c. 986–c. 1016)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/4268. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Retrieved 18 January 2021. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
  8. Jennings "Writings" English Historical Review p. 298

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "St. Egwin". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

References
  • Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology (Third revised ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
  • Jennings, J. C. (April 1962). "The Writings of Prior Dominic of Evesham". The English Historical Review. 77 (303): 298–304. doi:10.1093/ehr/LXXVII.CCCIII.298.

Further reading
  • Lapidge, Michael, ed. (2009). Byrhtferth of Ramsey: The Lives of St Oswald and St Ecgwine. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press. ISBN 978-0-19-955078-4.

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