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The Feast of St. Edward the Confessor is October 13th
which marks the day his body was transferred in 1163 by St. Thomas (Becket), Archbishop of Canterbury to a new shrine in the new Abbey that was built by St. Edward himself and dedicated to St. Peter. Today we know this place as Westminister Abbey, the place where the coronations and burials of English kings and queens have taken place ever since. This was the first Norman church built on English soil.Edward was born c.1003 in Islip, Oxfordshire to Ethelred II and Emma, daughter of Duke Richard of Normandy.
He is called "Edward the Confessor" to distinguish him from another King of England, Edward the Martyr. He was diligent in public and private worship, generous to the poor, and accessible to subjects who sought redress of grievances.
Edward ascended to the throne on June 8, 1042 and was crowned King on April 3, 1043 at Winchester Cathedral. He reigned until January 5, 1066 when he died.
Edward married Edith, the daughter of Godwin, Earl of Wessex, on January 23, 1045 but the union was childless. There have been varying speculations on this union from Edward taking a vow of chastity and considering the union as a spiritual marriage or the age difference between Edward and Edith engendering a filial rather than a spousal relationship.
He was canonized by Pope Alexander III in 1161 and is considered a saint by the Roman Catholic Church, which regards him as the patron saint of kings, difficult marriages, and separated spouses, and by the Church of England and other Anglican Churches.
If you look at the limestone relief sculpture of St. Edward at the top of our Church steps you will find a knight-king mostly protected by a shield. (The shield speaks of Edward's steadfast faith). He has the features of a tall, thin man. This is consistent with details of his biography which reveal that he was tall with a long face, blond hair and a beard, a ruddy complexion, and long thin fingers.
Maybe "Big Red" is
a fitting moniker after all.
One
of the first panels of the Bayeux Tapestry, a pictorial history of the
conquest of England by the Normans, is none other than our Patron
Saint, Edward the Confessor, sitting on his throne in
Westminister.
Recently our Church Narthex ceiling has become our own pictorial history of Edward from portions of this tapestry.
We owe many thanks to our own local artist, Mae Connor, for her talents and diligence in bringing this story to us.
Recently our Church Narthex ceiling has become our own pictorial history of Edward from portions of this tapestry.
We owe many thanks to our own local artist, Mae Connor, for her talents and diligence in bringing this story to us.
Next time you enter
the Church vestibule, LOOK UP.