St. Winifred

Saint Winifred

Saint Winifred, whose actual name was Gwenfrewi, was a seventh-century Welsh nun. According to legend, she was the only child of noble parents; and was taught by the monk St. Beuno. Winifred decided to become a nun. But, one Sunday, alone at home, Winifred was the victim of attempted rape by Prince Caradog. Escaping, Winifred fled towards St. Beuno's church; but Prince Caradog caught her on the hillside, and cut off her head. St. Beuno cursed the unrepentant Caradog, who melted away. Then he replaced Winifred's head, prayed over her - and the girl was restored to life. She became a nun, and became Abbess of Gwytherin and died there fifteen years after her miraculous restoration to life., Her grave there was a place of pilgrimage until her body was taken to Shrewsbury in 1138.

Hollywell did not forget its saint. Where her head fell, legend says, a spring of healing water broke forth. Here, after her resurrection, Winifred sat with Beuno on the stone still called by his name. Here he told her that anyone seeking help through her prayers at that spot would find it. And from that day to this, people have visited St Winifred's holy well on pilgrimage.

Winifred is more than a legend. Her 'Life' was not recorded until the twelfth century; but earlier evidence to the central core of truth in the legend has survived, in material unknown to the medieval authors. Winifred was related to the Powysian royal family. St. Beuno was actually her uncle; and St Tenoi, whom she succeeded as abbess at Gwytherin, her great-aunt. These familial relationships place Winifred firmly within the Welsh historical tradition. Most revealingly, she had a brother Owain, who killed Caradog in revenge: indicating that, whatever the exact truth of her death-and-resurrection legend, it does have a basis in historical fact.

And recently a fragment of an eighth-century reliquary from Gwytherin, the Arch Gwenfrewi (Winifred's Casket), was found, witnessing her status as a recognised saint almost from the moment of her death, c.650 - the earliest such surviving evidence for any Welsh saint.

Her feast day is November 3rd

Meaning of her name: friend of peace (celtic/gaelic)

Patron saint of: Incest victims; martyrs; Shrewsbury, England

Lived from: 600A.D. to 655 A.D.

Born in: Hollywell, Wales

This is her reading from Old Sarum Rite Missal

Virgo Vernans
Sequentia for Saint Winifred

A virgin flourishing as the rose,
The comely bride of Him Who is the Lamb,
As the precious martyr of Christ,
Hath Winifred richly blossomed.

Sprung from the stock of Britons,
Unshakable in faith, joyful in hope,
Holy in deeds, and pure of mind,
She was free of this world's deceptions.

This virgin was slain by Caradoc,
And immediately the pit of Orcus hell swallowed him up.
For that is the place for the wicked,
And there with Satan he is burning.

In demonstrating proof of this happening,
A fountain welleth up at the bidding of God,
In the likeness of crimson reddening,
Where she was deprived of her head.

There many miracles are performed;
The blind see, and the dumb are given speech,
All manner of disease is put to flight,
When those who ask have faith.

O Winifred, our glorious lady,
Calm for us the billows of the sea,
Lest we become the ready prey of the enemy,
O compassionate one, afford us thy protection. Amen.

St. Patrick

Today is St. Patrick’s day let us remember one of the greatest saints to ever live. He was born in 387 and died in 493. His grandfather was a priest and his father was a deacon. When about the age of 16 he was kidnapped and taken to Ireland and sold as a slave, he did work as a shepherd and after some time came to except Christ. He learned the Gallic langue while in Ireland also. God gave him a dream that it was time to leave and he escaped and walked across the land of Ireland and came to s fleet leaving and asked if he could go. The sailors said no but they figured out he was slave and recaptured him to work for them.

The ship was wrecked and they were stranded in a land they did not know they were going to starve and told young St. Patrick to “pray to his god to save them” so he did and God sent a heard of boars to them and they killed them and ate. Then the men told St. Patrick “they were sorry for jesting about his god Jesus and that they would let him go once they found a new ship” well they came to believe in Jesus over time and accept Him as Lord. St. Patrick got to England and started to study to become a priest he felt God calling him back to Ireland and in a dream he heard the Irish people saying “ we beg you, young man, come and walk among us again.” he became a deacon and a priest later. He was ordained Bishop of Ireland after some hard times.

He at after landing in Ireland changed the land and had Kings, druid priest and normal Irish people come to the saving grace of Christ. He established a thriving church in Ireland that had its own bishops, priests, and deacon. the Celtics had their own liturgy also. All of this because of this great Saint.

By: Allen Bailey aspirant of the Anglican province of America

Let us bring back the power of the Church

This is a call to all Catholics (Anglican. Orthodox, and Roman) brothers we need to return to being one body, that body that was of old. We need to obey Christ’s pray, where He said in John 17:20- 23 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will^[e] believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” With this we see that He called us to be one, but yet brothers we are set apart dose our Lord want this? Of course not! We see the power of the church in the past, when it was united. The first three hundred year were of great saints and martyrs who with there blood and lives built the Church, but because of are petty differences we are willing to disobey Christ and not unite under Christ and work out the differences in councils. The thought that there hasn’t been a true ecumenical council in over a thousand years pains my heart and I am just a man, how dose our Lord feel?

To those of the Latin rite I speak now to you about the one you call Pope, yes he has the right to be first among equals. The first among the six great patriarchies (Rome, Constantinople, Canterbury, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem) but to clam infallibility is going to far, being just a man you put yourself to high and also the five other patriarchies disagree with this statement of the roman church. So in that you have stepped outside of the rest of the body. So to you I say that you need to get back in line with the church, and lower your position back to where it was granted to you. Along with that both Anglicans and Orthodox allow there priest’s to marry, so I would say to rethink your stand point on that because again the rest of the church has said it is fine for there priest’s to marry .Also another thing to think about is purgatory again the rest of the church doses not stand on this. I would also say take the advice of the five other equals you have around you.

My eastern Orthodox brothers the only thing I have right now to say about you is that your churches are too focused on the there ethnicity then the fellowship and acceptance of Gods people. I would urge you to look from where you are from and look to the bigger picture of the church.

To my own now you Anglicans I call you out, those who have departed from the ancient faith of our fathers. Women are not to be ordained in to any office of the church. Now Didascalia said this “For it is not to teach that you women . . . are appointed. . . . For he, God the Lord, Jesus Christ our Teacher, sent us, the twelve [apostles], out to teach the [chosen] people and the pagans. But there were female disciples among us: Mary of Magdala, Mary the daughter of Jacob, and the other Mary; he did not, however, send them out with us to teach the people. For, if it had been necessary that women should teach, then our Teacher would have directed them to instruct along with us.” He said this in 225A.D. So we see that women are not to be part of the clergy and there has been many more that are against this and by many I mean all orthodox believers. This is the council of laodiceas ecumenical council decree
"[T]he so-called ‘presbyteresses’ or ‘presidentesses’ are not to be ordained in the Church.”Now we see the church as a whole has said it is wrong to have woman in any clergy order, so I would say reform yourselves and join back with orthodoxy. The Latin and Eastern churches have said it is wrong to have women clergy, you need to listen to the rest of the church, and you’re five other equal brothers. I have heard that you Archbishop of Canterbury are part of druidism and if this is true I need no defense you are outside what the churches allows. I beg you my grace repent from your ways and lead the Anglican Church to her former glory. I as of right now do not care about the Episcopal church of America, You have a female archbishop, female clergy, and ordain homosexuals into clergy offices instead of having them repent of their ways and change their lives. As of now you stand condemned by your own actions according to Holy Scripture, the Churches decrees through history and the Church today. I tell you repent and change your ways so that your churches may be salvaged and rejoin the whole body.

Now last Protestants I am telling you the Reformation is over. The things your father’s hated are no longer there in some of the catholic faiths; you could join the Anglican Church and be in line with the fathers of the church or the Eastern Orthodox. There is no need to go to Rome if you hate it that bad, but I will let you know the beliefs you hold are not proven in history, be it believer only baptism, immersion only, only two clergy offices, there is no sacramental things or churches being independent of each other what ever your clam to Protestantism is. It can be disprove by history and if you feel like saying history is wrong then you have destroyed your own faith and have made it that there is no such things as orthodoxy in the church and it is all one big cult and people can believe whatever and it is ok and no one is wrong. If you want to say the Bible says well the Bible was established by a church council and you’re relaying on history, so if you want to use one part you have to use it all or be inconsistent.

To end with this is a cry to the church let us be one as Christ has prayed let us find a way to unite in body and voice so we can shake the world once again as be did in the days of old.

Written by:

Allen Bailey; aspirant of the Anglican province of America

St. Patricks breastplate

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through the belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the judgment of Doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayers of patriarchs,
In predictions of prophets,
In preaching of apostles,
In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.

I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.

Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation.
Salvation is of the Lord
Salvation is of the Lord
Salvation is of Christ
May thy Salvation, O Lord, be ever with us