St. Edwin of Northumbria (October 12, 632/633)
Commemorated October 12
St. Edwin was the son of Alla, King of Deira. He was cheated out of his kingdom when his father died, and he fled to East Anglia, where he was given up to his enemies.
In time, St. Edwin became ruler of the entire north of England. He married Ethelburga, the daughter of St. Ethelbert (February 25; the first Christian king in England).
In 626, an attempt was made on St. Edwin’s life. He thanked his gods that his life was spared, but Bishop Paulinus of York (October 10) told him that he had been saved by the prayers of his queen. Bishop Paulinus said that he should show his gratefulness to the true God by allowing his newborn daughter to be baptized and so Princess Eanfleda was baptized on Pentecost.
St. Edwin, who had been slightly wounded in the attempt, promised Bishop Paulinus that he would become a Christian if his health was restored and if he prevailed over those who had tried to kill him. Both occurred, but St. Edwin put off his promise for many years. In the 11thyear of his reign, St. Edwin was baptized by St. Paulinus in the wooden church of St. Peter, and he began building a new stone church.
St. Edwin ruled his kingdom in peace for six more years, and he continued to practice and promote Christianity. In approximately 633, he was killed in a battle at age 48. Upon his death, his queen St. Ethelburga (April 5) became the abbess of a monastery which she founded at Lyminge.
