Saints

Hermit. Giles was was one of the most popular saints of Western Europe in mediaeval times. He is said to have been a Greek Christian from Athens, who settled near Arles in France, sometime during the ninth century. According to one legend, he had a pet hind. One day when the Visigoth king Wamba was hunting in the woods and shot an arrow into the undergrowth, he came across the saint wounded by th... Read More

Monk of Iona, first bishop and abbot of Lindisfarne. Born in Ireland, Aidan came to England in the 7th century when King Oswald was living in exile with the monks at Iona, during the Mercian invasion. The King became Christian and when he regained his throne he gave Aidan the island of Lindisfarne, close to the royal palace of Bamburgh. Aidan converted many people. He founded churches and monaste... Read More

Bishop. This Anglo Saxon priest was chaplain to Canute, king of England and Denmark from 1016-1035. He accompanied him on several trips to Scandinavia and became so concerned about the ignorance and superstition there, he decided to stay behind and preach the Gospel. A caring and tireless pastor, William lived in Zeeland and eventually became bishop of Roskilde. In the early years he had many st... Read More