Clockwise from top left: Sts. Edward the Martyr, Benedict of Nursia, Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, David of Wales, and Patrick of Ireland.
By Walt Garlington
♱ St. David, Patron Saint of Wales, 1/14 March
Our father among the saints David of Wales, known in Welsh as Dewi Sant, is the patron saint of Wales and considered by many to be one of the most illustrious of the ancient British bishops. He is also known as the Dewi Ddyfrwr (David the Water Drinker) due to his habit of drinking only water and the creation of many holy wells associated with his life. Though there is no reliable Life extant, legend has it that St. David was born to noble parents in South Wales and educated by St. Paulinus (23rd November), the disciple of St. Germanus of Auxerre (31st July).
He was a staunch opponent of the Pelagian heresy, and the founder of the See of St. David’s or Menevia. To which, when appointed to succeed St. Dubricius (14th November), he transferred the primary Welsh Bishopric from Caerleon. The foundation of a dozen monasteries and many miracles are attributed to St. David, and he is said to have been zealous in encouraging discipline among both clergy and laity, and to have presided over the Synod of Brefi circa 560. The date of his repose is listed as anywhere from the mid-sixth century to circa 601. His relics survive and are enshrined in St. David’s Cathedral, St. Davids, Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Source
A fuller account of his life
♱ St. Chad of Lichfield, Apostle of Mercia and Wonderworker, 2/15 March
St. Chad (Ceadda) was born in the early seventh century and reposed on March 2 (according to the old calendar), 672 or 673. Pious English people, especially ordinary folk, have deeply loved and venerated this saint for more than 1300 years as one of their protectors. His veneration is similar to that of Sts. Aidan and Cuthbert of Lindisfarne and Swithin of Winchester; he lived absolutely in the same spirit with them. Thirty-three ancient parish churches and several holy wells across England are dedicated to him, in addition to numerous modern Anglican and Catholic dedications. The name “Chad”, which is perhaps of old Welsh origin and means “battle”, remains a boy’s baptismal name both in the UK and the USA to this day.
A fuller account of his life
♱ St. Aristobulus of the 70 Apostles, Missionary to the Irish and British Isles, 15/28 March
The Holy Apostle Aristobulus of the Seventy was born on Cyprus. He and his brother, the holy Apostle Barnabas of the Seventy, accompanied the holy Apostle Paul on his journeys. Saint Aristobulus is mentioned by the Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Romans (Rom 16:10). Saint Paul made Aristobulus a bishop and sent him to preach the Gospel in Britain, Scotland, and Hibernia (Ireland), where he converted many people to Christ. He also had to endure many torments and afflictions from hostile pagans, who beat him and mocked him. Eventually, he won them over and brought them to Christ as well. Saint Aristóboulos reposed peacefully in Britain among the people he had evangelized. Some sources say he suffered a martyr’s death in Wales at an advanced age.
Source
♱ St. Patrick, the Apostle of the Irish, 17/30 March
Undoubtedly one of the best known of the Saints, his Lives and writings have been widely published in numerous languages and lands. St. Patrick was born in Britain, the son of a local decurio (member of a town council) called Calpornius who was also a deacon of the church, and who had a property near the village (vicus) of Bannavem Taburniae, the location of which is unknown. Patrick was brought up as a Christian, though in no tradition of strong piety.
At the age of sixteen, he was captured by Irish pirates who took him back to Ireland where he spent six years as a herdsman. Whilst in captivity he experienced a religious conversion, and eventually received a Divine message that he was to escape. He then made his way to a port some 320 kilometres away where he found a ship whose crew he was able to convince to take him to Britain. At some point, he later he went to Gaul and studied for the priesthood at Auxerre under St. Germanus (31st July).
Eventually St. Patrick was consecrated bishop, and was entrusted with the mission to Ireland, succeeding St. Palladius (7th July), who had not had much success there. Though the conversion of the pagan Irish people was far from an easy task, St. Patrick persevered despite hostility, violence, and threats of death. However, in the end he baptised thousands of people into Christ, founded many churches and encouraged the growth of monasticism throughout the land. By the time he established Armagh as his See, St. Patrick not only had many native priests and deacons to assist him, but other bishops as well.
“Troparion of St. Patrick“
Holy Bishop Patrick, Faithful shepherd of Christ’s royal flock,
You filled Ireland with the radiance of the Gospel:
The mighty strength of the Trinity! Now that you stand before the Saviour,
Pray that He may preserve us in faith and love!
Source
A much fuller account of his life
The life of St. Patrick in his own words
One of St. Patrick’s famous prayers
♱ St. Edward, King of England and Martyr, 18/31 March
The holy and right-believing King Edward the Martyr succeeded his father, St. Edgar the Peaceful (8th July), [r. 957–975], as King of England, but was murdered after a reign of only a few years. He was glorified as St. Edward the Martyr by an English Church Council (1001). St. Edward ascended to the throne at the age of thirteen. Though the eldest son of King St. Edgar the Peaceful, Edward’s accession to the throne was contested by a group headed by his stepmother, Queen Elfrida, who wished her son, Ethelred the Unready, to become king instead.
However, Edward’s claim had more support — including that of St. Dunstan (19th May) — and was confirmed by the Witan. St. Edward continued his father’s policies and support for St. Dunstan’s (19th May) reforms. This displeased those nobles who had designs on monastic lands, and they joined with Queen Elfrida in a conspiracy to do away with the young king. On 18th March 978, the king was murdered whilst sitting on his horse outside the home of his younger brother. Almost immediately following his martyrdom, miracles began.
Following the murder, the body of the king slipped from the saddle of his horse and was dragged with one foot in the stirrup until the body fell into a stream (which was subsequently found to have healing properties, particularly for the blind) at the base of the hill upon which Corfe Castle stands. Queen Elfrida then ordered the body be hidden in a nearby hut. This hut was occupied by a woman who had been blind from birth, receiving the tenancy from the Queen as an act of charity. During the night the entire hut was filled with a most wondrous light, and, struck with awe, the woman cried out “Lord, have mercy!” and her sight was restored.
The church of St. Edward at Corfe Castle, Dorset today marks the location where the hut is believed to have stood. When the Queen learned of this miracle, she ordered that the body be buried in a marsh near Wareham. However, a year later a pillar of fire was seen over the spot where the body was hidden. The locals raised the body, and, accompanied by a large group of mourners, translated the relics to a church in Wareham where they buried them in the east end of the church. The relics, which when exhumed were found to be still whole and incorrupt, were next translated to Shaftesbury Abbey where they were received by the nuns and buried with full royal honours on the north side of the altar.
During the Dissolution of the Monasteries in England and Wales (1536–1540) by Henry VIII, King of England and Ireland, (r. 1509–1547), St. Edward’s relics were hidden so as to avoid desecration. In 1931, the relics were recovered by Mr. J.E. Wilson-Claridge during an archaeological excavation; their identity was confirmed by Dr. T.E.A. Stowell, an osteologist. Mr. Wilson-Claridge donated the relics to the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, which placed them in the care of the monastery of the St. Edward Brotherhood at Brookwood Cemetery, in Woking, Surrey.
Source
A fuller account of his life
♱ St. Cuthbert, the Wonderworker of England, 20 March/2 April
“Have faith and wholeheartedly trust God Who will never abandon those who Love Him.” These words belong to St. Cuthbert, “the wonderworker of the English land” who lived more than 1300 years ago. It is indisputable that St. Cuthbert of Lindisfarne is the most beloved and venerated English saint throughout the history of the country. Veneration for St. Cuthbert, his relics and other holy objects associated with him over the centuries is well-documented. At least 135 churches across England are dedicated to him (83 of which are ancient) and a minimum of 17 in Scotland, apart from numerous holy wells both in northern England and Scotland.
English people have venerated and honored him as one of their main heavenly intercessors and protectors, and numerous miracles take place through his prayers even now. Cuthbert possessed a rare spirit of endless love of God, people and every single creation of God, and had kindness, great compassion and zeal in preaching the Gospel; for his humility and loving heart the Lord bestowed on Cuthbert the gifts of prayer, miracles, prophecy, and clairvoyance. His loving and amicable nature attracted the hearts of his contemporaries to him; he was a friend of many other saints of that age, but also of common folk and members of the royal family.
For 53 years of his life he was a simple monk, an abbot of monasteries, a teacher, a missionary, for many years—a recluse, and for a short time—even a bishop. His personality combined prayerfulness, love for the solitary life and at the same time he had enormous energy and zeal in spreading the Gospel and helping ordinary people.
A much fuller account of his life
“Troparion of St. Cuthbert of Lindisfarne”
While still in your youth, you laid aside all worldly cares,
and took up the sweet yoke of Christ,
and you were shown forth in truth to be nobly radiant in the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, God established you as a rule of faith and shepherd of His radiant flock,
Godly-minded Cuthbert, converser with angels and intercessor for men.
Source
♱ St. Benedict of Nursia, a Father of Monasticism in the West, 21 March/3 April
The only authoritative life of St. Benedict extant is by St. Gregory the Dialogist (3rd September) in the second book of his Dialogues. According to tradition St. Benedict and his sister St. Scholastica (10th February) were twin children of a Roman noble, born in Nursia, near Spoleto. When St. Benedict was most likely in his early twenties, he left behind secular concerns to devote himself to God, and went to live as a hermit in a cave near Subiaco. There he was a spiritual child of the near-by hermit, St. Romanus of Subiaco (22nd May), who also tonsured him into monasticism.
In time, his holiness and fame as a wonderworker, drew many disciples to him and he built a lavra, for them. Around 530 he left Subiaco for Monte Cassino, where he founded the famous monastery, where he also composed his Rule, which, though initially was resisted by many as too harsh, came to be adopted by tens of thousands of monasteries the world over. St. Benedict spent the rest of his life at Monte Cassino. St. Benedict reposed while standing in prayer before the altar in 550. St. Benedict was buried at Monte Cassino, though some of his relics were later translated to France.
“Kontakion of St. Benedict of Nursia”
You were enriched with God’s grace;
your works agreed with your name, O Benedict, helpful servant of Christ God.
Through prayer and fasting you were revealed to be filled with the gifts of the Spirit of God!
You are a healer of the sick, the banisher of demons and speedy defender of our souls!
Source
For more details of his life
♱ St. Enda, Abbot of Inishmore, One of the Fathers of Irish Monasticism, 21 March/3 April
Venerable Enda (Enna, Endeus) was born in the mid-fifth century in the present-day County Meath in Ireland and it is said that Enda was the son of a minor ruler in Ulster in Ireland. In his youth he was under the strong influence of his sister St. Fanchea who gained fame as a wise abbess and is listed among the saints. As a young man he was a soldier but later gave up a military career, deciding to dedicate all his energies to the service of the Lord and people. He then went to the west of what is now Scotland and obtained an education at the monastery and school called Candida Casa, founded by St. Ninian at Whithorn. It was there, at Whithorn, where he was tonsured monk and ordained priest.
Enda is one of the earliest saints of Ireland, so it is presumed that he moved to study in Scotland due to lack of monastic sites in his native land. The experience and monastic tradition, closely linked to monasticism in the East and gained at Candida Casa, contributed to the future achievements of Enda.
Much more about St. Enda may be read here.
For complete lists of Orthodox Saints of our Southern forefathers of Africa and Western Europe for March, visit Dr. John Hutchison-Hall and Fr. Andrew Phillips’ Orthodox England.
Walt Garlington is a chemical engineer turned writer and editor of the website Confiteri: A Southern Perspective. This longtime Southern Baptist, then Anglican, was united to the Orthodox Church in 2012 and makes his home in Louisiana where he attends a GOA parish.
