Roman Catholic Saint. According to tradition, she was born a daughter of Anna, king of the East Angles, one of the earliest Christian kings. Wendreda and her sisters, Etheldred and Sexburga, became enthusiastic missionaries, spreading the Gospel. Wendreda dedicated herself to making a study of herbal remedies and became well regarded as a healer. While her sister, Etheldred, founded the monastery at Elyl, and Sexburga became abbess of a convent in Minster, Wendreda founded a Benedictine community at March, Cambridgeshire, dedicated to healing. She stayed there for the remainder of her life. After her death, her relics were enshrined in gold and installed in Ely Cathedral. They became a draw to pilgrims hoping for healing. In 1016, Edmund Ironside took the relics of St Wendreda into battle against the Danish invaders, believing they might bring victory. The battle was lost, however, and the victorious Danes carried the remains to King Cnut who would, after his conversion to Christianity, install the relics at Canterbury Cathedral, where they remained for the next 300 years. In 1343, St. Wendreda's remains were finally returned to March, and enshrined in a church dedicated to her. Her shrine remained a destination for pilgrims, and was guarded continuously. During the Dissolution of the Monasteries, however, the shrine was broken up and the relics lost. The church dedicated in her name still stands, however, and is rightly famous for its medieval wooden roof, enhanced with a host of hand carved angels. Her feast day is January 22.
Roman Catholic Saint. According to tradition, she was born a daughter of Anna, king of the East Angles, one of the earliest Christian kings. Wendreda and her sisters, Etheldred and Sexburga, became enthusiastic missionaries, spreading the Gospel. Wendreda dedicated herself to making a study of herbal remedies and became well regarded as a healer. While her sister, Etheldred, founded the monastery at Elyl, and Sexburga became abbess of a convent in Minster, Wendreda founded a Benedictine community at March, Cambridgeshire, dedicated to healing. She stayed there for the remainder of her life. After her death, her relics were enshrined in gold and installed in Ely Cathedral. They became a draw to pilgrims hoping for healing. In 1016, Edmund Ironside took the relics of St Wendreda into battle against the Danish invaders, believing they might bring victory. The battle was lost, however, and the victorious Danes carried the remains to King Cnut who would, after his conversion to Christianity, install the relics at Canterbury Cathedral, where they remained for the next 300 years. In 1343, St. Wendreda's remains were finally returned to March, and enshrined in a church dedicated to her. Her shrine remained a destination for pilgrims, and was guarded continuously. During the Dissolution of the Monasteries, however, the shrine was broken up and the relics lost. The church dedicated in her name still stands, however, and is rightly famous for its medieval wooden roof, enhanced with a host of hand carved angels. Her feast day is January 22.
Bio by: Iola
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