Sainte Withburge de Dereham
Religieuse à Dereham
Fête le 17 mars
OSB
† 17 mars v. 743
Autre mention : 8 juillet
Autres mentions : Withburge, Withburgh, Witburh ou Withburga
Fille la plus jeune d’Anna, roi de l’Est-Anglie, elle forma autour d’elle
une communauté à East Dereham, dans le comté de Norfolk, mais elle mourut avant
que la communauté ne fût complètement organisée. Fondatrice de l’église de
Dereham, une chapelle s’élève sur le site de sa tombe. D’autres fêtes sont
célébrées le 18 avril à Cambridge et le 8 juillet ; aujourd’hui la fête
commémore la translation de ses reliques.
Withburga of Dereham, OSB V (AC)
(also known as Withburge, Witburh)
Died March 17, c. 743; other feasts are celebrated on April 18 at Cambridge and
on March 17; today's feast commemorates her translation. She was the youngest
daughter of King Anna of the East Angles. Like her holy sisters, she devoted
herself to the divine service, and led an austere life in solitude for several
years at Holkham, near the sea-coast in Norfolk, where a church dedicated to
her was afterwards built. After the death of her father she changed her abode
to East Dereham, now a market-town in Norfolk, but then an obscure place of
retirement.
Withburga
assembled there some devout maidens, and laid the foundation of a church and
convent, but did not live to finish the buildings. Her body was interred in the
churchyard at East Dereham and 50 years later was found incorrupt and
translated into the church. In 974, with soldiers and under the cover of night
but with the blessing of King Edgar and Saint Ethelwold, Abbot Brithnoth of Ely
removed it to Ely. They moved the body to wagons, drove 20 miles to Brandun
River, and continued their journey by boat--much to the dismay of the men of
Dereham who had pursued them by land and could only watch helplessly as their
treasure drifted away. At Ely Brithnoth deposited Withburga's relics near the
bodies of her two sisters.
In 1102,
Withburga's relics were moved into a new part of the church. In 1106, the
remains of four saints were translated into the new church and laid near the
high altar. The bodies of Saints Sexburga and Ermenilda were reduced to dust,
except the bones. That of Saint Etheldreda was entire, and that of Saint
Withburga was not only sound but also fresh, and the limbs flexible. This is
related by Thomas, monk of Ely, in his history of Ely, which he wrote the
following year.
He also
tells us that in the place where Saint Withburga was first buried, in the
churchyard at Dereham, a spring of clear water gushed forth when her body was
first exhumed: it is to this day called Saint Withburga's well. The church at
Holkham is dedicated to her honor (Benedictines, Farmer, Walsh).
In art,
Saint Withburga is portrayed as an abbess with two hinds at her feet because
William of Malmesbury described her as being provided milk in her solitude by a
doe. She may be holding a church inscribed Ecclia de Estderham. She is
venerated at Barham, Burlingham, and Dereham in Norfolk (Roeder).
St. Withburge, Virgin
SHE was the youngest of the four
sisters, all saints, daughters of Annas the holy king of the East-Angles. In
her tender years she devoted herself to the divine service, and led an austere
life in close solitude for several years at Holkham, an estate of the king her
father, near the sea-coast in Norfolk, where a church, afterwards called
Withburgstow, was built. After the death of her father she changed her dwelling
to another estate of the crown called Dereham. This is at present a
considerable market town in Norfolk, but was then an obscure retired place.
Withburge assembled there many devout virgins, and laid the foundation of a
great church and nunnery, but did not live to finish the buildings. Her holy
death happened on the 17th of March, 743. Her body was interred in the
church-yard at Dereham, and fifty-five years after, found uncorrupt, and
translated into the church. One hundred and seventy-six years after this, in
974, Brithnoth, (the first abbot of Ely, after that house, which had been
destroyed by the Danes, was rebuilt,) with the consent of King Edgar, removed
it to Ely, and deposited it near the bodies of her two sisters. In 1106 the
remains of the four saints were translated into the new church and laid near
the high altar. The bodies of SS. Sexburga and Ermenilda were reduced to dust,
except the bones. That of St. Audry was entire, and that of St. Withburge was
not only sound but also fresh, and the limbs perfectly flexible. Warner, a monk
of Westminster, showed this to all the people, by lifting up and moving several
ways the hands, arms, and feet. Herbert, bishop of Thetford, who in 1094
translated his see to Norwich, and many other persons of distinction were
eyewitnesses hereof. This is related by Thomas, a monk of Ely, 1 which he wrote the year following,
1107. This author tells us, that in the place where St. Withburge was first
buried, in the church-yard of Dereham, a large fine spring of most clear water
gushes forth. 2 It is to this day called St.
Withburge’s well, was formerly very famous, and is paved, covered and inclosed;
a stream from it forms another small well without the church-yard. See her
life, and Leland, Collect, vol. iii. p. 167.
Rev. Alban Butler (1711–73). Volume
VII: July. The Lives of the Saints. 1866.
SOURCE : http://www.bartleby.com/210/7/084.html
SOURCE : http://365rosaries.blogspot.ca/2011/07/july-8-saint-withburga-of-dereham.html
Abbess of Dereham
(Died AD 743)
Withburga was the youngest
of the saintly daughters of Anna, King of East Anglia. Her sisters
were SS. Ethedreda and Sexburga; they had an elder half-sister St. Saethrith and an illegitimate half-sister, St.
Ethelburga of Faremoutier-en-Brie. Withburga was
also aunt of St. Ermengild. When a young girl, she was sent to live with her
nurse at Holkham in Norfolk where, in process of time, a church was built in
her honour and the place called Withburgstowe. After her father's death, she
built a convent at East Dereham. While she was building it, she had, at one
time, nothing but dry bread to give her workmen. She applied for assistance to
the Blessed Virgin Mary who directed her to send her maids to a certain
fountain every morning. There, they found two wild does which yielded plenty of
milk. In this way, the workmen were fed and the work prospered until the
overseer of those lands, in contempt or dislike of the saint and her miracles,
hunted the does, with dogs, and made them leave off coming to the fountain to
be milked. He was punished for his cruelty, for his horse threw him and he
broke his neck.
Today, July 8,
we celebrate the feast of Saint Withburga (died 643), sister
of Saint Etheldreda, miracle worker, foundress of the Convent at East
Dereham, and Abbess. The simple and obedient life of Saint Withburga inspires
us to discern the will of God in our own lives, following His plan to our best
ability.
Born the youngest daughter of Anna, King of East Anglia, Withburga grew up in a privileged class, considered a princess. Upon her father’s death, while she was still quite young, Withburga was sent with her nurse to live in a small town near Norfolk called Dereham. There, she grew in piety and love for the Lord, and established a small nunnery with the help of her sister, Etheldreda. She served as Abbess of the fledgling community, which grew considerably under her direction. As the community grew, Withburga eventually began construction of a church.
Born the youngest daughter of Anna, King of East Anglia, Withburga grew up in a privileged class, considered a princess. Upon her father’s death, while she was still quite young, Withburga was sent with her nurse to live in a small town near Norfolk called Dereham. There, she grew in piety and love for the Lord, and established a small nunnery with the help of her sister, Etheldreda. She served as Abbess of the fledgling community, which grew considerably under her direction. As the community grew, Withburga eventually began construction of a church.
It is at that
point that miracles began to occur, spreading her notoriety and drawing
pilgrims to her construction site. As construction of the church continued,
money was short. At times, Withburga had little more than bread to feed her
workers. One night Our Blessed Mother appeared to Withburga, saying “Send two of your women
down to the stream every morning, where two does will stand to be milked.”
This she did without question, and the two nuns found the deer waiting, as
promised. As a result, there was butter and cheese for all to add to their
diet, and the construction progressed with great speed.
Saint Withburga
came to be recognized for her great piety, patience, and advice. She was sought
out be locals, as well as by leaders from far away. The local official, jealous
of the positive attention she was receiving, set off with his hounds to kill
the miraculous deer, but was instead thrown from his horse and died of a broken
neck. All present reported this as miraculous, which only increased the stream
of pilgrims to the area—visiting the stream, the church, and hoping for an
audience with Withburga herself.
Saint Withburga
died prior to the completion of the church. Pilgrims continued to flock to her
graveside, where numerous miracles were reported. Upon exhumation (55 years
after her death), her body was discovered to be incorrupt, and moved into a
shrine contained within the completed church. Having consecrated herself a
virgin while alive, Saint Withburga’s corpse is said to have blushed when one
of the men who exhumed the body brushed her check with his finger. Years later,
the saint’s relics were stolen from her tomb (by a well-intentioned bishop),
and translated to Ely, to be placed next to her sisters. Where her body had
been, fresh water sprang forth, and continues to flow freely today. Saint
Withburga’s Well has never run dry (despite drought), and some have claimed
miraculous healing due to prayer and imbibing of the clear water.
Saint
Withburga’s simple faith and obedience allowed her to create an active
religious community, offer healing and advice to believers, and feed those who
were hungry. Her life is remembered as one of purity and hard work, turning
from a privileged life and dedicating herself to the Lord. We look to her for
inspiration—just as the pilgrims of her day did-- in making our daily life
choices. What advice might Saint Withburga give each of us, were we to ask her
today?
St.
Withburga of Dereham,
Abbess of Dereham
(Died AD 743)
Withburga died on
17th March AD 743 and was buried in the cemetery of the Abbey of Dereham and
her body, being found uncorrupted fifty-five years afterwards, was translated
into the church which she herself had built. In AD 974, Brithnoth, Abbot of
Ely, determined to lay the body beside those of her sisters. He went, with
armed followers, to Dereham where he invited the townsmen to a feast and made
them drunk. He carried off the body. They awoke and went in pursuit, and the
men of Ely and the men of Dereham fought lustily for their treasure. Javelins
wore thrown and hard blows were exchanged. At last, however, Brithnoth
triumphantly carried off the saint and deposited her at Ely.
Edited
from Agnes Dunbar's "A Dictionary of Saintly Women" (1904).
