St. Alphege

Today we celebrate the feast day of St. Alphege. St. Alphege was an Archbishop and one of he first martyrs of Canterbury which is located in England.

St. Alphege was born during the year 953 and felt the calling to join the religious life. St. Alphege became a monk in the Deerhurst Monastery which is located in Gloucester, England. After a few years St. Alphege decided to ask for permission to become a hermit.

After St. Alphege had received the permission he wanted in order to fulfill this vocation, he decided to retire in a small hut which was located near Somerset, England.

During the year 984, St. Alphege took up the role as abbot of the abbey of Bath, which was founded by St. Dunstan and his own efforts and work.

Many of St. Alphege’s disciples decided to join him when he went to Bath. During the same year St. Alphege became the bishop of Winchester.

St. Alphege served in Winchester for two full decades and he was known for his charity and kindness towards the poor and vulnerable and for the type of life he lived.

King Aethelred decided to use St. Alphege’s talents during the year 994. King Aethelred sent him to talk with the invading Danes. After the Danish chieftain Anlaf met with St. Alphege he decided to convert to Christianity. Through the chieftains conversion it is clear that St. Alphege was able to change other peoples lives through the kind and caring way he treated others.

After all of this had occurred, Anlaf made it clear that he would never lead his troops against Britain ever again.

During the year 1005, St. Alphege became the archbishop of Canterbury, and St. Alphege had recieved the pallium in Rome, Italy which was given to him by Pope John XVIII.

After St. Alphege had returned to England he was eventually captured by the Danes who had been pillaging the southern regions. When the Danes attacked Canterbury they took St. Alphege as a captive.

The Danes released a ransom for his release which was about three thousand pounds and it ended up being unpaid.

St. Alphege decided to refuse to give the Danes what they wanted because he believed that it was too much, this decision he made infuriated them and they wanted to kill him.

St. Alphege was eventually hit with an ax and then he was beaten to death. St. Alphege was revered as a martyr, and St. Alphege's remains were placed in St. Paul's Church in London, England.

St. Alphege’s body, was eventually moved to Canterbury during the year 1023, and was discovered to be incorrupt during the year 1105.

St. Alphege’s relics are located in Bath, Glastonbury, Ramsey, Reading, Durham, Yorkminster and in Westminster Abbey.

St. Alphege’s emblem is an ax, and he is illustrated wearing his pontifical clothes or as a shepherd protecting his flock.

St. Alphege is the patron saint of Greenwich, and kidnap victims. St. Alphege’s feast day is celebrated on April 19.

Prayer to St. Alphege:

St. Alphege intercede that we may be able to have the courage and strength we need to overcome all the difficulties, pain, suffering and stress we may encounter and help us to offer it up for other people. St. Alphege help us to treat everyone with love and help us to spread God’s love and mercy to all.

We ask this through Christ Our Lord and Mary Our Mother in Heaven.

Amen

St. Alphege pray for us

St. Joseph pray for us

May we continue to strengthen our journey to sainthood and keep others in our prayers.

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Works cited:

Information (read from, not taken):

Catholic Online. “St. Alphege. ”St. Alphege - Saints & Angels - Catholic Online. Accessed 19 April 2021.

Images:

St. Alphege. April 19, 2021. st. alphege - Google Search.