St. Sigebert of East Anglia, King & Martyr
27 September
Died 635; feast day sometimes January 16. Saint Bede (f.d. May 25)
tells us that Saint Sigebert, the first Christian king of East Anglia,
was baptized in France. He had gone into exile during the reign of
Redwald, who attempted to combine Christian worship with that of the
German gods in the same church. In 630, Sigebert returned home as king
with Saints Felix of Dunwich (f.d. March 8) and Fursey (f.d. January
16), who evangelize his kingdom with the help of Bishop Saint Honorius
(f.d. September 30). He provided Fursey with the land and money to
establish Burgh Castle monastery, and Felix to set up schools. Sigebert
took the Benedictine habit, probably at Dunwich or Burgh Castle, but was
forcibly removed from the cloister by his warrior subjects when Penda of
Mercia attacked the kingdom. His subjects thought Sigebert would
encourage the troops, but he refused to carry a weapon. Armed with only
a staff, Sigebert was killed in a battle against the pagan Penda;
therefore, his subjects venerated him as a martyr
(Benedictines,
Farmer).
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content © 2008, Ambrose Mooney
layout © 2008, Kathleen Hanrahan and Mo! Langdon
Page last updated: 16 November 2008
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