St. Rumwold, Infant Prince of Northumbria
(Rumwald, Rumbald)
3 November
Born at Sutton (King's Sutton, Northants); date unknown; feast day at
Brackley was August 28 (probably the date of the translation of his
relics). Saint Rumwald, whose shrine existed at Buckingham before the
Norman Conquest, was said to be the maternal grandson of King Penda of
Mercia and the son of a pagan prince of Northumbria. His 11th-century
Life relates that, in 650, the 3-day-old prince pronounced the creed
aloud immediately after his baptism, preached a sermon on the Holy
Trinity and the need for virtuous living, and then died.
The year following his death, his relics were moved by Bishop Widerin
(who had baptized him) to Brackley in Northamptonshire. Two years
later, his bones were again translated to Buckingham. Rumwald was
honoured with a cultus, chiefly in Northantshire and Buckingham. He was
also revered at monasteries in Mercia, Wessex, and Sweden; however, his
name is omitted from monastic calendars after 1100. Churches were
dedicated to his memory in Kent, Essex, Northantshire, Lincolnshire,
Dorset, and North Yorkshire (where there is also a Romaldkirk). The
well of Saint Rumwald survives at Alstrop, Northantshire
(Benedictines,
Farmer,
Husenbeth).
In art he is shown in the midst of this miraculous act
(Roeder). A
statue of Rumwald at Boxley in Kent was destroyed during the
Reformation. He is invoked by the fishermen of Folkestone as their
patron
(Farmer).
Lives kindly supplied by:
For All the Saints:
http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/saint_a.shtml
These Lives are archived at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celt-saints/
content © 2008, Ambrose Mooney
layout © 2008, Kathleen Hanrahan and Mo! Langdon
Page last updated: 01 November 2008
Please send us comments, corrections, etc. -
Kathleen or
Mo!.
This page's URL: <http://www.CelticSaints.org/2008/1103c.html>