Bishop (d. ca. 686)
His life
+ Erconwald (or Erkenwald) was born in Lincolnshire and was, it has been claimed, of noble ancestry.
+ He helped establish to Benedictine abbeys and later served as the abbot of Chertsey. His sister, Saint Ethelburga, served as abbess of Barking.
+ In 675, Erconwald was elected bishop of London. As bishop, he worked to standardize local laws and charters and helped promote the spread of the Christian faith. He served as a special advisor of King Ine of Wessex.
+ Saint Erconwald died in 693. He remains were enshrined in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London and were frequently visited by pilgrims until their destruction during the Protestant Reformation.
+ Honored as a patron saint of London, he is also honored as the patron of those with gout, a disease from which he suffered terribly in the final years of his life.
For reflection
Jesus replied, “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute [the] food allowance at the proper time?” Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.—Luke 12:42-43
Prayer
Almighty and eternal God, who gave your holy Church blessed Erconwald as Bishop, grant that what he taught when moved by the divine Spirit may always stay firm in our hearts; and as by your gift we embrace him as our patron, may we also have him as our defender to entreat your mercy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(from The Roman Missal: Common of Pastors—For a Bishop)
Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.
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