Egwin of Evesham

Egwin of Evesham, O.S.B.
St. Mary's Bell Tower, Evesham
Monk, bishop and founder
Died	30 December 717 Evesham Abbey
Honored in	Roman Catholic Church (Order of St. Benedict and England)
Major shrine	Evesham Abbey
Feast	30 December
Attributes	bishop holding a fish and a key^[1]
Catholic cult suppressed	1540

Egwin of Evesham, O.S.B., (died 30 December 717) (also Ecgwin, Ecgwine and Eegwine) was a Benedictine monk and, later, the third Bishop of Worcester in England.

Life

Egwin was born in Worcester of a noble family, and was a descendant of Mercian kings.^[2] He may possibly have been a nephew of King Æthelred of Mercia. Having already become a monk, his biographers say that king, clergy, and commoners all united in demanding Egwin's elevation to bishop; but the popularity which led him to the episcopal office dissipated in response to his performance as bishop.^[2] He was consecrated bishop in 693.^[3]

As a bishop he was known as a protector of orphans and the widowed and a fair judge. He struggled with the local population over the acceptance of Christian morality; especially Christian marriage and clerical celibacy. Egwin's stern discipline created a resentment which, as King Æthelred of Mercia was his friend, eventually found its way to his ecclesiastical superiors. He undertook a pilgrimage to Rome to seek vindication from the pope himself. According to a legend, he prepared for his journey by locking shackles on his feet, and throwing the key into the River Avon.

According to one account, as Egwin and his companions were passing through the Alps, they began to thirst. Those among his companions who did not acknowledge the bishop's sanctity asked him mockingly to pray for water as Moses once did in the desert. But others, who did believe in him, rebuked the unbelievers and asked him in a different tone, with true faith and hope. Egwin prostrated himself in prayer. On arising, they saw a pure stream of water gush forth out of the rock.^[4]

While he prayed before the tomb of the Apostles in Rome, one of his servants brought him this very key — found in the mouth of a fish that had just been caught in the Tiber.^[2] Egwin then released himself from his self-imposed bonds and straightway obtained from the pope an authoritative release from his enemies' obloquy.

Upon his return to England, he founded Evesham Abbey, which became one of the great Benedictine houses of medieval England. It was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who had reportedly made known to a swineherd named Eof just where a church should be built in her honor.^[5]

One of the last important acts of his episcopate was his participation in the first great Council of Clovesho. According to the Benedictine historian, Jean Mabillon, he died on 30 December 720, though his death is generally accepted as having occurred three years earlier on 30 December 717.^[3] He died at the abbey he had founded, and his remains were enshrined there.

A Vita Sancti Egwini was written by Dominic of Evesham, a medieval prior of Evesham Abbey around 1130.^[6] His tomb was destroyed, along with the abbey church, at the time of the dissolution of the abbey in 1540.

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Our Lady of Evesham

The site of the abbey altar is said to mark the spot at which Our Lady appeared to St. Egwin, Bishop of Worcester and first Abbot of Evesham, and to a herdsman named Eoves. The evidence for these apparitions was accepted by Pope Constantine in 709, when St. Egwin went to Rome to report the details. For more than 800 years afterwards, Evesham was one of the greatest shrines of Christendom. ^[7]

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References

^ Patron Saints Index entry for St Egwin of Worcester accessed on 3 November 2007
^ ^a ^b ^c Macpherson, Ewan. "St. Egwin." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 17 May 2013
^ ^a ^b Powicke Handbook of British Chronology p. 260
^ Moss, Vladimir. "Saint Egwin of Worcester", Orthodox America
^ Foley, O.F.M., Leonard. Saint of the Day, Lives, Lessons, and Feast, (revised by Pat McCormack), Franciscan Media, ISBN 978-0-86716-887-7
^ Jennings "Writings" English Historical Review p. 298
^ "Mass in the afternoon at Evesham", Catholic Herald, 12 March 1954

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Sources

Jennings, J. C. (April 1962). "The Writings of Prior Dominic of Evesham". The English Historical Review 77 (303): 298–304. doi:10.1093/ehr/LXXVII.CCCIII.298.
Powicke, F. Maurice and E. B. Fryde Handbook of British Chronology 2nd. ed. London:Royal Historical Society 1961

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External links

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Oftfor	Bishop of Worcester 693–717	Succeeded by Wilfrith I

v t e Saints of Anglo-Saxon England

British / Welsh / Irish	Alban of St Albans Aldatus of Oxford Amphibalus of St Albans Arilda of Oldbury Barloc of Norbury Brannoc of Braunton Branwalator of Milton Credan of Bodmin Congar of Congresbury Dachuna of Bodmin Decuman of Watchet Elfin of Warrington Ivo of Ramsey Judoc of Winchester Juthwara of Sherbourne Melorius of Amesbury Nectan of Hartland Neot of St Neots Patrick of Glastonbury Rumon of Tavistock Samson of Dol Sativola of Exeter Urith of Chittlehampton

East Anglian	Æthelberht of East Anglia Æthelburh of Faremoutiers Æthelflæd of Ramsey Æthelthryth of Ely Æthelwine of Lindsey Athwulf of Thorney Blitha of Martham Botwulf of Thorney Cissa of Crowland Cuthbald of Peterborough Eadmund of East Anglia Eadnoth of Ramsey Guthlac of Crowland Herefrith of Thorney Hiurmine of Blythburgh Huna of Thorney Pega of Peakirk Regenhere of Northampton Seaxburh of Ely Tancred of Thorney Torthred of Thorney Tova of Thorney Walstan of Bawburgh Wihtburh of Ely Wulfric of Holme

East Saxon	Æthelburh of Barking Hildelith of Barking Osgyth Sæbbi of London

Frisian, Frankish and Old Saxon	Balthild of Romsey Bertha of Kent Felix of Dommoc Grimbald of St Bertin Monegunda of Watton Odwulf of Evesham Wulfram of Grantham

Irish and Scottish	Aidan of Lindisfarne Boisil of Melrose Echa of Crayke Ultan the Scribe Indract of Glastonbury Maildub of Malmesbury

Kentish	Æbbe of Thanet Æthelberht of Kent Æthelburh of Kent Æthelred of Kent Albinus of Canterbury Berhtwald of Canterbury Deusdedit of Canterbury Eadburh of Thanet Eanswith of Folkestone Eormengyth of Thanet Nothhelm of Canterbury Sigeburh of Thanet

Mercian	Ælfnoth of Stowe Ælfthryth of Crowland Æthelberht of Bedford Æthelmod of Leominster Æthelred of Mercia Æthelwine of Coln Æthelwynn of Sodbury Beonna of Breedon Beorhthelm of Stafford Coenwulf of Mercia Cotta of Breedon Credan of Evesham Cyneburh of Castor Cyneburh of Gloucester Kenelm of Winchcombe Cyneswith of Peterborough Eadburh of Bicester Eadburh of Pershore Eadburh of Southwell Eadgyth of Aylesbury Eadweard of Maugersbury Ealdgyth of Stortford Earconwald of London Ecgwine of Evesham Freomund of Mercia Frithuric of Breedon Frithuswith of Oxford Frithuwold of Chertsey Hæmma of Leominster Merefin Mildburh of Wenlock Mildgyth Mildthryth of Thanet Milred of Worcester Oda of Canterbury Oswald of Worcester Osburh of Coventry Rumwold of Buckingham Tibba of Ryhall Werburgh of Chester Wærstan Wigstan of Repton Wulfhild of Barking

Northumbrian	Acca of Hexham Æbbe "the Elder" of Coldingham Æbbe "the Younger" of Coldingham Ælfflæd of Whitby Ælfwald of Northumbria Æthelburh of Hackness Æthelgyth of Coldingham Æthelsige of Ripon Æthelwold of Farne Æthelwold of Lindisfarne Alchhild of Middleham Alchmund of Hexham Alchmund of Derby Balthere of Tyningham Beda of Jarrow Bega of Copeland Benedict Biscop Bercthun of Beverley Billfrith of Lindisfarne Bosa of York Botwine of Ripon Ceadda of Lichfield Cedd of Lichfield Ceolfrith of Monkwearmouth Ceolwulf of Northumbria Cuthbert of Durham Dryhthelm of Melrose Eadberht of Lindisfarne Eadfrith of Leominster Eadfrith of Lindisfarne Eadwine of Northumbria Ealdberht of Ripon Eanmund Eardwulf of Northumbria Eata of Hexham Ecgberht of Ripon Eoda Eosterwine of Monkwearmouth Hilda of Whitby Hyglac Iwig of Wilton John of Beverley Osana of Howden Osthryth of Bardney Oswald of Northumbria Oswine of Northumbria Sicgred of Ripon Sigfrith of Monkwearmouth Tatberht of Ripon Wihtberht of Ripon Wilfrith of Hexham Wilfrith II Wilgisl of Ripon

Roman	Augustine of Canterbury Firmin of North Crawley Birinus of Dorchester Blaise Florentius of Peterborough Hadrian of Canterbury Honorius of Canterbury Justus of Canterbury Laurence of Canterbury Mellitus of Canterbury Paulinus of York Theodore of Canterbury

South Saxon	Cuthflæd of Lyminster Cuthmann of Steyning Leofwynn of Bishopstone

West Saxon	Æbbe of Abingdon Ælfgar of Selwood Ælfgifu of Exeter Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury Ælfheah of Canterbury Ælfheah of Winchester Æthelflæd of Romsey Æthelgar of Canterbury Æthelnoth of Canterbury Æthelwine of Athelney Æthelwold of Winchester Aldhelm of Sherbourne Benignus of Glastonbury Beocca of Chertsey Beorhthelm of Shaftesbury Beornstan of Winchester Beornwald of Bampton Centwine of Wessex Cuthburh of Wimborn Cwenburh of Wimborne Dunstan of Canterbury Eadburh of Winchester Eadgar of England Eadgyth of Polesworth Eadgyth of Wilton Eadweard the Confessor Eadweard the Martyr Eadwold of Cerne Earmund of Stoke Fleming Edor of Chertsey Evorhilda Frithestan of Winchester Hædde of Winchester Humbert of Stokenham Hwita of Whitchurch Canonicorum Mærwynn of Romsey Margaret of Dunfermline Swithhun of Winchester Wulfsige of Sherborne Wulfthryth of Wilton

Unclear origin	Rumbold of Mechelen

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company.

Persondata
Name	Egwin
Alternative names	Ecgwin; Ecgwine; Eegwine
Short description	Bishop of Worcester
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death	30 December, 717
Place of death	Evesham Abbey

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Last modified on 17 May 2013, at 16:08