The Basics: Born about 600 in Wales; died about 650 in Wales; canonized pre-congregation; feast day, November 3. Woman religious.
The Story: That Winifred (also known as Winefride) lived in seventh-century Wales, there is no doubt. But what happened to her when
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she was fifteen is the stuff of legends… and, perhaps, a symbol of faith writ public. The noblewoman had decided to consecrate herself to the Lord, but a young man who lived nearby desired her greatly. When she rejected him, it is said he decapitated her. St. Beuno, her uncle and spiritual adviser, was celebrating Mass nearby at the time, and her parents were present. Tradition has it that Beuno restored her to health, a well sprung up on the site where her head had been, and that Winifred went on to live more than twenty more years as a woman religious. People came from a distance to see the red scar around her neck. The well still exists, and among those who have visited it in the intervening centuries are Richard the Lionhearted and Henry V.
What We Can Learn from Winifred: What precisely happened to Winifred that day can be debated. But it is clear the scar from the event resonated with people of her time and helped bolster their faith. What physical or emotional scars do you hide that, if revealed, might do the same for those around you? Pray for the strength to show them.
To Learn More About Winifred: Check out the site, including a video, for her well and shrine in Wales.
To Learn More About Other Women Saints and Blesseds: Come back next week, or consider buying my books, Blessed Are You: Finding Inspiration from Our Sisters in Faith or Sisterhood of Saints: Daily Guidance and Inspiration.
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