The Basics: Born April 19, 626, in England; died December 11, 704, in England; canonized precongregation; feast day, November 24. Queen and woman religious.
The Story: Legend has it that Eanflaed became the first person baptized in England’s Northumbrian region because her father, King Edwin, promised to have the sacrament conferred upon her if he was successful in a battle. He was, and so Eanflaed’s journey as a Christian began. (Edwin also is said to have converted, doubtless pleasing his Christian wife.)
It would not be the last time violence would be intertwined with Eanflaed’s faith journey. When she was seventeen, she was married to Oswiu, king of a neighboring Northumbrian area. Eight years later, after Oswiu had had a rival assassinated, she convinced him to build a monastery to atone for the act. The marriage might seem unconventional to us today; while Oswiu had multiple children from at least two marriages, history isn’t clear on precisely how many of the children, beyond their daughter Aefflaed, were the result of the marriage to Eanflaed. Still, she had influence over him, at least spiritually; it was in part due to her support that Oswiu resolved a burning dispute about the date for observing Easter by ruling in favor of the Roman calendar.
When Oswiu died in 670, Eanflaed entered the Whitby monastery, where Aefflaed already was a woman religious and Eanflaed’s cousin Hilda was serving as abbess. Eanflaed’s initial focus was on ensuring that her spouse would be buried at the monastery, and she succeeded in that effort. She remained at the monastery until her death; her daughter became abbess after Hilda’s death in 680.
What We Can Learn from Eanflaed: Regardless of how horrific a family member’s sins are, we can still pray for them… and encourage them to seek the Lord’s forgiveness. Let your evangelization begin at home.
To Learn More About Eanflaed: Read the entry about her in A Dictionary of Saintly Women, Volume 1, or the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
To Learn More About Other Women Saints and Blesseds: Come back next week, or consider buying my book, Sisterhood of Saints: Daily Guidance and Inspiration.
