Daughter of Prince Dida of Oxford in the 8th century, Frideswide dedicated her life to God and became abbess of a monastery founded by her father. She had to flee the violent advances of Prince Algar of Mercia, who was struck with blindness before being healed by her prayers. She ended her days in solitude and contemplation at Thornbury around 760.
Guided reading
7 reading sections
SAINT FRIDESWIDE OR FREWISSE,
VIRGIN AND ABBESS IN OXFORD, ENGLAND (c. 760).
Origins and religious vocation
Daughter of Prince Didan of Oxford, Frideswide rejected the vanities of the world from her childhood to dedicate herself to the contemplative life under the guidance of her governess Algiva.
Saint Frideswide Sainte Frideswide English virgin and abbess of the 8th century, patron saint of Oxford. was the daughter of D Didon Prince of Oxford and father of Saint Frideswide. idan, princ e of O Oxford City in England of which Frideswide is the patron saint. xford (England) and the territory of that city. She understood early on this important maxim that "all that is not God is nothing"; thus, she applied herself from her childhood to living only for Him. The care of her education was entrusted to a virtuous governess named Algiva.
W ealth, Algire Virtuous governess entrusted with the saint's education. birth, beauty, and all the advantages of the world never seemed to her worthy of her concern, and she saw in them only traps that were very difficult to avoid. She feared living in the world, and the exercises of the contemplative life seemed to her preferable to the functions of the active life, which it is rare to combine with fervor and recollection. She therefore resolved to embrace the religious state. Her father, who was himself filled with piety, approved of her choice. Around the year 750, he founded a monastery in Oxford, under the invocation of the Blessed Virgin and all the Saints, and its governance was entrusted to his daughter.
Foundation of the monastery of Oxford
Around 750, her father founded a monastery in Oxford dedicated to the Virgin and all the Saints, the direction of which he entrusted to his daughter.
Frideswide, freed from the slavery of the world, made every effort to advance on the path of perfection and to lead her sisters therein. But, while she was tasting the sweetness of solitude, her virtue was assailed by a harsh trial. Algar, princ e of Algar Prince of Mercia who attempted to abduct Frideswide. Mercia, conc eived Mercie Former Anglo-Saxon kingdom. a violent passion for her and occupied himself with the means to abduct her. Frideswide, informed of the danger she was running, withdrew to escape the pursuits of Algar. It is said that the prince became blind in punishment for his crime; but that he recovered his sight through the prayers of the Saint and that he appeased the justice of God through a sincere penance.
The Trial of Prince Algar
Pursued by the violent passion of Prince Algar of Mercia, Frideswide fled; the prince was struck with blindness before being healed by the saint's prayers.
Frideswide, after having escaped the danger of which we have just spoken, had a small oratory built for hers elf at Th Thornbury Place where Frideswide had an oratory built. ornbury, at some distance from the city. She shut herself up there to devote herself solely to prayer and contemplation. She died around 760 and several miracles occurred through her intercession. The church where she had been buried later took her name. Saint Frideswide was the patron saint of the city and university of Oxford. She is also honored with the same title in Bomy French commune where the saint is venerated and is said to have found refuge. Bomy (Pas-de-Calais, district of Saint-Omer, canton of Fauquembergues) and in several religious houses in the Netherlands.
Eremitic life and passing
She ended her days in prayer within an oratory at Thornbury and died around 760, performing numerous posthumous miracles.
According to some authors, it was even at Bomy that Frideswide came to seek refuge from the pursuits of the prince who was searching for her. These writers add that she founded a hermitage there where she remained for three years. The feast of the translation of her relics is marked on February 12 in the martyrologies of England, and in a calendar which is at the head of the manuscript chroni cle entitle Scala mundi Manuscript chronicle mentioning the translation of its relics. d *Scala mundi*, which was kept in the library of the English College at Douai.
Expansion of the cult and local traditions
Beyond Oxford, her cult was established in Bomy in France and in the Netherlands, with traditions mentioning a prolonged exile on the continent.
Saint Frideswide is depicted with an ox near her. This representation, says Father Cahier in his *Caractéristiques des Saints*, appears to be nothing more than a sort of canting arms, to express the land of which the Saint was patron: Oxford (or O xenford) meaning *th Oxford (ou Oxenford) City in England of which Frideswide is the patron saint. e Ford of the Oxen*. — She is sometimes represented with a crown at her feet, to signify that she knew how to despise the grandeurs of the world.
Symbolism and iconography
The saint is traditionally depicted with an ox, recalling the etymology of Oxford, or a crown at her feet symbolizing her renunciation.
Godenard, Baillet, A cta Sanctorum. Acta Sanctorum Monumental hagiographic collection by the Bollandists.
Hagiographic sources
The account is based on the works of Godenard, Baillet, and the Acta Sanctorum.
Godenard, Baillet, Acta Sanctorum.
Annexes & related entities
Structured data for exploration: events, miracles, quotes, places, attributes, patronages, and important entities cited in the text.
Key Events
- Education by the governess Algire
- Foundation of a monastery in Oxford by her father around 750
- Fled to escape the pursuit of Prince Algar of Mercia
- Retreat in an oratory at Thornbury
- Possible three-year stay in Bomy, France
Miracles
- Punitive blindness of Prince Algar
- Healing of Prince Algar's sight through prayer
- Posthumous miracles through her intercession
Quotes
-
everything that is not God is nothing
Hagiographic tradition