Oswald of Worcester
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Saint Oswald of Worcester (died February 29, 992) was Archbishop of York from 972 to his death in 992.
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[edit] Early life
Of Danish parentage, Oswald was brought up by his uncle Odo, Archbishop of Canterbury, and instructed by Fridegode. For some time he was dean of the house of the secular canons at Winchester, but led by the desire of a stricter life he entered the Monastery of Fleury in France – a great centre of reviving Benedictinism. Here he soon distinguished himself by the monastic austerity of his life and was ordained in 959.
[edit] Priesthood
Oswald returned to England where he took an active part in ecclesiastical affairs at York until St. Dunstan procured his appointment to the See of Worcester. He was consecrated to Bishop of Worcester in 962.
Oswald was an ardent supporter of Dunstan and Æthelwold, Bishop of Winchester, in their efforts to purify the Church from secularism. Aided by King Edgar, he took a prominent part in the revival of monastic discipline along the precepts of Benedictine Rule. His methods, however, were less violent than those of Æthelwold.
In 972 Oswald was made Archbishop of York, and journeyed to Rome to receive the pallium from Pope John XIII. His most famous foundation was that of Ramsey in Huntingdonshire, the church of which was dedicated in 974.
On Edgar's death in 975, his work, hitherto so successful, received a severe check at the hands of Elfhere, King of Mercia, who broke up many communities. Ramsey, however, was spared, owing to the powerful patronage of Ethelwin, Earl of East Anglia
He died on February 29, 992 in the act of washing the feet of the poor, as was his daily custom during Lent, and was buried in the Church of St. Mary at Worcester. He greatly valued and promoted learning amongst the clergy and induced many scholars to come from Fleury. He wrote two treatises and some synodal decrees.
His feast day is celebrated on 28 February.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia.
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
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| Preceded by: Dunstan | Bishop of Worcester 961–? | Succeeded by: Ealdwulf |
| Preceded by: Edwald | Archbishop of York 971–992 | Succeeded by: Ealdwulf |
