April 19 - Saint Aelphege - Bishop of Canterbury - Martyr - 1012 - England
From the 1908 Roman Breviary. The Roman Breviary: Reformed By Order Of The Holy Œcumenical Council Of Trent ; Published By Order Of Pope St. Pius V. ; And Revised By Clement VIII, Urban VIII, And Leo XIII ; Together With The Offices Since Granted And The Martyrology, Volume 2 -Spring : Catholic Church. English : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
Alphege the Martyr
Alphege of Canterbury
Alfege…
Alphage…
Alphege…
Alphegus…
Elphege…
Godwine…
Ælfheah…
Aelfheah…
Elfego…
Elfege…
Memorial
19 April
8 June (translation of his relics)
16 November (his ordination)
Profile
Born to the nobility but gave it up to become a young monk at Deerhurst Abbey in Gloucestershire, England. Monk, anchorite, and then abbot at Bath Abbey; known for his personal piety and austerity. Bishop of Winchester, England in 984. Built several churches, installed a cathedral organ so large that it could be heard a mile away, and his charity was so great that there were reported to be no beggars in his diocese. May have helped negotiate a peace treaty in 994 which ended some Viking raids.
Archbishop of Canterbury, England in 1006. Encouraged devotion to Saint Dunstan of Canterbury. Translated the relics of Saint Swithun to Canterbury. In 1011 Danes began raiding again, laid seige to Canterbury, sacked the town, and captured Alphege along with several other Church officials, all of whom were held for ransom. Reported to have healed many of sick Danes by praying over them and feeding them blessed bread. Alphege refused to approve the payment of ransom for himself, and after several months was murdered by angry drunken Vikings, the first archbishop of Canterbury to die violently. Saint Thomas Becket was praying for Saint Alphege’s intercession just before he was murdered.
Born
954 in Weston, Somerset, England
Anglo-Saxon
Died
beaten with stones and ox bones, then struck on the head with the blunt edge of an axe on 19 April 1012 in Greenwich, Kent (part of modern London), England
interred in Saint Paul’s Cathedral
re-interred in Canterbury by King Canute in 1023
his shrine was re-built and expanded in the early 12th century by Saint Anselm of Canterbury
remains found incorrupt in 1105
after a fire in the cathedral in 1174, Alphege’s relics were re-interred by the high altar
Canonized
1078 by Pope Saint Gregory VII
Patronage
kidnap victims
in England
Canterbury, city of
Greenwich
Solihull
Winchester
Representation
bishop holding an axe
bishop with an axe in his head
carrying stones in his chasuble
cybrotius