Saints linked with our Diocese
In our Diocese we have a rich heritage of Saints and Holy People to look back on, and these Saints have helped shape our region and make it a holy place.
Looking back on our Catholic roots in such Saints as Cuthbert, Hilda and Bede can give us insights into the development and traditions of our faith today as well as yielding fascinating glimpses into ancient times.
Looking at the lives of these Saints can help us see the church as timeless; not only do we know these historical Saints are praying for us now but our connectedness with them can help give us a sense of transcendence.
If we look deeply enough many of them point us to issues we are familiar with today - Cuthbert's love of the wild places of Northumberland and nature calls us to look at the world around us and present day environmental issues.
In these webpages (links on the left) each of the Saints associated with our Diocese is described and links with the Diocese outlined.
In making these pages, we are grateful to Canon Wilfrid Fee, one of our Diocesan Clergy, who researched and wrote a small but succinct book about the Northern Saints, and which has provided much of the text, anecdotes and inspiration for these pages.
In his book, Canon Fee reminds us of an ancient prayer used in the Catholic Church:
"Remember all those holy confessors, bishops and kings, all those holy monks and hermits, all those holy virgins and widows, who made this once an island of saints, illustrious by their glorious merits and virtues. Let not their memory perish from before thee, 0 Lord, but let their supplication enter daily into thy sight"
A treasured copy of Canon Wilfrid Fee's original book on the Saints of the North of England is in the Archive Library at Bishop's House