Birinus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Saint Birinus
The commissioning of Birinus (centre) by Asterius (left), a photograph from David Nash Ford's Early British Kingdoms website, taken at Dorchester Abbey
Bishop
Born	c. 600 in France probably
Died	3 December 649 in Dorchester, Oxfordshire
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church; Anglican Communion
Major shrine	Dorchester Abbey, now destroyed. Small parts survive. Modern replica now in place. (Or Winchester Cathedral, now destroyed).
Feast	3 December
Attributes	bishop, sometimes baptising a king
Patronage	Berkshire; Dorchester
Controversy	body claimed by both Dorchester Abbey and Winchester Cathedral
Saints Portal

Birinus (c. 600-649), saint, was the first bishop of Dorchester, Oxfordshire in England and the "Apostle to the West Saxons."

After Augustine of Canterbury performed initial conversions in England, Birinus, a Frank, came to the kingdoms of Wessex in 634. Birinus had been made bishop by Asterius in Genoa, and Pope Honorius I created the commission to convert the West Saxons. In 635, he persuaded the West Saxon king, Cynegils, to allow him to preach. Cynegils was trying to create an alliance with Oswald of Northumbria, with whom he intended to fight the Mercians. At the final talks between kings, the sticking point was that Oswald, being a Christian, would not ally himself with a heathen. Cynegils then converted and was baptized, and he gave Birinus Dorchester for his episcopal see. Birinus's original commission would have entailed preaching to all parts of the West Saxon kingdom, but he remained there in Wessex. However, in Wessex, Birinus was very active in establishing churches. After Cynegils' death, the new king, Cenwalh, invited Birinus to establish a church at Westminster. He also supposedly laid the foundations for Saint Mary's in Reading, Saint Helen's in Abingdon and other churches across old Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.