Felix of Burgundy

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Felix
Denomination Catholic
Senior posting
See Diocese of Dunwich
Title Bishop of Dunwich
Period in office c630647
Predecessor new foundation
Successor Thomas
Personal
Date of death 647
Felix of Dunwich
Died 647
Major shrine Ramsey Abbey
Feast previously March 8
now May 13
Attributes bishop with three rings on his right hand
Patronage Diocese of East Anglia
Saints Portal

Saint Felix of Burgundy, also known as Felix of Dunwich is a saint widely credited as the man who introduced Christianity to East Anglia in Eastern England.

He arrived in England sometime around AD 615 in the the hamlet of Babingley, Norfolk via the River Babingley, and made his way to Canterbury where he was ordained as a Bishop around 630[1] by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Honorius, at the request of King Sigebert of East Anglia.[2]

He is recorded by Bede as having formed his episcopal see at Dommoc which is widely taken to mean Dunwich on the Suffolk coast, although other historians have suggested an alternative site at Walton, Suffolk near Felixstowe, where a church and priory were dedicated to him by Roger Bigod in 1105. Soon afterwards, he established a church and school at Domnoc and also founded the abbey of Soham in Cambridgeshire. He was widely seen as being something of a bridge-builder between the Roman and Celtic traditions of Christianity. St Felix is said to have died on 8 March 647[1] later celebrated as his feast day.

His body was interred at Soham Abbey but this was pillaged by the Vikings in 869 and his tomb desecrated. During the reign of Cnut his remains were again moved to Ramsey Abbey on the Fens. He was succeeded as Bishop by Thomas, a Fenman.

Contents

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b Powicke Handbook of British Chronology p. 222
  2. ^ Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints p. 201

[edit] References

  • Powicke, F. Maurice and E. B. Fryde Handbook of British Chronology 2nd. ed. London:Royal Historical Society 1961
  • Walsh, Michael A New Dictionary of Saints: East and West London: Burns & Oates 2007 ISBN 0-8601-2438-X

[edit] See also

Religious titles
Preceded by
new foundation
Bishop of Dunwich
c630647
Succeeded by
Thomas
Persondata
NAME Felix of Burgundy, Saint
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Felix of Dunwich
SHORT DESCRIPTION Bishop of Dunwich
DATE OF BIRTH
PLACE OF BIRTH
DATE OF DEATH 647
PLACE OF DEATH