Wilfrid II (bishop of York)

Wilfrid
Bishop of York
Diocese York
Appointed 718
Reign ended 732
Predecessor John of Beverley
Successor Ecgbert
Orders
Consecration 718
Personal details
Died 29 April either 746 or 746
Sainthood
Feast day 29 April
Venerated in Roman Catholic Church
Anglican Communion

Wilfrid (II) or Wilfrith (II) (died on 29 April in either 745 or 746) also known as Wilfrid the Younger, was the last Bishop of York, as the see was converted to an archbishopric during the time of his successor. In the 10th century, two different groups claim to have taken the relics of an earlier Wilfrid from Ripon; most likely one party took those of Wilfrid the Younger. Although considered a saint, the younger Wilfrid's feast does not seem to have had a widespread or popular veneration.

Contents

Life

Wilfrid was a monk at Whitby and studied there when Hilda was abbess.[1] He was concecrated abbot of the cathedral community in York during 718, and in 718 was consecrated as coadjutor bishop to John of Beverley.[2]

Wilfrid was described as a very holy man, and interested in education.[3] He embellished York Minster during his time, having silver vessels made for use at the altar and having the altar and the crosses covered with gold and silver leaf.

Wilfrid resigned the bishopric in 732.[2] He died on 29 April in either 745 or 746,[1] and was buried at Ripon, but it may have been his body that was later translated to Canterbury in the mistaken belief that it was that of the earlier Wilfrid.[4] The younger Wilfrid is considered a saint, with his feast day being 29 April.[3] However, he was never the object of strong cult, and only occasional mentions of him in occur in martyrologies.[5]

Citations

  1. ^ a b Lapidge "Wilfrid II" Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England
  2. ^ a b Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 224
  3. ^ a b Walsh A New Dictionary of Saints p. 624
  4. ^ Blair "Handlist of Anglo-Saxon Saints" Local Saints and Local Churches p. 560
  5. ^ Farmer Oxford Dictionary of Saints p. 538

References

  • Blair, John (2002). "A Handlist of Anglo-Saxon Saints". In Thacker, Aland and Sharpe, Richard. Local Saints and Local Churches in the Early Medieval West. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. pp. 495–565. ISBN 0-19-820394-2. 
  • Farmer, David Hugh (2004). Oxford Dictionary of Saints (Fifth ed.). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-860949-0. 
  • Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology (Third revised ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X. 
  • Lapidge, Michael (2001). "Wilfrid II". In Lapidge, Michael; Blair, John; Keynes, Simon; Scragg, Donald. The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. p. 476. ISBN 978-0-631-22492-1. 
  • Walsh, Michael J. (2007). A New Dictionary of Saints: East and West. London: Burns & Oats. ISBN 0-8601-2438-X. 

External links

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
John of Beverley		 Bishop of York
718–732		 Succeeded by
Ecgbert