Saint of the Day – 19 April – Saint Alphege of Winchester

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Today is Friday, March 29, 2024

The Memorial of Saint Alphege of Winchester

Saint Alphege of Winchester is the Patron Saint of

• Greenwich, England
• Kidnap victims
• Solihull, England

Saint Alphege of Winchester Date of Birth, Country of Birth, Profession, Place of Work, Date of Death, Place of Death, Feast Day, Beatification Date, Canonization DateMatrimony/Holy OrdersBishops who became Saints

Saint Alphege of Winchester brief life History

Date of Birth 953 AD
Country of Birth United Kingdom in Europe
Profession Archbishop of Canterbury
Place of Work England
Date of Death 19 April 1012
Place of Death Greenwich, Kent, England
Feast Day 19 April
Beatification By Not Available
Canonization By Pope Gregory VII in 1078 in Rome
Patron Saint of • Greenwich, England
• Kidnap victims
• Solihull, England

Saint Alphege of Winchester Short life History

Saint Alphege of Winchester is also known as
• Alphege the Martyr
• Alphege of Canterbury
• Alfege, Alphage, Alphege, Alphegus, Elphege, Godwine, Ælfheah, Aelfheah, Elfego, Elfege

• He was 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.
• He was Bishop of Winchester, England in 984.
• He 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.
• He may have helped negotiate a peace treaty in 994 which ended some Viking raids.

• He was Archbishop of Canterbury, England in 1006.
• He encouraged devotion to Saint Dunstan of Canterbury.
• He 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.
• He was 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.

Today’s Catholic Quote:

Saint Alphege of Winchester was 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. His body was interred in Saint Paul’s Cathedral and later 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. His remains were found incorrupt in 1105.

Saint Alphege of Winchester
Saint Alphege of Winchester


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About Laban Thua Gachie 10721 Articles
The founder of Catholicreadings.org is Laban Thua Gachie. I am a Commissioned Lector, a commissioned Liturgy Minister, and a Commissioned member of the Catholic Men Association. We at Catholic Daily Readings, operate the catholicreadings.org, a Catholic Church-related website and we pride ourself in providing you, on a daily basis the following; 1. Catholic Daily Mass Readings 2. Reflections on those Daily Readings 3. Daily prayers 4. Bible Verse of the Day 5. Saint of the Day