St Christina of Markyate was also known as Kristina Theodora.
She was an anchoress.
She was born in 1097 in Huntingdon, England, and died in 1160 at Markyate, Hertfordshire, England.
We celebrate her feast day on December 5 every year in the Catholic Church.
| St Christina of Markyate Biography | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Date of Birth | 1097 |
| Place of Birth | Huntingdon, England |
| Profession | Anchoress |
| Date of Death | 1160 |
| Place of Death | Markyate, Hertfordshire, England |
| Feast Day | December 5 |
| Canonization | Pre-congregation |
| Patron Saint of | |
St Christina of Markyate’s Life History
St. Christina of Markyate was born around 1097 in Huntingdon, England, into the Anglo-Saxon nobility as the daughter of Autti, a wealthy and influential guild merchant.
At the age of 15, she visited Saint Albans Abbey and privately vowed to remain celibate. Her parents opposed her decision and arranged a marriage with a man named Beorhtred.
Christina sought the help of Bishop Robert Bloet, who initially supported her but later changed his ruling due to bribery.
Against her will, Christina was engaged and married, spending the initial years of her married life as a virtual prisoner and refusing to consummate the marriage.
With the assistance of a hermit named Eadwin, she managed to escape and sought refuge in Flamstead, where she lived with an anchoress named Alfwen for two years.
Subsequently, she relocated to a hermitage in Markyate, Hertfordshire, England, in 1118 and became the spiritual disciple of the hermit Blessed Roger of Albans.
In 1122, Beorhtred obtained an annulment from Thurstan, Archbishop of York, England. This, along with the death of Bishop Bloet in 1123, allowed Christina to return to Markyate, where she spent the remainder of her life.
Her reputation for holiness drew others to her, and her residence evolved into a priory of nuns. Although she was offered positions as abbess in York, Fontevrault, and Marcigny, Christina chose to remain at Markyate.
Aside from her spiritual pursuits, Christina was a skilled needleworker and created embroidered mitres and sandals for the English Pope Adrian IV, who had been a student of Saint Albans.
While known for her stability and balance, she also experienced ecstasies and visions.
St. Christina died around 1160 in Markyate, Hertfordshire, England.
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