SAINT ELFLEDA, ABBESS OF WHITBY ABBEY - 8 FEBRUARY

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN FEBRUARY

Saints celebrated on the 8th of February

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SAINT ELFLEDA, ABBESS OF WHITBY ABBEY

Elfleda, a daughter of King Oswi of Northumberland and Saint Eanfleda, was dedicated to the Lord by her father from an early age. He also promised to donate lands for the founding of monasteries. These offerings he combined with fervent prayers for success in his military enterprises. The fortunes of war indeed turned to his favour.

In the nunnery, his daughter Elfleda had the abbess Hilda as teacher and governess, and succeeded her in office around 680 after her death as abbess of the monastery of Streaneshalch (later Prestby, now Whitby in Yorkshire), which she held until around 716.

After a holy life, Elfleda fell asleep in the Lord and was buried at Whitby Abbey. This foundation  was destroyed by the Danes in the ninth century. During the reconstruction of the same at a later stage, the relics of Saint Elfleda were discovered and solemnly buried once more. 

Her name is spelled in various ways: Elfreda, Elfled, Aellied, Ellledis, Edelfleda, Ethellfleda, Elsfleda, Ethelfreda. She must be distinguished from Aelfleda, the widow who is venerated on November 11 (II. 178).

(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, Volume 2, Augsburg, 1861, p. 30)

Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints - Sources and Abbreviations

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Saint Elfleda may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Sources of these articles (in the original German): books.google.co.uk, de-academic.com, zeno.org, openlibrary.org