St Frideswide
Patron Saint of Oxford 
Christ Church Cathedral Pilgrimage Shrine

• St Frideswide Patron Saint of Oxford since the olden days, mentioned as early as around 720 AD , thought to have been born around 680 AD
• Saint. Frideswide  is also spelled Frithuswith or Frideswith, in old english Frideswyde or even Seint Fretheswyde 
  
  
• The story of St. Frideswide’s Shrine is woven into the spiritual history of the beginnings of the university city of Oxfordd
  

Saint Frideswide
Patron Saint of Oxford 
Christ Church Cathedral Pilgrimage Shrine

• Who was St Frideswide Patron Saint of Oxford ?
  St. Frideswide was an English abbess, revered as the founder and first abbess of a priory church her father owned the land for and appointed her as an abbess. The church  priory thrived and later  became what is today known as Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.
  
  
• When did Saint Frideswide live ?
  She lived in the 7th to 8th century, born around 650 AD believed to have died around the year 735 AD, her feast day being October 19th. Her life spanned the Anglo-Saxon time period , the very first beginnings of early Christianity in England. The time was marked by the emergence of monastic communities first in Canterbury , England and later in many partos of the country including Oxford or Oxforde .
  
  
• Where did St Frideswide , or Frideswyde live ?
  Based in Oxford, England, with her priory and later shrine located in what is now Christ Church Cathedral. There are differeing opinions as to her resting place being the church in Binsey where a well is said to have sprung up as a result of her healings
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• Why is St Frideswide patron saint of Oxford ?
  She is is celebrated for her devout Christian faith, her dedication to a life of purity, and her many reported miracle healings.  Initially she is known for resisting an unwanted royal marriage proposal, choosing a consecrated life instead, but having to flee her persistent suitor. Eventually she came to establish a priory church and is honored as having championed learning establisments, the forerunners of what is now the university college city of Oxford. Today she is recognized as the patron saint of Oxford, as patroness of Oxford university , she is not only honored for founding Oxford’s earliest religious community but also for her enduring legacy in education, charity as well as spiritual guidance
  
  
• History of Saint Frideswide Shrine at Christ Church Cathedral
  For years her shrine was a beacon of hope and faith, drawing pilgrims from all walks of life with the promise of healing, inspiration, and nearness to the divine. It was destroyed and redistributed to proetect it during the dissolution of the monasteries. Eventually pieces of it were found again , and it was rededicated and moved to its present location in Christ Church Cathedral, in the center of the college campus.
  
  Modern day pilgrims are again invited to pause, reflect, and experience a HolyGround place where, for many, the veil between this world and the divine feels thin.
  
  
• What is St Frideswide Patron saint of Oxfords Feast Day ?
  Her feast day is celebrated on October 19th.

Shrine of St Frideswide
Patron Saint of Oxford 
Christ Church Cathedral Pilgrimage Shrine

• St Frideswide Patron Saint of Oxford since the olden days, mentioned as early as around 720 AD
  
• Frideswide’s story is celebrated for her commitment to faith and freedom of choice. 
• According to tradition she is thought to have been pursued by King Algar for marriage which she refused because she had been wishing  to dedicate her life solely to God instead  Through prayer and faith, she eventually escaped his advances by fleeing with her 2 companions into the woods, hiding out in a pig pen. Where she took 
• refuge a hidden spring or holy well appeared and to this day is said to have healing properties. 
• The original shrine was created as a dedication for Saint Frideswide whose life of devotion and self-sacrifice made her an enduring example of Christian faithfulness. Local pilgrims from Oxford travelled to her shrine at Christ church cathedral to ask for healing , praying at the place associated with her relics. As more healing miracles are said to have occurred her fame spread and pilgrimages from further afield became common.
  
  

• In the sixteenth century a then famous pilgrim arrived at the shrine of St Frideswide, a lady named Catherine of Aragon, then Queen of England. She travelled to the shrine seeking divine assistance with prayers expressing her wish to bear a son. It is interesting to me that many journeys of pilgrimage illustrate how, throughout different times in history, people have yearned for tangible encounters with God at places sanctified by prayer, steadfast faith and sacred HolyGround that seems to facilitate these divine moments of closeness to God. 
  
  
• ➔ Pictures from my Pilgrimage to St Frideswide Shrine Christ Church Cathedral 

Church Stained Glass Windows
St Frideswide
Patron Saint of Oxford 
Christ Church Cathedral Pilgrimage Shrine

St Frideswide Patron Saint of Oxford, My Pilgrimage on Camino Ingles, My pics from this Early Christianity Christ Church Cathedral Shrine , her history story dating back to approximately 720 AD . At Christ Church cathedral Pilgrims Way

The Story of St Frideswide Patron SAint of Oxford in Stained Glass by Edward Burne Jones and William Morris 

St Frideswide
Patron Saint of Oxford

The the Oxford Symbol Animal is an commonly known as an ox, sometimes also referenced is an waterox, a type that has larger bend horns. 
The ox is oxford is thought to have originated from the way oxen animals were used to traverse goods across rivers, known as ford or forde in old english language. 

Oxford Symbol Animal Ox St Frideswide Coat of Arms Heraldic Patron Saint Pictures at Pilgrim on HolyGround

Oxford Symbol Animal Ox Patron Saint St Frideswide or Frideswyde, Frithswith
St Frideswide Church Stained Glass Windows at Christ Church Cathedral Oxford Patron Saint Life Story at Pilgrim on HolyGround

Some further Bible Study Questions to research 

Saint Frideswide story is an interesting one, a variety of different historical accounts of her life exist, with some version telling of her journey to and away from Oxford from differing viewpoints. So all accounts are to be taken with a pinch of salt as to accuracy dates, relationships and accomplishments .

• What is historically known about St Frideswide:

there are some accounts that relate her to a king named 

• What is inferred about Saint Frideswide life before becoming the founder of a church in Oxford :

In Summary
St. Frideswide was a 7th–8th century abbess and founder of a priory in Oxford, England. Celebrated for her faith, healing miracles, a holy well and her dedication to faith based religious life, she became the patron saint of Oxford. Her legacy is remembered each year on October 19th.

return from St Frideswide Patron Saint of Oxford Pilgrimage Church Stained Glass Windows at Christ Church Cathedral Shrine at Pilgrim on HolyGround

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" A Pilgrims Margin"
NEWSLETTER