St. Hildelitba
Hildelid of Barking
Also known as Hildelitha, Hildeltha, Hildilid, Hildelida
Feast day: March 24
Other feasts are on December 22, September 3, March 7 , and September 23
Death: 712/717
Benedictine abbess and supporter of Sts. Bede, Aldhelm, and Boniface. An Anglo Saxon princess, she became a nun at Chelles or Farmoutier. France,
Though English, the young Anglo-Saxon princess Saint Hildelid was raised in France. She took the veil there either at Chelles or Faremoutier. Saint Erconwald recalled her to England to train her sister, Saint Ethelburga, to be abbess of Barking. It seems, however, that her association as Ethelburga's sister is in the religious, rather than familial, sense, even though Barking was a family monastery that belonged to Erconwald.
When Ethelburga took the reins as abbess, Hildelid remained there as one of her nuns, and eventually succeeded her about 675. She ruled well for many years, enlarged the rather cramped monastic buildings, and translated the relics of holy nuns from the cemetery to the church. Hildelid won the admiration of Saints Aldhelm, Bede, and Boniface; Saint Aldhelm dedicated his book On Virginity to her and her sisters. The work presupposed advanced Latin reading skills, which indicates the erudition of the nuns. Boniface mentions one of her visions that she described to him. In the diocese of Brentwood, her feast is kept together with that of Saint Cuthburga
Hildelid of Barking
Also known as Hildelitha, Hildeltha, Hildilid, Hildelida
Feast day: March 24
Other feasts are on December 22, September 3, March 7 , and September 23
Death: 712/717
Benedictine abbess and supporter of Sts. Bede, Aldhelm, and Boniface. An Anglo Saxon princess, she became a nun at Chelles or Farmoutier. France,
Though English, the young Anglo-Saxon princess Saint Hildelid was raised in France. She took the veil there either at Chelles or Faremoutier. Saint Erconwald recalled her to England to train her sister, Saint Ethelburga, to be abbess of Barking. It seems, however, that her association as Ethelburga's sister is in the religious, rather than familial, sense, even though Barking was a family monastery that belonged to Erconwald.
When Ethelburga took the reins as abbess, Hildelid remained there as one of her nuns, and eventually succeeded her about 675. She ruled well for many years, enlarged the rather cramped monastic buildings, and translated the relics of holy nuns from the cemetery to the church. Hildelid won the admiration of Saints Aldhelm, Bede, and Boniface; Saint Aldhelm dedicated his book On Virginity to her and her sisters. The work presupposed advanced Latin reading skills, which indicates the erudition of the nuns. Boniface mentions one of her visions that she described to him. In the diocese of Brentwood, her feast is kept together with that of Saint Cuthburga
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