Hierarch 10th century

Saint Oswald of Worcester

c. 925 – 992

Also known as Oswaldus Wigorniensis

Bishop of Worcester and Archbishop of York, a leader of the English monastic reform. Distinct from St Oswald, King of Northumbria (OS-1650).

Feast Day

February 29

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Commemorated as

Our Father among the Saints Oswald, Bishop of Worcester and Archbishop of York

Life

Oswald of Worcester (c. 925–992) was an English hierarch who served as Bishop of Worcester and later as Archbishop of York, and who ranked among the principal leaders of the tenth-century English monastic reform alongside Dunstan of Canterbury and Aethelwold of Winchester.

Of Danish parentage and raised by his uncle Oda, Archbishop of Canterbury, Oswald was formed as a monk at the Frankish abbey of Fleury before returning to England, where his episcopate became a vehicle for restoring Benedictine monasticism and replacing communities of secular clergy with monks.

He is distinct from Saint Oswald, King of Northumbria. He is venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglican Communion, with his feast kept on 28 February in common years and 29 February in leap years.

Timeline 7 moments Read Hide

c. 925 Birth Born of Danish parentage. He was raised by his uncle Oda, Archbishop of Canterbury, and was also related to Oskytel, later Archbishop of York.
c. 950 Entry into Fleury Having been instructed by the Frankish scholar Frithegod and having held office as dean of Winchester, Oswald was sent to France and entered the monastery of Fleury about 950. He was ordained in 959 and there met Osgar of Abingdon and Germanus of Winchester.
961 Consecrated Bishop of Worcester Oswald was consecrated Bishop of Worcester. He changed the cathedral chapter of Worcester from secular priests to monks.
c. 971 Foundation of Ramsey Abbey He founded Ramsey Abbey, probably his most famous foundation; its church was dedicated in 974.
972 Made Archbishop of York Oswald was made Archbishop of York and journeyed to Rome to receive the pallium from Pope John XIII. He continued to hold the see of Worcester in addition to York.
985–987 Abbo of Fleury at Ramsey He brought the scholar Abbo of Fleury to England; Abbo was at Ramsey from 985 to 987, where he taught computus.
29 February 992 Death at Worcester Oswald died at Worcester during Lent in the act of washing the feet of the poor. He was buried in the Church of St Mary at Worcester.

Contributions & Legacy

3 contributions Read Hide

Formation and Career

Oswald was instructed in his youth by the Frankish scholar Frithegod and held the office of dean of Winchester Cathedral before being sent to France. About 950 he entered the abbey of Fleury, a centre of reformed Benedictine observance, where he spent several years and was ordained in 959; among his companions there were Osgar of Abingdon and Germanus of Winchester.

Returning to England, he was consecrated Bishop of Worcester in 961. In 972 he was raised to the archbishopric of York, travelling to Rome to receive the pallium from Pope John XIII, and thereafter held the two sees of Worcester and York together.

Beyond his ecclesiastical office Oswald reorganised the estates of his see into administrative hundreds known as the Oswaldslow, and he involved himself in the affairs of the kingdom, supporting Edward the Martyr in the succession dispute against Ethelred the Unready.

Monastic Reform

Oswald was one of the leading promoters of the church reforms led by Dunstan, working alongside Aethelwold of Winchester to restore Benedictine monasticism in England. His method is recorded as gentler than Aethelwold's, being less forceful in the replacement of secular clergy with monks.

His best-known foundation was Ramsey Abbey, established about 971, whose church was dedicated in 974. He reformed a number of other houses, among them Winchcombe in Gloucestershire, Pershore and Evesham in Worcestershire, and Westbury Priory, and he converted the cathedral chapter of Worcester itself from secular clergy into a community of monks.

He drew international scholarship into his monasteries, inviting Abbo of Fleury to England, where Abbo taught computus at Ramsey from 985 to 987.

Relics and Veneration

Oswald was buried in the Church of St Mary at Worcester, later Worcester Cathedral. About ten years after his death his remains were translated to a different burial spot within the cathedral.

A Life of Oswald was written soon after his death, probably by Byrhtferth, a monk of Ramsey Abbey, and he was quickly acclaimed as a saint. Miracles were reported both at his funeral and at his tomb.

He is venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglican Communion. His feast is observed on 28 February in common years and on 29 February in leap years.

Works & Further Reading Read Hide