SEPTEMBER 12
ST. EANSWIDA
Eanswida lived in the seventh century. She was the granddaughter of St. Ethelbert, the first Christian king of England. Eanswida's father was Prince Edbald. He was not a religious man at first, but he learned a great deal about Christianity from his little daughter. The girl was devout as well as attractive. Her father had a fine husband selected for her, a pagan prince from Northumbria. Eanswida was not at all pleased. She refused to marry him with good humor so as not to offend her father. He respected her wish and surprised everyone when he permitted his daughter to start a monastery of nuns.
Princess Eanswida was a very happy nun. She lived simply and prayerfully like the rest of the sisters. She spent the rest of her life in penance and prayer for herself and for all the people of her homeland. Eanswida died on the last day of August in 640.
The Danes eventually destroyed her convent, but Benedictine monks started the monastery again in 1095.
