Winifred or Winefride | |
---|---|
Virgin, Martyr and Abbess | |
Born | Tegeingl (modern-day Flintshire) |
Died | c. 7th century Gwytherin (in modern-day Conwy) |
Venerated in | |
Major shrine | Shrewsbury Abbey, now destroyed although a small part of the shrine base survives. Holywell, fully active holy well and well-house shrine. |
Feast | 3 November |
Attributes | Abbess, holding a sword, sometimes with her head under her arm |
Patronage | Holywell; against unwanted advances, Diocese of Shrewsbury |
Saint Winifred (or Winefride; Welsh: Gwenffrewi; Latin: Wenefreda, Winifreda) was a Welsh virgin martyr of the 7th century. Her story was celebrated as early as the 8th century, but became popular in England in the 12th, when her hagiography was first written down.
A healing spring at the traditional site of her decapitation and restoration is now a shrine and pilgrimage site called St Winefride's Well in Holywell, Flintshire, in Wales and known as "the Lourdes of Wales", which was granted the status of National Shrine for England and Wales in November 2023.[1]