Saint Highlight: St. Winefride of Treffynon

-
St. Winefride (Welsh: Gwenfrewi) was the niece of the great St. Beuno the Wonderworker and she lived with her parents higher up the valley from his cell and wattle chapel, on the hill where the parish church now stands.

According to tradition, Caradoc the son of a local chieftain sought refreshment from her while out hunting and then attempted to seduce her. She repelled his advances and ran towards her uncle’s chapel for sanctuary. Caradoc pursued her and in a rage struck off her head with his sword. A spring of water began to flow where her head fell. St. Beuno replaced her head and, through fervent prayer to the Saviour, she was brought back to life.

St. Winefride began to follow the monastic life, under the spiritual direction of St. Eleri. She remained with her uncle until he moved to the northern coast of Wales. St. Winefride then traveled west to the hills high above the Conwy Valley and there she established a monastery of nuns in the village of Gwytherin. She passed to her reward, still relatively young, in about the year 650 and she was laid to rest by St. Eleri who had first professed her.

The saint’s relics were taken to the Benedictine abbey at Shrewsbury in 1138, remaining there until they were despoiled and scattered during the Reformation. Only one finger remained and this precious relic is today preserved and venerated in the Roman Catholic church in Holywell. At Gwytherin no memory of her remains, apart from the dedication of the church, for her stone chapel was demolished 300 years ago. Her great bell, which could only be tolled by four men, was broken up for scrap in 1730.

It is above all at Holywell that St. Winefride is remembered. Through her intercessions, many miracles have been worked at the Holy Well, which can claim to be the oldest place of unbroken pilgrimage in Britain. In 1416 Henry V went there on foot from Shrewsbury to give thanks for his great victory at Agincourt. The visits of pilgrim have never ceased and we too shall be of their number.