| After his repose, Beuno was buried in Clynnog Fawr, and soon a chapel was erected above his grave. A great number of miracles occurred at his holy relics. Later the saint’s remains were translated to a new church where many miracles continued to occur. The veneration for Beuno was so strong that it even continued after the disastrous Reformation under Henry VIII, when all over Britain monasteries were closed, icons, relics and other holy objects were destroyed and the veneration of saints was officially prohibited. Until the early 19th century there was a custom among the farmers in the vicinity of Clynnog Fawr to make donations to St. Beuno’s Church in the form of young lambs and calves on the feast of Whitsun (Trinity Sunday), as well as to lead sick cattle to the neighboring holy well dedicated to St. Beuno. There are records of countless cases of healing of sick domestic animals on that holy site. From the late medieval era, Clynnog Fawr church regularly celebrated a special service of intercession for the health of livestock. Children who suffered from many diseases – both before and after the Reformation – were brought and led to the holy well, bathed in it and left for a night inside the chapel on the grave or near the grave of the holy man; and many of them were miraculously cured. In most cases children and young people who had suffered from rickets and epilepsy left this place absolutely healthy. There is written evidence that in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries people were healed from many ailments on bathing in this sacred spring. St. Beuno is considered to be the patron of sick children and sick cattle in Wales to this day. Beuno’s well at Clynnog Fawr still remains a destination for pilgrimages today, even though it was partly damaged by vandals in 2010. There is another holy well dedicated to Beuno in Holywell, Flintshire, situated close to its far more famous neighbor – the well of Beuno’s niece St. Winifred. From this well there begins a heritage route devoted to St. Beuno. There is an ancient and now unused church of St. Beuno and a well associated with him at the foot of a hill in the village Carnguwch, Gwynedd. |
| St. Beuno " s Holy Well in Clynnog Fawr, Gwynedd The saint reposed peacefully a few days after Easter Sunday 640 (or 645) in Clynnog Fawr as a very old man. For most of his very long and fruitful life this holy man had wandered much, everywhere preaching the words of Eternal Life, founding monasteries, healing the sick and consoling the destitute, the suffering and those who had been forsaken by others. Frequently he retired to very secluded places for solitary prayer. Beuno established monasteries in Llanveynoe in Herefordshire in England (the Welsh form: Llanfeuno, “Church of Beuno”) and in Llanymynech. To this day there is a unique village called Llanymynech which is partly situated in Wales (Powys) and partly in England (Shropshire). Ancient traditions say that Beuno, as a wandering preacher, used to pay visits to the monastic islands in Wales at Bardsey and Anglesey. On Anglesey he may have founded a church, or, most likely, a monastery, in a place called Aberffraw. One of early English crosses in Llanveynoe, Herefordshire.jpg Apparently Beuno for some while led a solitary ascetic life in Somerset in southwest England where a tiny and lovely church in Culbone – which stands to this day – served him as a cell (hence its name: cell=kill=killbeuno=Culbone). This is the smallest active parish church in all England. It is dedicated to St. Beuno who has been its patron for many centuries. This is a fine example (as well as the neighboring early English Church of St. Dubricius in Porlock) of an early hidden Celtic shrine in England and indicates the uninterrupted tradition of holiness. It is believed that it served Beuno as a cell and after his repose was converted into a chapel. Culbone church is located in a very quiet and remote place right beside the Bristol Channel, surrounded by nature, forest, pastures and small farms. Nearby is the steep Porlock hill and other high hills (typical for Somerset). The views are breathtaking and as you walk it seems that the sea merges with the sky and worldly civilization is far away. This is a typical setting for the ancient Celtic saints. |
| The St. Beuno " s Stone at Clynnog Fawr. 7th-9th Century. The 19th century church in the village of Berriew in the Welsh county of Powys is dedicated to St. Beuno. The original church on this site was built much earlier. According to some traditions, the saint was either born there or else he built a church here. On the southwest coast of Anglesey there is a small and pretty village called Aberffraw which used to be the capital of the old Welsh kingdom of Gwynedd. The local church bears the name of Beuno commemorating the fact that he established a monastery here that once was renowned. There are many other picturesque rural churches scattered throughout Wales and dedicated to St. Beuno; they reputedly stand either on the sites of his cells or were originally founded by him. Among these lovely churches we can mention those in Penmorfa (Gwynedd), Pistyll (Gwynedd: situated on the ancient pilgrimage path to Bardsey), and Trefdraeth (Anglesey). The village of Culbone consists of just a handful of cottages and is situated near Porlock Bay in a an area of rare beauty. The cliffs above the Bristol Channel near the village reach 1200 feet; a small spring flows down the cliff to the sea forming a picturesque cascade. Culbone church is a tiny and presumably the smallest stone construction in the Kingdom, measuring some 35 feet long by 12 feet wide, and seats about 16 people. This moving and diminutive church consists of a sanctuary, a nave, and a porch, and has a small spire. The present fabric of the church dates approximately from the 12th-13th centuries though the first building was pre-Norman. It is difficult to ascertain to whom this church was originally dedicated—to St. Columba the Virgin-Martyr, to St. Columba of Iona, to St. Bean or to St. Beuno. Despite the fact that this place is difficult to access and there is no road and no parking near the church, services are celebrated in it regularly. Some of St. Beuno’s relics may rest under this building as well. St. Beuno " s Church in Culbone, Somerset (the smallest parish church in all England). |
| Saint Winifred and her Holy Spring Commemorated November 3/16 Icon of St. Winifred, painted by a modern Orthodox iconographer. St. Winifred, whose name in her own language was Gwenfrewi, was born in North Wales in the early seventh century, when Christendom was still whole, and many great saints where living on the British Isles. She was of noble lineage, a descendant of the early Welsh kings of Powys, and the only daughter of Tyfid, Lord of the townships of Abeluyc (Trefynnon, later named Holywell), Maenwen & Gwenffynnon in Tegeingl. Her mother’s brother was St. Beuno, Abbot of Clynnog Fawr in Gwynedd. After difficulties he had encountered from the local princes of Clynnog, St. Beuno sought refuge with his sister’s family, and thus received land from her husband, Tyfid. From an early age, Winifred was instructed in the spiritual life by her uncle, and her sole desire was to dedicate herself to God and become a nun. She lived under St. Beuno’s care, near a chapel he had built in her native town of Abeluyc. One Sunday, while St. Beuno was serving the Liturgy at the church, Winifred was alone in her house. A prince named Caradog was riding by, and stopped at the house to ask for a drink of water. Winifred was very beautiful, and Caradog was stricken with the desire to have her in marriage. The maiden’s resolve to preserve her virginity and become a nun was unshakeable, however, so the prince attempted to take her by force. Winifred struggled free and ran toward the church, but Caradog soon caught up with her on his horse. Out of anger at the refusal, he struck off her head with his sword. Her severed head rolled down the hillside to the churchyard. When her uncle and the congregation—which probably included Winifred’s other kin—saw what had happened, they were horrified. The wicked Caradog fell dead on the spot. (Other historical sources say that Caradog was killed by Winifred’s brother, Owain, as an act of revenge.) A spring of healing water sprang forth at the place where St. Winifred’s head fell. St. Beuno took Winifred’ head and replaced it to her body, then prayed to God that she be restored whole. By St. Beuno’s prayers, Winifred came back to life. The two sat on a rock which was later named, “St. Beuno’s rock,” and her uncle told her that anyone seeking help through her prayers at that spot would find it. A red mark remained around her neck, as a remnant of her miraculous restoration. |
| Dyfrig, also known by the Latin name of Dubricius, was one of the founders of Orthodox monasticism in Wales. Venerable Illtyd, Abbot of Llantwit Major in Wales and the Teacher of the Welsh Dmitry Lapa Venerable Illtyd, Abbot of Llantwit Major in Wales and the Teacher of the Welsh Commemorated November 6/19 Dmitry Lapa St. Illtyd, who knew very well both the Old and New Testaments, all kinds of philosophy, and other sciences, and was one of the most learned figures of his age, was probably born in the first half of the fifth century. Holy Hierarch Deiniol, Bishop of Bangor in Wales Dmitry Lapa Holy Hierarch Deiniol, Bishop of Bangor in Wales Commemorated September 11/24 Dmitry Lapa St. Deiniol (the Welsh from of Daniel) lived in the sixth century. He was a descendant of one Celtic ruler in Northern Britain. Holy Hierarch Asaph of Wales Dmitry Lapa Holy Hierarch Asaph of Wales Commemorated May 1/14 Dmitry Lapa Veneration for St. Asaph was so strong that with time the town where his diocese was centered was renamed to St Asaph in his honor. The monastery and cathedral associated with the saint were very famous. Venerable Beuno, Abbot of Clynnog Fawr in Wales Dmitry Lapa Venerable Beuno, Abbot of Clynnog Fawr in Wales Commemorated April 21/May 4 Dmitry Lapa Of the life of Venerable Abbot Beuno, probably the greatest saint in North Wales, we know very little. His Life was written many years after his repose, but even the bloody 16th-century Reformation could not erase the memory of this saint of God. Venerable Cadoc, Abbot of Llancarfan in Wales Dimitry Lapa Venerable Cadoc, Abbot of Llancarfan in Wales Commemorated: January 24/February 6 and September 25/October 8 Dmitry Lapa St. Cadoc (c. 497 - c. 580) was the founder of the famous monastery of Llancarfan (c. 518) in the present-day Vale of Glamorgan in Wales. This monastery was to become one of the best-known in Wales, as well as a great centre of learning. Комментарии Lubov 15 ноября 2016, 14:00 Holy Father Cadfan of Bardsey, pray to God for us! Новые материалы Выбор читателей © 1999-2016 Православие.Ru |
| This ritual is as old as the pilgrimage itself. Maen Beuno, Beuno " s Stone, connects us directly with the time of St Winifred. The Medieval Lives say that Beuno sat on this stone when he told Winifred that anyone coming to the Well and asking something in her name, “might receive an answer to their request at least at the third time.” This was understood to mean that the petitioner should bathe three separate times. After the building of the present Well this meant three dips in the little bath. A carving opposite this bath shows how healthy pilgrims carried the sick through the waters on their backs. The stonework of the Well is covered with hundreds of graffiti, initials of hopeful or grateful pilgrims. Some inscriptions explicitly testify to cures received at the shrine. The exterior pool formed no part of the original building, being added later; but its size witnesses to the crowds of pilgrims who came even during the times of religious persecution. Nor was their faith in vain. For 800 years there is a continuous record of cures and other favours claimed at the Well through the prayers of St Winifred—the only British shrine boasting such an uninterrupted history of pilgrimage and healing. Until the 1960s, the crypt was stacked with crutches left by cured pilgrims. Centuries of letters testify to the power of God and His saints in this place: records of cures not only of Catholics, but of Protestants; and even of those with no faith in anything. One account, touching in its simplicity, a scrap of paper left at the Well 100 years ago, can stand for all the rest: A Protestant Father wishes to return thanks to God that through the use of St Winifred " s water, his only daughter was cured miraculously, Three years ago of a serious malady, which had resisted the efforts of several doctors & friends for the period of Three and a half years. Signed, C.T. Longley. St. Winifred’s life compiled from various sources by Pravoslavie.ru/Orthodox Christianity 15 ноября 2010 г. |
| Разделы портала «Азбука веры» Ode I Irmos: The people of Israel, having fled across the watery deep of the Red Sea with dryshod feet, beholding the mounted captains of the enemy drowned therein, sang with gladness: Let us chant unto our God, for He hath been glorified! With the waters of Winifred’s holy well are we cured of maladies of body and soul, for the Lord drew forth a wondrous spring where fell her severed head. Therefore, let us chant unto our God, for He hath been glorified! Ineffable was the revival of the holy Winifred at the entreaties of the venerable Beuno; for, affixing her severed head to her lifeless body, the saint restored her to life. Wherefore, let us sing unto our God, for He hath been glorified! Now let us praise Christ; for, honoring the holy maiden, He filleth her spring with an upwelling of grace, that those who immerse themselves in its watery depths may find ease for their pain and sorrows, for He is all-glorious. Theotokion: In majesty doth thy Son reign over all, O most immaculate Virgin, and everlastingly doth He hearken with pity to thy maternal supplications, which thou dost unceasingly offer up before His throne, entreating Him on our behalf. Ode III Irmos: The people of Israel drank from the hard and rough-hewn stone, which poured forth water at Thy command; and Thou, O Christ, art the Rock and Life whereon the Church is established, which crieth: Hosanna! Blessed art Thou Who comest! Flourishing in the soil of Wales like a tree of comely form, laden with fruit of the virtues, O Winifred; and, watered abundantly by the pure doctrine of thy kinsman, the venerable Beuno, thou didst reserve thy precious virginity for Christ alone. Rushing forth in great volume, the springs of thy holy well emerge from the rock of Wales and flow down to the sea, O virgin martyr, irrigating thy native land and watering with divine grace the souls of those who cry to Christ: Hosanna! Ever did her noble parents, Terith and Wenlo, see the saint as a precious gem, sparkling with the grace of God, flawless in purity; wherefore, they entrusted her to the holy Beuno, who taught her to cry to Christ: Blessed art Thou Who comest! |
| Ikos: The saints are shown to be fair blossoms of the Garden of Eden, laden with the nectar of good works and the sweet scent of Orthodox teachings, whereby our souls are fed and our spiritual thirst is quenched, Come ye therefore, let us hasten beneath their shade and let us bless them as the delight and adornment of the Isles, and as a model and pattern for our lives, for they have received unfading crowns of glory and all together they beseech the Pre-Eternal God for us. Sessional Hymn in Tone IV to the special melody: Go thou quickly before… Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, sent you forth as rays to enlighten the Isles, O favoured ones of God. Wherefore by your divine entreaties, O blessed ones, make radiant my darkened mind and soul. Glory… Now and ever… in the same tone: O ye faithful, let us make haste to the divine and healing raiment of God our Saviour, Whose good pleasure it was to take on this flesh and to shed His own blood upon the Cross, thereby redeeming us from bondage to the enemy. Wherefore, we cry out to Him in thanksgiving: Save Thou Thine Isles and beneath Thy precious raiment protect all their peoples and save our souls, for Thou alone lovest mankind. Ode IV Irmos: O Word of God, with divine vision the prophet perceived Thee Who wast to become incarnate of the Birthgiver of God, the mountain overshadowed, and trembling he glorified Thy might. On Man thou first didst sow the Word of Christ, O holy Germanus, bringing forth a heavenly harvest. Together with thy brethren Maughold and Conan, pray that we who sing to thee may be granted great mercy. Ye were enlighteners of Cymru, holy Cadfan and father of saints Illtyd the learned, together with holy Cadoc, Dyfrig, Teilo, Beuno, Deiniol, Asaph and Tysilio; and thou, O David, who didst gather a great host of monastics and from Jerusalem become the glorious Archpastor of the West. And raising thy voice thou didst silence the ragings of those who knew not Christ. Together with the holy bishops, and the sacred virgin Winefred, and all the saints of Cymru, pray that we too may be delivered from the same. |
| Theotokion: Daily do we offer our entreaties to thee whom thy Son hath given to us, His servants, as a mediator and advocate before Him; and with thankful voices we cry out to thee: Blessed art thou among women! Hosanna to the Fruit of thy womb! Sessional hymn, in Tone III: Spec. Mel.: Of the divine Faith Adorned with zeal for the Faith, with piety, reverence and virginity, O Winifred, as a bride of Christ thou didst prefer to die rather than to submit to the accursed Caradoc; wherefore, glorified by God, thou ever prayest earnestly to Him, that He deliver us, His servants, from the disgrace of the passions. Theotokion, in the same tone & melody Thou wast the divine tabernacle of the Word, O only all-pure Virgin Mother, who hast surpassed the angels in purity. With the divine waters of thy supplications, O pure one, cleanse me who, more than all others, have become defiled by carnal transgressions, and grant me great mercy. Stavrotheotokion The unblemished ewe-lamb of the Word, the undefiled Virgin Mother, beholding Him Who sprang forth from her without pain suspended upon the Cross, cried out, lamenting maternally: ‘Woe is me, O my Child! How is it that Thou sufferest willingly, desiring to deliver man from the dishonor of the passions?’ Ode IV Irmos: Thy virtue hath covered the heavens, and the earth hath been filled with Thy glory, O Christ. Wherefore, we cry out with faith: Glory to Thy power, O Lord! In the Christian virtues wast thou tutored and trained by thine uncle, the holy Beuno, O Winifred; wherefore, thou didst cry out with him: Glory to Thy power, O Lord! Slain wast thou, O venerable one, when thou didst flee him who sought to outrage thy pure virginity, O venerable martyr; but he was destroyed by the power of the Lord. Arrogant and lustful, the accursed nobleman pursued the holy one and slew her at the doors of the church; but the earth swallowed him alive by the power of the Lord. Theotokion: What words suffice to hymn thy wondrous works, O all-hymned Theotokos? Wherefore, we cry out with faith and love to thy Son and God: Glory to Thy power, O Lord! Ode V |
| The chapel comprises a nave and a side-aisle, and is built directly over the crypt, with which it is contemporary. At its east end an apse was built out onto the hillside to contain the altar. The well-crypt has never ceased to be used for its original purpose, but the chapel has seen many changes of use, used at times as a court-house, at others as a school. In consequence, it suffered great damage, but it was thoroughly restored and re-roofed in 1976. Both the interior and exterior of the chapel are enriched with fine, and often amusing, sculptures. Considering the superior quality of the architecture, and the degree of technical skill required to build directly over the source of a small river, it is odd that not a single hard fact concerning its construction has survived. We do not know the name of its architect, nor the name of those who commissioned and paid for the shrine: not even the dates of its construction. The building itself yields the only clues. The emblems and coats of arms carved on the bosses of the crypt ceiling suggest the patronage of Margaret, Countess of Richmond and Derby, the pious mother of Henry VII. Margaret died in 1509. The arms of Catherine of Aragon suggest further royal patronage; and yet other badges indicate the beneficence of other noble families. Such patronage, which alone could account for the building " s splendour, is also the only real clue to dating it to the first decade of the sixteenth century. Though its exact history will probably always remain a mystery, the shrine remains a fitting setting for the only British pilgrimage to have survived continuously for over 1300 years. THE HOLYWELL CURE TRADITION People have bathed in St Winifred " s Well for 1,350 years. They still do. Pilgrims today pass three times through the small inner bath, saying a decade of the Rosary; afterwards entering the outer pool to finish their prayers kneeling on St Beuno " s Stone, by the steps. Some pray for a cure; more “offer up” the discomfort of the icy waters for friends, or simply in honour of St. Winifred, or as a gesture of thanks. Pilgrimage has many reasons. |
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