Edmund Rich

Saint Edmund

Also known as
Edmund of Abingdon
Edmund of Canterbury
Edme of Abingdon
Edmund Rich
The saint the school the boys work at, is named after

Memorial
16 November
30 May in Abingdon, England like that means anything…..

Profile
Our Saint today was born in the year 1180, to a wealthy yet pious family, “Rich” was a medieval appellation attributed to his father due to his wealth, like ‘cooper” or “smith” Edmund never really used the surname while alive. His family was quite religious. His father became a monk later in life and his two sisters became nuns. From a very young age Edmund practiced religious simplicity and severity; throughout his life he wore sackcloth next to his skin, and to insure proper irritation he pressed it against his body by metal plates. After snatching a few hours' sleep without removing his clothing, he usually spent the rest of the night in prayer and meditation. Not like sitting on a pillar for 30 years but pretty out there nonetheless. If the Mets were around then he probably try to add to his suffering by buying a season ticket.

While studying at Oxford he received a vision of the Child Christ, instructing him to pursue the religious life. After his ordination he became a professor of art, mathematics et al at Oxford which is ranked by some as the fifth most prestigious University in the world today. University College London (UCL) is ranked as fourth…..

He was a friend and advisor to King Henry III who nominated him to be Archbishop of Canterbury.

His piety saw a problem with England paying money to the Vatican to use in fighting foreign wars. The political whim of the day put Ed in opposition to his own religious order and King Henry III. The thinking of that time was that financial and martial support to the Vatican was one’s Christian Duty. Besides, Henry III probably remembered that whole business, Henry II had with Tom Becket.

Late in, 1237, he set out for Rome, hoping to enlist the pope on the side of ecclesiastical reform. As you would expect this appeal was futile as Rome needed funds to fight its war with Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. Don’t get me started on Emperor Fred Deuce. He was another character who really thought he was a Caesar, his contemporaries called him “the wonder of the world”.

When the Pope told him he needed the cash and the martial support from England Our Saint returned to home to find himself reduced to an inconsequential Archbishop. No one in or out of the monasteries paid attention to him, needless to say the King at that time, continued to pay Rome what it asked.

In the summer of 1240, broken in spirit, he retired, probably to eat worms, to the same abbey in France his predecessor, Thomas Becket held up in, when he was in exile from Canterbury. Only a few months later Our Saint died, on 16 November 1240.

In less than a year after his death miracles were reported at his grave. Initially, King Henry III objected to his cause for sainthood for political reasons, so it was not until this objection as lifted in 1247 that our Saint was seriously considered.

Saint Edmund’s incorruptible right arm is currently located at the St. Edmund retreat center Chapel on Ender's Island, CT, near Mystic, (see the picture above).  Ender's Island is a beautiful place and I highly recommend it if you ever need a spiritual re-charge. Come for the arm…stay for the spirituality. They make great jams and jellies too….the staff is wonderful. https://www.endersisland.com/