St Ethelwold’s Day 1st August

St Ethelwold was Abbot of Abingdon 954-963, much admired by Dorothea Pickering who named her house and Fellowship after him. He transformed the Abbey into a place of splendour, with buildings in the latest continental style, liturgical equipment rich in silver and gold, elaborate ceremonial, and the production of music, poetry, and illuminated manuscripts. However during the great famine of the 10th century, he sold the valuable treasures and silver and gold ornaments of Abingdon Abbey to buy food for the poor.

He became Bishop of Winchester in 963, and established a ‘Winchester School’ of manuscript illumination and played a key role in bringing authentic Roman Gregorian chant to England.

He was an important and effective leader of the 10th century monastic reform movement in Anglo Saxon England but he had a reputation for ruthless insensitivity!