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Soulton: Ecumenical Stakeholder

Noting a Recent Article by the Society of St Bede

By 24 October 2026No Comments

A recent article (‘St Erkenwald, Bishop and Confessor‘, 11 May 2026) published by the Society of St Bede brings an interesting musical and historical resource to light.

While the broader history of Saint Erkenwald (c. A.D. 675–693)—the Anglo-Saxon prince, founder of Chertsey and Barking Abbeys, and Bishop of London—is well established in our ongoing work at Soulton Hall, this article highlights a specific 15th-century hymn that we had not previously come across, alongside a helpful collection of nineteenth-century antiquarian accounts.

The 15th-Century Hymn from Barking Abbey: Festiva Dies Annua

The Society of St Bede’s feature draws attention to a 15th-century manuscript originally from Barking Abbey, preserved in the Gale Collection at Trinity College, Cambridge.

Within this manuscript is Festiva Dies Annua, a hymn written specifically for the feast of St Erkenwald.

Festiva Dies Annua

  1. Festiva dies annua

    Nobis refert solemnia

    Qua Erconwaldus cœlicam

    Est translatus ad patriam.

  2. Qui primum abbas nobilis

    Vitæ fulsit in meritis

    Deique nutu deinceps

    Lundoniæ fit pontifex.

  3. Hic vitam duxit cœlibem,

    Per quam est nactus requiem,

    Ad animæ proficuum

    Cursus finivit temporum.

  4. Cujus nos prece Dominus

    Donis ditet cœlestibus,

    Conferat et perpetuam

    Cum patrono lætitiam.

  5. Quæsumus auctor omnium,

    In hoc Paschali gaudio,

    Ab omni mortis impetu

    Tuum defende populum.

  6. Gloria tibi, Domine,

    Qui surrexisti a mortuis,

    Cum Patre et sancto Spiritu,

    Nunc, et per omne sæculum. Amen.

English Translation

  1. The festive annual day

    Brings back to us the celebration

    Upon which Erconwald

    Was taken to the heavenly homeland.

  2. He, who first as a noble leader

    Shone in the merits of his life,

    Thereafter by the will of God

    Became the overseer of London.

  3. He led an unwed life,

    Through which he obtained rest;

    To the profit of his soul,

    He completed the course of his days.

  4. By his prayer, may the Lord

    Enrich us with heavenly gifts,

    And grant perpetual joy

    Together with our protector.

  5. We ask, Creator of all things,

    In this Easter joy,

    Protect your people

    From every onset of death.

  6. Glory be to you, Lord,

    Who rose from the dead,

    With the Father and the Holy Spirit,

    Now, and through every age. Amen.

Linking to 19th-Century Accounts

In addition to the chant transcription, the Society of St Bede’s post gathers several nineteenth-century historical excerpts that provide broader context for general interest:

  • Alban Butler (Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs): Details Erkenwald’s royal lineage, his monastic foundations at Chertsey and Barking, and his consecration by St Theodore in A.D. 675.

  • Henry Sebastian Bowden (Miniature Lives Of The Saints): Summarises devotional traditions and early accounts of miracles surrounding the saint.

  • Sir William Dugdale (History of St. Paul’s): Records early traditions regarding the site of St Paul’s Cathedral, Erkenwald’s shrine, and the dispersal of these monuments during the Reformation.

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While on this point, we do not think we have linked to this French blog entry before: Iconographie Chrétienne “Saint ERCONWALD de LONDRES [ERKONWALD of LONDON], évêque, fondateur et confesseur”. It wwas published on April 29, 2015. It provides a collection of iconography, medieval traditions, and biographical profiles from across European scholarly and devotional sources. 

These links include Les Petits Bollandistes: Vies des saints is a comprehensive, multi-volume collection of biographies of holy figures compiled primarily by Paul Guérin (Mgr Paul Guérin), drawing upon earlier works by the Bollandists, Father François Giry, and Surius. This nineteenth-century publication reflects the distinct scholarly and devotional interest of that era, showcasing strong viewpoints regarding the historical treatment of Saint Erkenwald, the destruction of medieval monuments, and the disruptions during the sixteenth-century change in religion. The 1533 date it gives is very unlikely to be correct and is in conflice with other serces which place those events in 1541.

SAINT ERKONWALD, ÉVÊQUE DE LONDRES

(698)

Fêté le 30 avril

Saint Erkonwald était fils de l’undes rois de l’Heptarchie, on ne sait duquel,, il sortit des domaines de son père et alla, avec la part de son héritage, fonder deux monastères: l’un à Chertsey, dans le comté de Surrey, près de la Tamise; l’autre à Barking, dans le comté d’Essex ce dernier était destiné à des religieuses; il en donna le gouvernement à sainte Edilburge, sa sœur. En 665, le roi Sebba le fit sortir de sa solitude de Chertsey pour l’élever sur le siège épiscopal de Londres qu’il occupa onze ans. Il augmenta considérablement les revenus et les bâtiments de Saint-Paul. Cette magnifique église, qui était la gloire de la nation anglaise, fut détruite par la fureur des schismatiques, au 16 e siècle. Avant d’accomplir cette oeuvre de destruction, ils tirèrent les morts de leurs tombeaux, brisèrent les monuments funéraires et jetèrent au vent les cendres qu’ils contenaient. Dans cette barbare recherche, on trouva, entre autres, le corps du pieux roi Sebba embaumé et enveloppé d’étoffes précieuses. On se proposait de découvrir des trésors, et l’infâme avidité des chercheurs ne trouva que quelques anneaux avec leurs pierres et un calice de peu de valeur. Ce qui se fit à Londres, se fit dans tout le reste de l’Angleterre.

En 1533, le corps de saint Erkonwald disparut de la cathédrale et il n’en a plus été reparlé depuis que celle-ci a été reconstruite.

Disons un mot des monastères de Chertsey et de Barking, fondés par saint Erkonwald. Le premier, brûlé par les Danes qui en massacrèrent l’abbé et les quatre-vingt-dix religieux, fut rebaptisé par le roi Edgar. Le second jouissait d’un revenu d’environ deux cent mille francs, lorsque la main avide d’Henri VIII s’appropria couvent et rentes.

tiré de : Les Petits Bollandistes; Vies des saints tome 5

English Translation

SAINT ERKONWALD, BISHOP OF LONDON

(698)

Feast day: April 30

Saint Erkonwald was the son of one of the kings of the Heptarchy, though it is not known which one. He left the domains of his father and went, with his share of his inheritance, to establish two monasteries: one at Chertsey, in the county of Surrey, near the Thames; the other at Barking, in the county of Essex. The latter was intended for nuns, and he gave its governance to Saint Edilburge, his sister. In 665, King Sebba drew him out of his solitude at Chertsey to place him upon the episcopal seat of London, which he occupied for eleven years. He considerably increased the revenues and buildings of Saint Paul. This magnificent church, which was the glory of the English nation, was destroyed by the fury of the schismatics in the sixteenth century. Before accomplishing this work of destruction, they pulled the dead from their tombs, broke the funeral monuments, and scattered the ashes they contained to the winds. In this barbarous search, they found, among other things, the body of the pious King Sebba, embalmed and wrapped in precious fabrics. They intended to discover treasures, and the infamous greed of the searchers found only a few rings with their stones and a chalice of little value. What took place in London occurred throughout the rest of England.

In 1533, the body of Saint Erkonwald disappeared from the cathedral, and it has not been spoken of since the cathedral was rebuilt.

Let us say a word about the monasteries of Chertsey and Barking, founded by Saint Erkonwald. The first, burned by the Danes who massacred its abbot and ninety religious members, was rebuilt by King Edgar. The second enjoyed an income of about two hundred thousand francs, when the greedy hand of Henry VIII appropriated the convent and its annuities.

Taken from: Les Petits Bollandistes; Vies des saints, volume 5