Saint Edward the Confessor (1005 - 1066)

St. Edward was the patron saint of England until 1415, when he was replaced by St. George.

Born in 1005, Edward became King of England in 1042.

A confessor is a saint who suffers for his faith. Edward is believed to have suffered by resisting temptation and living as a devout Christian. Known as a gentle, loyal and devoted king, he was also believed to have the power to heal, and it was he who began the royal custom of touching sick people so that they could be cured.

Many legends are told about St. Edward. One is that he was riding to a chapel dedicated to St. John the Evangelist, when a beggar asked him for help, and Edward gave the man his ring. A few years later, pilgrims in the Holy Land (Palestine) were helped by a man who said he was St. John. He gave them the ring, asking them to return it to the king with the message that in six months he would be meeting St. John in heaven.

St. Edward the Confessor founded Westminster Abbey, and was buried there after his death in 1066. His shrine became a place of pilgrimage, and many sick people went there for healing.

St. Edward is remembered on 13th October.