Oswald of York
Oswald von York or Oswald von Worcester (* around 925 in Denmark or England , † February 29, 992 in Worcester ) was Bishop of Worcester and also Archbishop of York (Britain). He is a saint whose life centered on the British Isles. The Church owes him a revival of monasticism in the spirit of the reform of Cluny .
Church historical circumstances
Oswald lived in the 10th century. Here began one of the Benedictine - Cluny Abbey outgoing reform movement . For a monastery, strict monastic discipline, independence from the jurisdiction of princely bishops and secular bailiffs as well as direct dependence on the Pope should apply. These ideas were spread in many monasteries in the 10th and 11th centuries. The investiture dispute was to become a long-term consequence . In England the Vikings invade again and again during Oswald's lifetime, who also destroy monasteries.
Life
Descended from a Danish noble family, the youngster was raised by his uncle Odo , Archbishop of Canterbury . Oswald took a liking to church life as a monk. He served as a member of the Winchester Cathedral Chapter. He deepened his spiritual knowledge in the French monastery of Fleury (near Orléans ), where he joined the Benedictine order. The monks strictly followed the reforms of the Cluny monastery in their daily routine . With this experience he returned to his homeland from France in 959.
Saint Dunstan saw to it that Oswald could become bishop in Worcester in 961. The office enabled him to campaign for the revival of monasticism in England. He worked steadily to implement his plan. On Oswald's initiative, new monasteries emerged, including Worcester, Westbury and Ramsey Abbeys . Existing ones also had to align their activities with the monastic practices he had learned about in Fleury. He had non-celibate monks expelled from the religious houses and was an inconvenient admonition to the corrupt, decrepit clergy. In 972, Bishop Oswald also took over the office of Archbishop of York .
Oswald reformed the administration of church property. In addition to his official duties, his concern was for the poor and needy. Even during his lifetime he was therefore highly revered among the population. A myth wants to know that Oswald died in 992 while washing the feet of twelve poor people. This ritual to the needy was a daily custom of his.
St Oswald's relics are kept in St Mary's Church in Worcester.
Remembrance day
On February 29, the Church of the Saint remembers. In non-leap years, the celebration is brought forward to February 28th. Oswald is the patron saint of cattle.
iconography
The saint drives out the devil with a stone or Oswald with a church model and devil.
See also
literature
- Georg Gresser : Art. Oswald von York , in: Lexicon for Theology and Church , Volume 7, Freiburg 1998, Sp. 1214.
- Franz Wöhrer: Oswald of York. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 6, Bautz, Herzberg 1993, ISBN 3-88309-044-1 , Sp. 1327-1328.
Web links
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Edwald |
Archbishop of York 972–992 |
Ealdwulf |
| Dunstan of Canterbury |
Bishop of Worcester 961 |
Ealdwulf |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Oswald of York |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Oswald of Worcester |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Bishop of Worcester, Archbishop of York and Saint |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 925 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Denmark or England |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 29, 992 |
| Place of death | Worcester |