JULY 7: ST. ETHELBURGA OF FAREMOUTIERS-EN-BRIE

(Died 664)

St. Ethelburga was one of the five daughters of King Anna of East Anglia. She was sent to the monastery of Faremoutier, in Brie (France) with her sister Saethrith to be educated.

Ethelburga became a nun and, eventually, succeeded her sister as abbess. While abbess, she began to build a church in honor of all the apostles in her monastery, where she wished to be buried. She died in 664 before the building was finished.

After her death, the building was left untouched for seven years. Then the brothers of the monastery decided to move Ethelburga’s bones to a building that had been consecrated. On opening the tomb, the body of the saint was found incorrupt and they had it washed and dressed and removed to the church of St. Stephen.