St Wulstan - Bishop of Worcester from 1062 to 1095
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Saint Wulstan was born in 1008 at Long Itchington in Warwickshire. His early studies were at the monasteries in Evesham and Peterborough. After some time as a clerk at Worcester he then studied for the priesthood and was ordained in 1038. He became a Benedictine monk at Worcester Cathedral Priory and Bishop of Worcester in 1062.
Many of the church rebuilding works in the three counties area are attributed to him together with large scale work at Worcester and Hereford cathedrals as well as the founding of Great Malvern Priory. He is the first English bishop known to have made systematic visitations of his diocese; he was anxious that country people should have the chance of going to Mass, and encouraged the building of churches on rural manors. An outstanding success of his episcopate was the abolition of the trade in slaves from Bristol to Viking Ireland. He survived the Norman Conquest to become a trusted adviser of William the Conqueror and died in 1095 at the age of 87. The crypt of Worcester Cathedral dates from his rebuilding. Saint Wulstan was canonised in 1203 and is the patron saint of vegetarians. |
The left side of the main altar showing the tapestry of Saint Wulstan.
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