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St Fursey Stained Glass Window, Burgh Castle
Parts of this church date back to c900AD; it is thought that the church was built on the site of an earlier, Anglo-Saxon, wooden church. The tower was added about 950-1000AD.
Saint Fursey (also known as Fursa, Fursy, Forseus, and Furseus: died 650) was an Irish monk who did much to establish Christianity throughout the British Isles and particularly in East Anglia. He reportedly experienced angelic visions of the afterlife.
He was born in the region of modern day Connacht supposedly the son of Fintan and grandson of Finlog, pagan king of the area. His mother was Gelges, the Christian daughter of Aed-Finn, king of Connacht. He was born probably amongst the Hy-Bruin, and was baptized by St. Brendan the Traveller, his father's uncle, who then ruled a monastery in the Island of Oirbsen, now called Inisquin in Lough Corrib. He was educated by St. Brendan's monks, and when he became of the proper age he was inducted into the monastery at Inisquin (near Galway), under the Abbot St. Meldan, his "soul-friend" (anam-chura), where he devoted himself to religious life. He built his own monastery in Claran outside the town of Headford in Co. Galway and he became the patron saint of the Parish of Headford.
In East Anglia, King Sigeberht was responsible for renewing the progress of the conversion of his kingdom, begun under Raedwald, but halted with the martyrdom of Raedwald's successor, his son Eorpwald. In c. 633, Sigeberht had already established the first East Anglian bishopric at Dommoc: after Fursey had arrived with his brothers Foillan and Ultan, as well as other brethren, bearing the relics of Saints Meldan and Beoan, he had been welcomed by the king, who had given him land for establishing an abbey at Cnobheresburg, where there was an abandoned Roman fort, traditionally identified with Burgh Castle in Norfolk.
Here he laboured for some years converting the Picts and Saxons. After Sigeberht was slain by an army led by Penda of Mercia, it is recorded that his successor King Anna of East Anglia, and his nobles, further endowed the monastery at Cnobheresburg. Three miracles are recorded of Fursey's life in this monastery. He then retired for a year to live with Ultan the life of an anchorite. However, as great numbers continued to visit him, and as war threatened in East Anglia, he left Foillan as abbot and sought refuge in France around 644.
St Fursey Stained Glass Window, Burgh Castle
Parts of this church date back to c900AD; it is thought that the church was built on the site of an earlier, Anglo-Saxon, wooden church. The tower was added about 950-1000AD.
Saint Fursey (also known as Fursa, Fursy, Forseus, and Furseus: died 650) was an Irish monk who did much to establish Christianity throughout the British Isles and particularly in East Anglia. He reportedly experienced angelic visions of the afterlife.
He was born in the region of modern day Connacht supposedly the son of Fintan and grandson of Finlog, pagan king of the area. His mother was Gelges, the Christian daughter of Aed-Finn, king of Connacht. He was born probably amongst the Hy-Bruin, and was baptized by St. Brendan the Traveller, his father's uncle, who then ruled a monastery in the Island of Oirbsen, now called Inisquin in Lough Corrib. He was educated by St. Brendan's monks, and when he became of the proper age he was inducted into the monastery at Inisquin (near Galway), under the Abbot St. Meldan, his "soul-friend" (anam-chura), where he devoted himself to religious life. He built his own monastery in Claran outside the town of Headford in Co. Galway and he became the patron saint of the Parish of Headford.
In East Anglia, King Sigeberht was responsible for renewing the progress of the conversion of his kingdom, begun under Raedwald, but halted with the martyrdom of Raedwald's successor, his son Eorpwald. In c. 633, Sigeberht had already established the first East Anglian bishopric at Dommoc: after Fursey had arrived with his brothers Foillan and Ultan, as well as other brethren, bearing the relics of Saints Meldan and Beoan, he had been welcomed by the king, who had given him land for establishing an abbey at Cnobheresburg, where there was an abandoned Roman fort, traditionally identified with Burgh Castle in Norfolk.
Here he laboured for some years converting the Picts and Saxons. After Sigeberht was slain by an army led by Penda of Mercia, it is recorded that his successor King Anna of East Anglia, and his nobles, further endowed the monastery at Cnobheresburg. Three miracles are recorded of Fursey's life in this monastery. He then retired for a year to live with Ultan the life of an anchorite. However, as great numbers continued to visit him, and as war threatened in East Anglia, he left Foillan as abbot and sought refuge in France around 644.