Saint
Bega
Born: 7th Century Ireland
Died: 681
Feast Day: 6th September (October 31st and
November 13th in some calendars)
Shrine: St Bees Priory, Cumbria
Also Known As: Bee, Bees, Begga, Begh, Begha
Saint Bega was born into Irish royalty and was allegedly extremely
beautiful. Her family arranged a
marriage for her to the Prince of Norway, but Bega wanted to devote her life to
Christ so refused the marriage and fled.
Stories tell of her being carried across the sea to Cumbria by riding on
a clod of earth, having received a special bracelet marked with the sign of the
Cross from an angel. She is said to have
lived a life of solitude practising penance and prayer and being fed by the
birds in the woods. Saint Oswald of
Northumbria convinced her to join a convent for her own safety which she agreed
to and received the veil from St Aidan, Bishop of Northumbria and travelled the
district preaching.
Bega is said to have founded a monastery known as St Bees. and was the abbess,
where she was known for her generosity to the poor and oppressed. There are many miracles associated with Bega including
the “snow miracle’ which has two versions.
In the first Bega was promised land for her monastery but some was
unfairly claimed by neighbouring estates.
However, on the day Bega was due to take ownership, snow fell on all the
area except for the land originally promised to Bega. It was decided that it was God’s will for her
to have the original land from then on.
The second version states that Bega asked for the land from the owner
who said laughing that she could only have the land covered in snow the next
morning (this was summer). The next morning
the land Bega wanted was covered in snow and the owner kept his promise.
Other events are said to have happened like a young man who stole a
horse from the convent grounds thinking “what could Bega do to me”, within a
few paces arrows came from nowhere and he had his retribution, another story is
that a neighbouring wealthy landowner allowed his horses to feed off the
grounds of the convent while he pretended he didn’t see them. The horses came under a strange influence and
the owner gave land to the convent after he repented.
After her death, many miracles are said to have occurred in the convent
including healing of the sick, restoring of sight to the blind etc.
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