St. Ethelreda (Audrey)

Around the year 640, there was an English princess named Ethelreda, but she was known as Audrey. Born into royalty, she was the daughter of King Anna of East Anglia and grew up in a time when Christianity was spreading throughout England.

From an early age, Ethelreda felt called to dedicate her life to God through a vow of perpetual virginity. However, as a princess, she was expected to marry for political reasons. Her first marriage was arranged, but it was said that the marriage was never consummated, as Ethelreda remained faithful to her vow of virginity.

After three years, her first husband died, leaving her a widow. This should have freed her to pursue her religious vocation, but political circumstances required her to marry again, this time for reasons of state. Her second husband was much younger and soon grew tired of living as brother and sister.

When her young husband began to make advances on her, Ethelreda continually refused, maintaining her commitment to her vow of virginity. Frustrated by her steadfastness, he eventually attempted to bribe the local bishop, Saint Wilfrid of York, to release Audrey from her vows.

Saint Wilfrid, recognizing the sacredness of Ethelreda's vow, refused to help her husband and instead helped Audrey escape from this difficult situation. She fled south, with her husband following in pursuit.

They reached a promontory known as Colbert's Head, where a heaven-sent seven-day high tide miraculously separated the two, preventing her husband from reaching her. This divine intervention allowed Ethelreda to escape safely.

Eventually, Ethelreda's husband left and married someone more willing, while Audrey was finally free to pursue her religious vocation. She took the veil and founded the great abbey of Ely, where she lived an austere life of prayer, penance, and service to God.

Ethelreda eventually died of an enormous and unsightly tumor on her neck, which she gratefully accepted as Divine retribution for all the necklaces she had worn in her early years as a princess. Throughout the Middle Ages, a festival known as "St. Audrey's Fair" was held at Ely on her feast day, and the exceptional shoddiness of the merchandise, especially the neckerchiefs, contributed to the English language the word "tawdry," a corruption of "Saint Audrey."

Liturgical Celebration

The feast of St. Ethelreda (Audrey) is celebrated on June 23rd. This memorial honors her virginity, her founding of Ely Abbey, and her courageous witness to the value of religious vows.

Historical Significance

St. Ethelreda's story is particularly significant in the context of early English Christianity, when the Church was still establishing itself in the British Isles. Her example of royal piety and religious dedication helped to establish the importance of monastic life in medieval England.

Devotional Practices

On her feast day, Catholics pray for her intercession, especially for those seeking to remain faithful to their religious vows, for those facing pressure to compromise their values, and for the protection of religious freedom and monastic life.