« Students of the parish school of the Dormition Cathedral made a pilgrimage to the shrines of Oxford »

On May 31, 2024, with the blessing of His Grace Bishop Matthew of Sourozh, a group of students, teachers and parents of the children's Sunday school of the Dormition Cathedral in London made a pilgrimage to Oxford, to the shrine of the Venerable Frideswide of Oxford. 

Saint Frideswide, Abbess of Oxford (+727) has been venerated for over 1000 years as the patroness of Oxford, founded around the monastery she built. At the beginning of the 15th century, Oxford University proclaimed St. Frideswide as their heavenly intercessor, which she continues to be to this day.  

Upon arrival in Oxford, the pilgrims went to the Christ Church Cathedral of the college of the same name at Oxford University, where the St. Frideswide shrine, which was restored in 2002, is located, and the relics of the Saint are under the floor of the Cathedral, in an unknown place, although in the chapel of Our Lady, not far from the shrine, you can find, on the floor, a modern dark square stone slab with the name “Frideswide”. 

In the Middle Ages, thousands of pilgrims flocked to the shrine of St. Frideswide in Oxford and to the springs associated with her. From historical evidence, there are cases of numerous healings from various diseases that could not be cured.

Nowadays, students, teachers and employees of the University of Oxford, residents of the city and many believers in different countries of the world turn to Saint Frideswide in prayer, and among Orthodox Christians living in Great Britain this is one of the most revered local shrines.

Inside the shrine there is an icon of the Saint, painted by icon painters of the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveyevo Monastery and donated to the Cathedral by a Russian student at Oxford University, who prayed to Saint Frideswide for help in her studies.   

Three times a year, Orthodox Liturgies are celebrated at the relics of St. Frideswide by the Archpriest Stephen Platt, Dean of the diocesan district of Central England, Rector of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Oxford. 

Galina Chuikova, parishioner of the Oxford Church of St. Nicholas, gave pilgrims a tour of the Cathedral and spoke in detail about the heavenly patroness of Oxford.  As a present of visiting the Cathedral, an icon of St. Frideswide was donated to the parish school. 

To conclude their visit to Oxford, the pilgrims attended a theatrical performance about the Orthodox British saints of the Undivided Church, organized by Anna Komonos.

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