VII. How it was indicated by a light from heaven where
the bodies of the nuns should be buried in the monastery of Berecingum. [675 A.D.?]
CHAP. VI.
How Wynfrid being deposed, Sexwulf received his bishopric, and Earconwald was
made bishop of the East Saxons. [675 A.D.]
NOT long after these events, Theodore, the archbishop, taking offence at some
act of disobedience of Wynfrid, bishop of the Mercians,deposed him from his
bishopric when he had held it but a few years, and in his, place ordained
Sexwulf bishop,who was founder and abbot of the monastery which is called
Medeshamstead,' in the country of the Gyrwas.Wynfrid, thus deposed, returned to
his monastery which is called Ad Barvae,and there ended his life in holy
conversation.
Theodore then also appointed Earconwald bishop of the East Saxons, in the city
of London, over whom at that time reigned Sebbi and Sighere, of whom mention has
been made above.This Earconwald's life and conversation, as well when he was
bishop as before that time, is said to have been most holy, as is even now
testified by heavenly miracles; for to this day, his horse-litter, in which he
was wont to be carried when sick, is kept by his disciples, and continues to
cure many of fevers and other ailments; and, not only sick persons who are laid
under that litter, or close by it, are cured; but the very splinters cut from
it, when carried to the sick, are wont immediately to bring healing to them.
This man, before he was made bishop, had built two famous monasteries, the one
for himself, and the other for his sister Ethelburg, and established them both
in regular discipline of the best kind. That for himself was in the district of
Sudergeona, by the river Thames, at a place called Cerotaesei,that is, the
Island of Cerot; that for his sister in the province of the East Saxons, at a
place called In Berecingum, wherein she might be a mother and nurse of women
devoted to God. Being put into the government of that monastery, she showed
herself in all respects worthy of her brother the bishop, by her own holy life
and by her regular and pious care of those under her rule, as was also
manifested by heavenly miracles.
CHAP. VII.
How it was indicated by a light from heaven where the bodies of the nuns should
be buried in the monastery of Berecingum. [675 A.D.?]
IN this monastery many miracles were wrought, accounts of which have been
committed to writing by those who were acquainted with them, that their memory
might be preserved, and succeeding generations edified, and these are in the
possession of many persons; some of them we also have taken pains to include in
our History of the Church. At the time of the pestilence, already often
mentioned, which ravaged all the country far and wide, it had also seized on
that part of this monastery where the men abode, and they were daily hurried
away to the Lord. The careful mother of the community began often to inquire of
the sisters, when they were gathered together, in what part of the monastery
they desired to be buried and a cemetery to be made, when the same affliction
should fall upon that part of the monastery in which the handmaids of the Lord
dwelt together apart from the men, and they should. be snatched away out of this
world by the same destruction as the rest. Receiving no certain answer from the
sisters, though she often questioned them, she and all of them received a most
certain answer from the Divine Providence. For one night, after matins had been
sung, and those handmaids of Christ had gone out of their chapel to the tombs of
the brothers who had departed this life before them, and were singing the
customary songs of praise to the Lord, on a sudden a light from heaven, like a
great sheet, came down upon them all, and struck them with such amazement, that,
in consternation, they even left off singing their hymn. But that, resplendent
light, in comparison wherewith the sun at noon-day might seem dark, soon after,
rising from that place, removed to the south side of the monastery, that is, to
the westward of the chapel, and having continued there some time, and rested
upon those parts, in the sight of them all withdrew itself again to heaven,
leaving no doubt in the minds of all, but that the same light, which was to lead
or to receive the souls of those handmaids of Christ into Heaven, also showed
the place in which their bodies were to rest and await the day of the
resurrection. The radiance of this light was so great, that one of the older
brethren, who at the same time was in their chapel with another younger than
himself, related in the morning, that the rays of light which came in at the
crannies of the doors and windows, seemed to exceed the utmost brightness of
daylight.
