St. Bega, Virgen (6 September): Butler's Lives of the Saints

About this sermon

Discover the history and remarkable traditions surrounding St. Bega, a virgin honored in Northumbria and commemorated on September 6 in the Diocese of Lancaster. St. Bede records that a nun named Begu, after more than thirty years at Hackness, received a vision of St. Hilda’s soul ascending to Heaven. Later writers identified this woman with St. Bega, although the identification remains uncertain. According to legend, Bega was an Irish princess promised from childhood to a Norwegian prince. Having consecrated her virginity to Jesus Christ, she received from an angel a bracelet marked with a cross as a sign of her heavenly betrothal. On the eve of her earthly marriage, Bega escaped unseen and miraculously crossed the sea to Cumberland. She initially lived as an anchoress, sustained by birds. When evil men threatened her virtue, St. Oswald advised her to enter religious life, and she received the veil from St. Aidan. Despite the legendary elements and uncertainty surrounding her identity, St. Bega was undoubtedly venerated throughout Northumbria. St Bees Head still preserves her name, and tradition remembers her as a protector of the oppressed and a devoted servant of the poor. Her story calls Christians to place fidelity to Christ above wealth, status, comfort, and human approval. St. Bega, pray for us! From The Lives of the Saints associated with Father Alban Butler’s collection. 00:00 St. Bega, Virgin 00:17 St. Heiu and the first Northumbrian nuns 00:25 Hartlepool, St. Hilda, and Tadcaster 00:32 Begu’s vision of St. Hilda’s soul 00:46 Was Begu actually St. Bega? 00:54 The legend of the Irish princess 01:01 Consecrating her virginity to Christ 01:09 The angelic bracelet of the Cross 01:17 Her escape from an arranged marriage 01:25 Miraculous journey across the sea 01:32 Life as a hermit in Cumberland 01:39 Sustained by the birds 01:47 Threats to her safety and virtue 01:55 St. Oswald’s warning 02:03 Receiving the veil from St. Aidan 02:12 The monastery at St Bees 02:19 History and legend surrounding St. Bega 02:26 Her enduring veneration in Northumbria 02:35 Protector of the oppressed 02:43 The bracelet of St. Bega 02:51 Her charity toward workers and the poor 02:58 Veneration in Scotland and Norway 03:07 Her feast in the Diocese of Lancaster https://sensusfidelium.com/the-lives-of-the-fathers-martyrs-and-other-principal-saints/september/st-bega/ Get Butler's Lives of the Saints here: https://loretopublications.idevaffiliate.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=102&url=1 #SaintBega #StBee #LivesOfTheSaints #CatholicSaints #ChristianHistory #September6 #CatholicFaith #Northumbria #IrishSaints #StHilda #StAidan #StOswald 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 ✝️ SUPPORT THE MISSION 🙏 Donate https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 📬 Free Catholic Newsletter https://sensusfidelium.com/newsletter/ 📰 Read on Substack https://sensusfidelium.substack.com/ ──────────────────── 📺 WATCH & READ 📺 Sensus Fidelium App https://sensusfidelium.tv/ 📚 Sensus Fidelium Press https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ 👕 Official Merchandise https://sensusfidelium.com/merchandise/ ──────────────────── 🤝 PARTNER WITH US 📣 Advertise on Sensus Fidelium https://sensusfidelium.com/advertise-with-sensus-fidelium/ 🎤 Invite Steve Cunningham to Speak https://sensusfidelium.com/speaking/ ⛪ Parish Formation & Consultation https://sensusfidelium.com/for-parishes/ ──────────────────── 🌎 CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ✝️ Trusted Catholic Businesses https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴