St. Godrick, Hermit (21 May): Butler's Lives of the Saints

About this sermon

St. Godric of Finchale was born into poverty in Norfolk, England, yet became one of the most extraordinary hermits and mystics in medieval Christianity. In today’s reading from The Lives of the Saints by Father Alban Butler, discover how a humble peddler abandoned worldly ambitions after encountering the holiness of St. Cuthbert’s monks on Lindisfarne. Through pilgrimages to Jerusalem, Rome, and Compostela, St. Godric pursued a life of deep penance, prayer, solitude, and union with God. Living for decades in the wilderness near Durham, he became renowned for his humility, austerity, contemplative prayer, and miraculous sanctity. This powerful Catholic saint story reminds us that true holiness is found not in worldly success, but in repentance, humility, and complete surrender to God. 🙏 May St. Godric pray for us. 00:00 – Introduction to St. Godric Hermit 00:16 – Born poor in Walpole, Norfolk 00:24 – Trading voyages and visit to Lindisfarne 00:33 – Inspired by the monks and St. Cuthbert 00:48 – Conversion and desire for holiness 00:57 – Pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Compostela 01:05 – Steward in a wealthy household 01:14 – Refuses to tolerate injustice and theft 01:31 – Pilgrimages to France and Rome 01:40 – Meeting the holy servant Godwin 02:04 – Life of prayer and austerity in the wilderness 02:20 – Death of Godwin and second pilgrimage to Jerusalem 02:27 – Retreat near Whitby and Durham 02:36 – Hermitage at Finchale near Durham 02:44 – Severe austerities and constant prayer 03:02 – Mystical contemplation and love of God 03:27 – Patience in suffering and sickness 03:35 – Extraordinary humility and meekness 03:52 – Visitors permitted under obedience 04:01 – Chapel of St. John the Baptist 04:18 – Godric’s profound self-abasement 04:26 – Miracles and supernatural gifts 04:35 – Final sickness and continual prayer 04:52 – 63 years in solitude 04:59 – Death of St. Godric in 1170 05:08 – Burial and miracles after death https://sensusfidelium.com/the-lives-of-the-fathers-martyrs-and-other-principal-saints/may/st-godrick-hermit/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 Support Catholic Businesses here - https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ Sensus Fidelium Press - https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ Sensus Fidelium Apps - https://sensusfidelium.tv/ Support Sensus Fidelium - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 🙏🏻PLEASE HELP OUR CHANNEL GROW 🙏🏻 ▶️ 1. Become a Channel Patron: https://www.patreon.com/SensusFidelium ▶️ 2. Visit the website https://www.sensusfidelium.com for Gueranger, Saint of the Day, Apologetics, Meditation by the Saints, Scripture Study and more. ▶️ 3. Subscribe to Other Video Platforms 🔴 SpiritusTV - https://spiritustv.com/@SensusFidelium 🔴 BitChute --- https://www.bitchute.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium/ 🔴 Rumble --- https://rumble.com/c/c-298311 🔴 My Catholic Tube - https://mycatholictube.com/videos/sensus-fidelium-channel/ 🔴 LBRY.tv --- https://lbry.tv/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 ODYSEE - https://odysee.com/@SensusFidelium:c 🔴 UGETube - https://videos.utahgunexchange.com/@Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 BrandNewTube - https://brandnewtube.com/@SensusFidelium 🔴 GabTV - https://tv.gab.com/channel/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 GloriaTV - https://gloria.tv/Sensus%20Fidelium 🔴 Brighteon - https://www.brighteon.com/channels/sensusfidelium ▶️ 4. Paypal, Bitcoin, Anedot, Stripe, Square & PO Box donations - https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ ▶️ 5. YouTube: Click Subscribe, then Click "Notification Bell" = 🔔 Please "Like" our videos so that Youtube shares it to others by clicking the "Like" thumbs-up under the video = 👍🏻 ▶️ 6. Please share this video 📲, and help others find Christ inside the Catholic Church! Please share this video on Facebook and Twitter using the share button. ▶️ 7. Follow on Social Media: 🔴 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SensusFidelium/ 🔴 Twitter: https://https://twitter.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 YouTube: Click Subscribe, then Click "Notification Bell" = 🔔 🔴 Parler: https://parler.com/profile/Sensusfidelium/posts 🔴 SP3RN: https://www.sp3rn.com/community/pages/14-sensus-fidelium 🔴 GAB: https://gab.com/Sensus_Fidelium 🔴 Bastyon: https://bastyon.com/sensusfidelium 🔴 GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/sensus_fidelium 🔴 INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sensusfidelium/ 🔴 Telegram: https//t.me/RealSensusFidelium 🔴 Truth Social - @SensusFidelium ▶️ 8. Follow on iTunes: 🔴 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sensus-fidelium-catholic-podcast/id1477010758 #SaintGodric #CatholicSaints #LivesOfTheSaints #SaintOfTheDay #CatholicFaith #TraditionalCatholic #ChristianHistory #FatherAlbanButler #CatholicChurch #Prayer #HermitSaint #CatholicYouTube #SaintStories #CatholicTeaching #Catholicism