BRIDGEBUILDER BISHOP

St Swithun’s Day, if thou dost rain,

For forty days it will remain:

St Swithun’s Day, if thou be fair,

For forty days ’twill rain nae mair.

 

Little is known about St. Swithun; although what isn’t known is far more interesting when made up! But we do know that he was renowned for his compassion and charity, the simplicity of his life and his humility.

 

Swithun was a learned man, appointed tutor originally to King Aethelwulf,

The King of Wessex, and to his son, who was later to become King Alfred.

During Swithun's lifetime, he took Alfred on pilgrimage to Rome, possibly twice.

 

We also know that Aethelwulf appointed him Bishop of Winchester in 852.

In this role he was noted for his financial administration, reputed to be the first to extract a tithe (a tenth) to pay the clergy.  By keeping a careful eye on expenditure, he used the money saved to reconstruct churches which had fallen into decay, and to build churches where there were none before.

 

He was also known to be responsible for the building of the first bridge over the River Itchen, which allowed the people of Winchester to travel to far-flung Alton, and even as far as London. 

 

“The Bishop on the Bridge” Inn is a reminder of Swithun’s habit of sitting near his bridge in construction, in full view of his workmen, so that “his presence might stimulate their industry.” It appears that the bridge builders he used were surly and lazy, and needed the sort of supervision that only a saintly soul like Swithun could give!

 

Seynt Swithun his bushupricke to all goodness drought

The town also of Wychestre he amended inough

Ffor he lette the stronge bruge (i.e. bridge) withoute the tonne arere

And found thereto lym and ston and workmen that were there.

Paraphrase - "Saint Swithun contributed well to the community during his Episcopacy.

He made improvements to the town of Winchester

by constructing a strong bridge without the town.

To accomplish this, he provided materials such as lime and stone

and engaged the necessary workers."

One of the more-mythical tales of Swithun concerns the new bridge and  a poor old lady from out of the city, who was walking one day over it with a basket of eggs to sell. Some louts maliciously smashed the eggs and taunted her. The account has it that Swithun took pity on her, and miraculously repaired the eggs, so she could continue her business in Winchester.

 

Swithun died in 862. He was buried, according to his own desire, in the churchyard of Winchester Old Minster (The Cathedral), where "passers by might tread on his grave and where the rain from the eaves might fall on it."

 

His reputation as a "weather saint" is said to have arisen from the removal of his body from this lowly grave to its golden shrine within the Cathedral on 15th July 971, which act was delayed by incessant rain for forty days and nights!

 

After the Normans built the new cathedral at Winchester, his shrine remained a popular goal for pilgrims throughout the Middle Ages. His legacy of learning, compassion, kindness, and humility, not to mention his practical legacy of the bridge caused people from all over to make pilgrimage to Winchester after his death.

 

St. Swithun became known as "Pontifex" - bridge builder; the same title that is used of the Pope, but in Swithun’s case he actually WAS “Bridge Builder”.  Various bridges work in various ways; The arch bridge, like Swithun’s bridge over the Itchen, works by having two halves pushing towards each other. One half on its own would fall into the river,

but the two halves pushing together create a strong bridge.

 

Can I be a bridge-builder like Swithun,

to bring others nearer to God, nearer to faith?

 

The Suspension bridge (such as at Clifton)

works because it uses tension and stress to become strength…..

Can I be a bridge-builder to enable those living under stress

to reach their potential and more?

 

Can I be a bridge-builder to help others

get over the divide of misunderstanding and difference

that separates them?

 

Can I construct a bridge between myself and others

whom I find it difficult to like,

or love, or with whom to agree?

 

.......and what about the chasm between me and God?

Can I construct a bridge between myself and God!

God has already built out towards me.....

We need to submit our plans to God the Great Universal Designer

and work under Him…..as the most-effective bridge is prayer.

It enables us to reach God and to discover God’s plans, God’s designs.

 How am I going to find out where God wants me to be a bridge-builder?

Pray….. and ask the wonderfully-constructed Bridge Herself, Mary, to pray with you.

 

Mary, Mother of Jesus, Bridge between God and Humanity,

pray for us to the Lord our God, the Great Designer of the Universe,

that we may seek to build bridges rather than create walls.

Stavanger Cathedral

THERE'S MORE......About 1125, the monk Reinald was called from Winchester to build a cathedral in Stavanger, Norway, and become its first bishop. He brought with him St Swithun’s arm, the new cathedral’s first and most prominent relic. There is every reason to think that the cult of St.Swithun was already known in Norway, but the building of a cathedral in his name, and the presence of a shrine containing the saint’s arm must have given the cult a tremendous boost in popularity. The church was built in Anglo-Norman style, probably by an English workforce. Stavanger Cathedral is the only cathedral from the Middle Ages that has kept its original architecture, and the only Norwegian cathedral in continuous use since the 1300s.

Collect for St Swithun Almighty God, by whose grace we celebrate again

the feast of your servant Swithun: grant that, as he governed with gentleness

the people committed to his care, so we, rejoicing in our Christian inheritance,

may always seek to build up your Church in unity and love; through Jesus Christ

your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

The Benedictional of Aethelwulf - Saint Swithun