Monday, January 18, 2016

Bishop in Sweden who evangelized Finland

St. Henry

 
Image of St. Henry

Facts

Feastday: January 19
Patron of the Catholic Cathedral of Helsinki
Death: 1156

The Englishman Henry was consecrated bishop of Uppsala, Sweden in 1152. When Sweden's king, Saint Eric, embarked upon a crusade against the pagan pirates of Finland, Henry accompanied him. Eric was victorious, and Henry remained in Finland to exercise his zeal for the conversion of the Finns to Christianity. A convert who resented a penance that Henry imposed upon him after the convert had committed murder turned his wrath upon the bishop himself, slaughtering him. Henry has been venerated as the patron saint of Finland, where from 1300 until 1720 his body rested in the cathedral of Turku.

No comments:

Post a Comment