(ABOUT A.D. 1045.)
[Anciently venerated in Sweden; named in the Cologne and other
German Kalendars. Authority:--Joannes Magnus, Archb. of Upsal, Hist.
Goth. lib. xvii., c. 18, 19, 20.]
The faith of Christ was first preached in Sweden, as has been already
related (February 3rd) by S. Ansgar, in the ninth century; but the
Swedes soon relapsed into their former heathenism, partly from want of
a sufficient supply of teachers, till the reign of Olaf Scobkongr.
This prince sent ambassadors to King Edred (others say Ethelred) of
England, to renew the ancient alliance between the two crowns, and
desired that some persons might be sent to him, knowing the Christian
law, to instruct him and his people. Edred received the proposition
with joy; and, assembling the prelates and chief clergy of his
kingdom, exhorted them to make choice of proper missionaries for this
great work. Sigfried, archdeacon of York, perceiving that most of
those present shrank from the undertaking, as one hazardous and
laborious, sprang to his feet, and offered himself for the mission.
His offer was at once accepted. He was consecrated bishop, and then
sailed to Sweden, taking with him his three nephews Sunaman, Unaman,
Wiaman, and other companions. He landed in South Gothland, where now
stands the cathedral of Wexiö, which, by the admonition of an angel,
he caused to be erected; and there he made some stay, the king being
at that time absent in West Gothland. The chief Jarl or earl of those
parts came to see the strangers, and observed their conduct with
interest; he was even present when Sigfried celebrated the Holy
Sacrifice; of all which he gave an account to the king, informing him
that he had seen the old man, as he called him, whilst he was standing
at the table of his religion, raise above his head a most radiant and
beautiful infant, who extended his arm towards him with a smile. The
king sent for the saint, and, at his coming, went forth to meet him,
and received him with joy; and, after he had been sufficiently
instructed in the Christian faith and moral law, was baptized with his
queen, and many of his nobles, and gave the saint the royal castle of
Husaby to be converted into a church. For this it was well adapted,
for the palaces of the Scandinavian kings and nobles consisted of huge
halls with sleeping-apartments in what might be termed the aisles, and
doors at both ends. By removing the partitions and beds, and blocking
up one door, the building at once assumed the appearance of a stately
church, of nave and side aisles, separated by huge square pillars of
pine-wood. At Husaby, Sigfried long resided, till he had converted all
West Gothland to the faith of Christ. But this was not effected
without opposition, and his three nephews, Sunaman, Unaman, and
Wiaman, to whom he had committed the care of the Church of Wexiö, were
murdered, and their bodies cast into a neighbouring pool. The
murderers were discovered, and the king would have put them to death,
but they were spared at the intercession of S. Sigfried, but the king
forced them to pay a blood-fine, which he offered to the bishop as the
nearest kinsman of the deceased. Sigfried, however, refused to receive
the money. The relics of the three brothers were miraculously
discovered by a light hovering above the pool in which they lay. Their
names have been recorded among the saints on Feb. 15th, along with
their uncle, S. Sigfried. This loss of his coadjutors did not
discourage the saint from the work of the Gospel, which he carried on
with great success. He was buried in the cathedral of Wexiö, and
canonized by the Pope in 1155.
[43] See Giraldus Cambrensis, who refers to the legend in his book, De
Mirabilibus Hiberniæ, c. 28, but relates it of S. Keiven.
February 16.
S. ONESIMUS, _Disciple of S. Paul_, A.D. 95.
S. ONESIMUS, _B. M. of Ephesus_, A.D. 109.
S. HONESTUS, _P. M., Ap. of Pampeluna, circ._ A.D. 270.
SS. PROCLUS, EPHEBUS, APOLLONIUS, _MM. at Teramo, circ._ A.D. 283.
S. CORNELIUS, _M. at Rome, relics at Ghent_.
SS. ELIAS, JEREMIAS, ISAIAS, SAMUEL, AND COMP., _MM. at Cæsarea,
in Palestine_, A.D. 309.
S. JULIANA, _V. M. at Nicomedia, circ._ A.D. 309.
S. FLAVIAN, _H. in the East_.
S. EULALIUS, _B. of Syracuse, after_ A.D. 503.
S. TANCO, _B. of Verden, in Hanover, circ._ A.D. 800.