St. William of York – Saint of the Day
When I woke up I heard on my radio the Saint of the Day feature from AmericanCatholic.org . Being a William, I was pleased. I don’t know if William of York is the St. William I was named after, but in lieu of knowing for sure, I’ll throw in with him, although I’d like it better if he were Irish instead of English. At age 72, I should have figured this out long ago. I was thinking just the other day that I know little to nothing about my name saint, so I am glad to have a real person to identify with. I went to a St. Boniface School as a kid, and I have a vague tendency to think of St. William as a kind of St. Boniface, about whom I learned a fair amount. Probably just sloppy thinking. The Saint of the Day item, as received in my email box, reads
“St. William of York
(d. 1154)
A disputed election as archbishop of York and a mysterious death. Those are the headlines from the tragic life of today’s saint.
Born into a powerful family in 12th-century England, William seemed destined for great things. His uncle was next in line for the English throne—though a nasty dynastic struggle complicated things. William himself faced an internal Church feud.
Despite these roadblocks, he was nominated as archbishop of York in 1140. Local clergymen were less enthusiastic, however, and the archbishop of Canterbury refused to consecrate William. Three years later a neighboring bishop performed the consecration, but it lacked the approval of Pope Innocent II, whose successors likewise withheld approval. William was deposed and a new election was ordered.
It was not until 1154—14 years after he was first nominated—that William became archbishop of York. When he entered the city that spring after years of exile, he received an enthusiastic welcome. Within two months he was dead, probably from poisoning. His administrative assistant was a suspect, though no formal ruling was ever made.
Despite all that happened to him, William did not show resentment toward his opponents. Following his death, many miracles were attributed to him. He was canonized 73 years later.”
Saint William, pray for me. Name saints of other people, pray for them.
