John Twenge
| John Twenge (Saint John of Bridlington) |
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| Born | 1320 Thwing, England |
| Died | 10 October 1379 |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Canonized | 1401 by Pope Boniface IX |
| Feast | 21 October |
| Attributes | fish, book, crozier, fur almice; muzzled animal at his feet |
| Patronage | women in difficult labour; fishermen |
John Twenge (Saint John of Bridlington, John Thwing, John of Thwing, John Thwing of Bridlington) (1319–1379) is an English saint of the 14th century.
Born in 1320 in the village of Thwing on the Yorkshire Wolds, about nine miles west of Bridlington, he was of the Yorkshire family Twenge, which during the English Reformation supplied two Roman Catholic priest-martyrs and was also instrumental in establishing the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Bar Convent, York.
John was schooled in the village from the age of five, before completing his studies at Oxford. He then entered the Augustinian Canons Regular community of Priory of Bridlington. He carried out his duties with humility and diligence, and was in turn novice master, almsgiver, preacher and sub-prior. He became Canon of the Priory in 1346 and was eventually elected Prior in 1356. John initially declined out of humility, but after being re-elected, probably in 1361, that he took on the duties of Prior in January 1362. He served as Prior for 17 years before his death on 10 October 1379.
In his lifetime he enjoyed a reputation for great holiness and for miraculous powers. Reputedly on one occasion he changed water into wine. On another, five seamen from Hartlepool in danger of shipwreck called upon God in the name of His servant, John of Bridlington, whereupon the prior himself appeared to them in his canonical habit and brought them safely to shore. The men left their vessel at the harbour and walked to the Monastery where they thanked John in person for saving their lives.
The Vision of William Staunton (British Library Manuscripts, Royal 17.B.xliii and Additional 34,193) recounts William's visit to St. Patrick's Purgatory where he sees both purgatory and the earthly paradise and is conducted through the otherworld by St. John of Bridlington and St. Ive (of Quitike).
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