Saint Winifred

Saint Winifred or Winefride
Stained glass depiction of Winifred, designed by William Burges, at Castell Coch, Cardiff
Virgin, Martyr & Abbess
Born	Tegeingl (today's Flintshire)
Died	c. 660 Gwytherin (in today's Conwy)
Venerated in	Eastern Orthodox Church Roman Catholic Church
Major shrine	Shrewsbury Abbey, now destroyed although a small part of the shrine base survives. Holywell, fully active holy well and well-house shrine.
Feast	3 November
Attributes	Abbess, holding a sword, sometimes with her head under her arm
Patronage	Holywell; against unwanted advances

Saint Winifred or Saint Winefride (Welsh: Gwenffrewi; Latin: Vinefrida) was a 7th-century Welsh Christian woman, around whom many historical legends have formed. A healing spring at the traditional site of her decapitation and restoration is now a shrine and pilgrimage site called St Winefride's Well in Holywell, Flintshire, Wales and known as the Lourdes of Wales.

According to legend, Winifred was the daughter of a chieftain of Tegeingl, Welsh nobleman, Tyfid ap Eiludd. Her mother was Wenlo, a sister of Saint Beuno and a member of a family closely connected with the kings of south Wales. Her suitor, Caradog, was enraged when she decided to become a nun, and decapitated her. In one version of the tale, her head rolled downhill, and, where it stopped, a healing spring appeared. Winifred's head was subsequently rejoined to her body due to the efforts of her maternal uncle, Saint Beuno, and she was restored to life. Seeing the murderer leaning on his sword with an insolent and defiant air, St. Beuno invoked the chastisement of heaven, and Caradog fell dead on the spot, the popular belief being that the ground opened and swallowed him. St. Beuno left Holywell, and returned to Caernarfon. Before he left the tradition is that he seated himself upon the stone, which now stands in the outer well pool, and there promised in the name of God "that whosoever on that spot should thrice ask for a benefit from God in the name of St. Winefride would obtain the grace he asked if it was for the good of his soul." She later became a nun and abbess at Gwytherin in Denbighshire.

After eight years spent at Holywell, Winifred received an inspiration to leave the convent and retire inland. Accordingly, St. Winifred went upon her pilgrimage to seek for a place of rest. Ultimately she arrived at Gwytherin near the source of the River Elwy. More elaborate versions of this tale relate many details of her life, including Winefride's pilgrimage to Rome.