Holy English Nuns
23/June/2007 Filed in:
JottingsFeast of St Etheldreda and All Holy English Nuns, so why do I find myself thinking about the unholy nuns of England? Probably because it is easier to identify with sinners than saints. The humanity of some of the Anglo-Saxon saints is impressive. Rudolf of Fulda tells a lovely story in the Vita Leobae about novices jumping up and down on a harsh superior's grave at Wimborne. Shock! Horror! Most un-nunlike! Personally, I have no difficulty understanding why a novice might want to stamp on her novice mistress's grave, and it is reassuring to know St Leoba did not, either. She really was holy, a woman of intelligence and character, an inspiration to all of us today.