St. Alphege - April 19th
Alphege is an English saint. He became a monk and after a few years was made abbot of the monastery. When he was thirty years old, he became Bishop of Winchester. He had not wanted this honor, but he accepted it because it was God’s will. And he did much good. He was so kind to the poor that there were no beggars left in his whole diocese. Next he was made archbishop of Canterbury, the most important Church in England.
The year after he came to the city, a group of fierce raiders, called the Danes, attacked. They burned the buildings and killed many people, even women and children. St. Alphege tried to make them stop, but the cruel raiders took him prisoner and carried him off. They told the people of Canterbury that they would have to pay a large amount of money if they wanted to have their Archbishop back.
St. Alphege would not let his poor Christian people pay that much money for him. He said, “It is better to give what we have to the poor than to take from them the little they have.”
When the Saint had been in prison seven months, the men who had captured him became drunk on night. Angry because they had not gotten the money they wanted, they took the holy Archbishop and beat him. Then they stoned him. At last, on killed him with an axe.
Like Our Lord, St. Alphege prayed for his murderers just before he died.
Even in prison St. Alphege did not want people to think of him or sacrifice for him. Let us remember that what we suffer silently for God gains a great reward in Heaven for us.