Saint Winnoc of Wormhoult November 6

 Saint Winnoc of Wormhoult

Also known as

• Winnoc of Flanders

• Winnoc of Wormhoudt

• Vinocus, Vinnoco, Winnow, Winoc, Winocus, Winok, Wunnoc, Winnok

Additional Memorials

• 18 September (translation of relics)

• 20 February (exaltation of Saint Winnoc)

Profile

Born to the nobility, possibly a prince, and some sources say his father was Saint Judicael. Raised and educated in Brittany, his family running there to escape the Saxons. Monk. Founded Saint Winnow's church in Cornwall, England. Monk at Sithiu (Saint Omer) under abbot Saint Bertin. Founded the monastery, church and hospital of Wormhoult, Belgium, served as abbot, and used it as a base to evangelize the area.

Humble, and ever mindful of the apostolic precept "if any would not work, neither should he eat", Winnoc threw himself into the manual labour of the monasteries, doing as much of the tough and disagreeable as any monk in the house. When enfeebled by old age, Winnoc prayed for help to continue his work; he received divine help to work a hand corn mill, making flour for his brothers and the poor. Another monk, out of curiosity, peeped through a crack in the mill-house door to see how the old man did so much work; he was stuck blind for his impertinence, but was healed by Winnoc's intercession.

Born

7th century Wales

Died

• 6 November 716 or 717 at Wormhoult, Belgium of natural causes

• originally buried at Wormhoult

• relics translated to Bergues-Saint-Winnoc in 899

• people who stood along the route taken by the monks were reported to have been healed of many illnesses, especially coughs and fevers, and they have been brought out to stop drought

• the monastery was burned by Protestants in 1558 destroying some relics

Patronage

• against fever

• against whooping cough

• millers