July 1st - St. Juthware, Virgin of Devon****re.
(Also known as Judith)
Martyred, 7th century, Halstock (Holy Place) in northwest Dorset,
England.
In art, she is shown as a Celtic-British maiden holding her severed head;
sometimes shown with St. Sidwell (St. Sativola of Laneast in Cornwall?) as
her sister; St Juthware's Well at Halstock sprang up where the saint's
severed head fell, along with a miraculous oak tree. The Church of St.
Mary's is built on the site, and has a chapel dedicated to Juthware.
See:
The Quiet Woman, Halstock
http://www.pixart.info/darkdorset/LibraryDetail.php?ref=DD058
Until recently, Halstock had an inn called, 'The Quiet Woman,' with a sign
outside depicting a headless woman. Though the pub has sadly gone, the
gruesome tale it commemorated still haunts the village to this day.
In the seventh century a baby girl called Juthware (pronounced Uth- are),
was born in the village, but it was a difficult birth and her mother died
leaving her to be brought up by Benna, the girl's father.
Benna looked after his daughter as best as he could, but what the girl
needed was a mother, and in time he relinquished his loss by taking
another
wife. This second wife was a Welsh woman called Goneril who was also a
widow
and had by her former husband a son called Bana. All was well at first,
but
as the years passed Goneril began to despise her step daughter, for not
only
was she beautiful, but she was a devoted Christian, often fasting and
doing
penance for her sins.
Many pilgrims and wayfarers traveled the roads and would often seek
shelter
at Juthware's father's house. Benna was a good, but sick man and
remembering
the kindness of his first wife was always keen to show hospitality. And so
while they ate Juthware would pass among them with drinking horns of wine
and ale and listen to their wonderful stories of Our Lord's birth and
life.
When Benna died Juthware followed her father's example of hospitality.
This
angered Goneril who could not stand her stepdaughter's good qualities any
longer and so she contrived a plan to be rid of her.
Goneril's chance came one morning when Juthware came to her complaining of
chest pains. She told Juthware to rub some cheese onto her chest and
stomach
first thing in the morning and last thing at night and the pains would go.
When Goneril saw Juthware doing this she went secretly into the wood and
there slaughtered a lamb and left it for the wolves. The next morning she
went to Bana and told him that Juthware had given birth to a child in the
wood and had fed it to the wolves. However, Bana would not believe her, so
she took him into the wood and showed him the remains of the bloodied
carcass. But still Bana would not believe it, so she brought Juthware to
the
wood and ordered her to remove her vest. Bana examined the garment and
found
the stains of motherhood.
In a fit of rage he drew his sword and cut Juthware's head clean off.
Goneril's face was triumphant, but as she reveled in her stepdaughter's
death, to her horror Juthware's severed head called to her body. It jerked
and slowly rising to its feet gathered the head and moved with measured
mechanical steps down the hill and along the lane to the church and there
placed her head on the altar before finally dying.
Soon after, Juthware became known as Saint Juthware and a shrine was
dedicated to her at the place of her martyrdom.
But the gruesome tale doesn't end there, for at one o'clock in the morning
on All Saints Day (1st November), Saint Juthware's ghost is said to return
to repeat the incident. She is said to be seen carrying her head in the
lane
leading to Abbots Hill, alias Judith Hill.
The public house 'The Quiet Woman' is no longer run as a pub, but is now
run
as a guesthouse for visitors by Gill and Paul Tebano visit their website
for
more information THE QUIET WOMAN HOUSE:
Legend of the Quiet Woman http://www.quietwomanhouse.co.uk/juthware.htm
More on St. Juthware at:
St. Juthware http://www.catholiconline.com/saints/saint.php?saint_id=4153
Quote:
Do you wish to be great? Then begin by being. Do you desire to construct a
vast and lofty fabric? Think first about the foundations of humility. The
higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be its foundation.
-St. Augustine
Bible Quote
And because you are sons, God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your
hearts, crying: Abba, Father. Therefore now he is not a servant, but a
son.
And if a son, an heir also through God. (Galatians 4:6-7)
<><><><>
In honor of the Most Precious Blood for the month of July, the Seven
Offerings of the Most Precious Blood:
I. Eternal Father! I offer Thee the merits of the Precious Blood of
Jesus,
Thy well-beloved Son, my Savior and my God, for my dear Mother, the holy
Church, that she may enlarge her borders and be magnified among all the
nations of the earth; for the safety and well-being of her visible head,
the
sovereign Roman Pontiff; for the cardinals, bishops, and pastors of souls,
and for all the ministers of Thy sanctuary.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as It was
in
the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Blessing and thanksgiving be evermore to Jesus, Who with His Blood hath
saved us!
II. Eternal Father! I offer Thee the merits of the Precious Blood of
Jesus,
Thy well-beloved Son, my Savior and my God, for peace and union among all
Catholic kings and princes, for the humiliation of the enemies of our holy
Faith, and for the welfare of all Christian people.
Glory be... Blessing and thanksgiving...
III. Eternal Father! I offer Thee the merits of the Precious Blood of
Jesus, Thy well-beloved Son, my Savior and my God, for the repentance of
unbelievers, for the uprooting of heresy, and for the conversion of
sinners.
Glory be... Blessing and thanksgiving...
IV. Eternal Father! I offer Thee the merits of the Precious Blood of
Jesus,
Thy well-beloved Son, my Savior and my God, for all my kindred, friends,
and
enemies; for the poor, the sick, and wretched, and for all for whom Thou,
my
God, knowest that I ought to pray, or wouldst have me pray.
Glory be... Blessing and thanksgiving...
V. Eternal Father! I offer Thee the merits of the Precious Blood of
Jesus,
Thy well-beloved Son, my Savior and my God, for all who, this day, are
passing to the other life; that Thou wouldst save them from the pains of
hell, and admit them quickly to the possession of Thy glory.
Glory be... Blessing and thanksgiving...
VI. Eternal Father! I offer Thee the merits of the Precious Blood of
Jesus,
Thy well-beloved Son, my Savior and my God, for all those who love this
great treasure, for those who join with me in adoring it and honoring it,
and who strive to spread devotion to it.
Glory be... Blessing and thanksgiving...
VII. Eternal Father! I offer Thee the merits of the Precious Blood of
Jesus, Thy well-beloved Son, my Savior and my God, for all my wants,
spiritual and tem****al, in aid of the holy souls in purgatory, and chiefly
for those who most loved this precious Blood, the price of our redemption,
and who were most devout to the sorrows and pains of most holy Mary, our
dear Mother.
Glory be... Blessing and thanksgiving...
(Conclude with) Glory be to the Blood of Jesus; now and forever, and
throughout all ages! Amen.
|
