Saint of the Day – 1 April – Saint Tewdrig (5th-6th Century) Hermit, Martyr, King of Gwent and Glywysing. Born in Cardiff in Wales and died in the 6th Century in Mathern, Wales from the wounds received in battle against the pagan Saxons. Also known as – Tewdrig ap LLywarch, Tewdrig of Tintern, Tewdrig of Glamorgan, Theodoricus, Theodoric, Theoderick, Teudrig, Tewdric, Tudric.
Tewdrig was a Prince of Glywysing roughly corresponding to the present-day County of Glamorganshire in Wales – and married to Gowan. He initially defeated the invading Saxons at the Battle of Llandaff, now a district in Cardiff and later became Patron of this Church there.
He abdicated in favour of his son, Meurig (Maurice) and withdrew to live as a Hermit on a rocky spot by the river, on the site of the Monastery founded in 1131 in Tintern.
However, his son called him back to service in order to lead the army against the invading Saxon troops who had previously devastated the area around Hereford. He won the battle but was mortally wounded near his hermitage. He asked to be taken to the Island of Flat Holm but died before reaching the destination, in Mathern, after three days’ travel.
Tradition tells us that the journey was made in a cart drawn by two stags. Wherever the deer rested, a miraculous spring sprang up.
Since the Saxons were pagans and Tewdrig was a Christian, he is considered a Martyr. His son, Meurig had a Church built on the site of his Grave in Mathern The story of Tewdrig is recorded in the Book of Llandaff which was written around 1125, to justify the rights of this Episcopate’s See against the rival Sees of St David’s and Hereford. In 1615, Bishop Godwin of Llandaff reported seeing a skull, with a hole through it in a coffin before the Altar of the Church in Mathern, presumably being St Tewdrig’s Relics. The image below is the Church in Mathern dedicated to our Saint.
AnaStpaul 