Saint Morwenna of Cornwall - Feast Day: 8th July

Saint Morwenna is a late 5th century early 6th century Celtic saint whose feast day is 8th July. She was born in Wales (Cymru) and is the brother of St. Nectan (c. 468 AD - c. 510 AD). Morwenna is the eponymous patron saint of Morwenstow (Cornish: Logmorwenna) in the north of Cornwall (Cornish: Kernow).  Morwenna is said to have been the daughter of Brychan Brycheiniog, a legendary 5th-century King of Brycheiniog which was an independent kingdom in the South of Wales in the Early Middle Ages. According to Celtic hagiography Brychan was born in Ireland (Éire).  Morwenna was said to have eventually settled in Cornwall after a journey to Ireland. 

She made her home close to a cliff top at Hennacliff, later called Morwenstow (meaning “Morwenna’s holy-place”). On clear days this high location above the sea would allow her to see the coast of her native Wales in the distance. The people of the surrounding area were not wealthy and lacked the funds to build a church for the travelling priests to come and say Mass. It is written that Morwenna decided to build a church there for the local people with her own hands. For many years she carried the stones to construct the church from the base of the cliff.

Legend has it that where she once rested close to the church a spring started to flow. When her work was done and the church built, her brother Saint Nectan visited her. This was at the end of her life in the early 6th century. Close to death she asked Nectan to raise her up so that she could see Wales for the last time before she died. She was buried at the church in Morwenstow and today 8th July marks the feast day of Saint Morwenna.

Image above: Depiction of St Morwenna on the Church Window at St Morwenna and St John the Baptist's.

Image below: The Holy Well of St. Morwenna.