SIGFRID - Bishop of Vaxjo and Apostle of Sweden, Died 688

For the first time we have a saint who went to Scandinavia and spent the second part of his life evangelising there, working in all three Scandinavian countries.

Sigfrid was probably English though we know nothing about his early years until he was sent by King Ethelred to Olaf Tryggvason, King of Norway. Sigfrid was a monk at Glastonbury and he took two fellow missionary bishops with him. They were intending to work in Sweden as well as Norway. Sigfrid baptized the king of Sweden, built a church at Vaxjo, consecrated two bishops for east and west Gothland, and then moved out into more remote areas to continue his evangelising. Sadly, while he was away, his three nephews who were his main helpers were murdered. When he returned, Sigfrid persuaded the king to spare the killers' lives and their punishment was reduced to a heavy fine. Sigfrid refused to accept any of this money, even though, faced with the need to rebuild his cathedral, he was living in considerable deprivation.

In art he is represented as a bishop carrying the heads of his dead nephews, though sometimes these are misinterpreted as three loaves.

February 15th is celebrated as the feast day of Saint Sigfrid.