In 634, St. Birinus, a Benedictine monk in Rome was sent by Pope Honorius I  to Wessex to spread the Catholic Faith. In 635 he reached the Thames Valley and achieved his greatest  missionary success, the conversion of Cynegils, King of the West Saxons. The King's conversion was a boost to the spread of Christianity throughout the South of England.

According to tradition, St. Birinus and Cynegils met  on Churn Knob near Blewbury, and Birinus was given  “the city of Doric” (Dorchester) as his Cathedral. Following his death in 650 St. Birinus was buried at Dorchester. In about 680 his remains were moved to Winchester by St. Headda, Bishop of Winchester. Finally on 4th. September, 972 Bishop Etholwold enshrined them in gold and silver. From Dorchester were founded the sees of Winchester and Lincoln

The main centres of devotion to St. Birinus were Winchester, Dorchester and Abingdon where shrines were erected in his honour.

In 1530 King Henry VIII destroyed the shrine and many others.  A new shrine in honour of St. Birinus, incorporating some of the stones from the original, has been erected in recent times in the south aisle of the old abbey church at Dorchester.

The feast of St. Birinus is celebrated on 5th. December. During the Middle Ages the canons of Dorchester and the monks of Winchester received permission from the Pope to hold an outdoor procession in honour of St. Birinus in midsummer.

Today, the annual pilgrimage from Churn Knob at Blewbury to Dorchester  carries on this ancient tradition.

CB - 14-7-2009