Saint Etheldreda of Ely
Saint Etheldreda stands between two husbands—a silent witness to grace and struggle, bearing the quiet weight of her journey. This scene is allegorical—a symbolic portrayal uniting key moments and relationships from her life.
Born: c. 636, Exning, Suffolk, England
Died: 23 June 679, Ely, Cambridgeshire
Traditional Feast Day: 23 June — Honored for her unwavering virginity, her founding of the monastery at Ely, and her incorrupt body discovered years after burial.
Modern Roman Calendar Feast Day: 23 June
Canonized: Pre-Congregation — venerated since the 7th century; relics translated with public devotion and ecclesiastical approval.
Patron Of: Throat ailments, chastity, widows, the diocese of East Anglia, those seeking healing from tumors or swelling.
Symbols in Art: Church of Ely (held in hand), crozier, crown, book
Invoked For: Healing of throat and neck afflictions, protection of religious vows, strength to preserve purity, grace to lead a penitential life, courage to renounce worldly privilege.
Saint Etheldreda – Patronage & Symbols
Æthelthryth, Etheldritha, Audrey of Ely
The coast of East Anglia, remembered in later tradition as the place
where divine protection halted the King Ecgfrith’s pursuit of Etheldreda.
Saint Etheldreda (c. 636–679), also known as Æthelthryth, Æðelþryð, Æþelðryþe, or Saint Audrey, was born a daughter of the East Anglian royal house. Though married twice—first for alliance, then again under family pressure—she maintained her vow of virginity throughout both unions. Her second husband, King Ecgfrith of Northumbria, at last allowed her to withdraw, and she entered monastic life with joy.
She founded a double monastery at Ely, becoming its abbess and spiritual mother. Revered for her purity, wisdom, and generosity, Etheldreda’s incorrupt body was discovered years after her death, and her shrine became a place of pilgrimage for centuries.
Her feast is kept on June 23 in the Roman calendar.