Melangell, Patron Saint of Welsh Rabbits – er, Hares; July 22

Medieval female saints: Not many are known by name, but their stories nearly always follow this plot: A young, beautiful virgin, desirous only of spending her life in prayer and devotion to Christ, is threatened with rape by, or marriage to, some brute of a nobleman. She refuses, of course, and is cut down in a very gruesome manner by said boor. But due to the purity of her life and devotion, the lady is miraculously restored to life, and the murderous brute dies on the spot in spectacular fashion. (The best-known example of this story is St. Winifred (Gwenfrewi) of Holywell.)

A welcome exception to the pattern, however, was our most recent study: seventh-century Melangell. Never heard of her? Well, read on. A local prince named Brochwell went out hunting on his land. His dogs pick up the scent of a hare and give chase. The terrified little animal leaps into a bramble bush, where a lovely, young, Irish, fugitive-from-marriage named Melangell is at prayer. The dogs refuse to go any further, and the hunting-horns of Brochwell’s servants are silenced on their lips. When the angry prince investigates he finds Melangell, sheltering the hare; and he is convinced of her holiness. Immediately he gives her a parcel of his land on which to live, pray, and welcome others seeking sanctuary. She becomes an abbess there, as well as the patron saint of hares.

This story takes place not far from St. Deiniol’s, in an area called Pennant (“top of the valley”). So 11 of us rose early today, to be commissioned and blessed; then drove to a village near Pennant in order to hike about five miles to Melangell’s 12th c. shrine and the church built around it. The weather cleared and we had a beautiful, warm day (finally!) for our hike, which took us over squishy peat-bogs, through heather, thistles and blueberry bushes (here called “whimberries”), and across sheep-dotted pastures.

Nearly three hours later we arrived, prickled, soggy and foot-sore, to our pilgrimage destination. It was like Eden. Near the peaceful church dedicated to the saint, and its circular (and hence Celtic) churchyard, was a beautiful garden surrounding the “Melangell Center” for Christian counseling. The staff of two had prepared a wonderful lunch for us all, the other half of our group having arrived by bus. After lunch we celebrated the Eucharist in the recently-restored church, and explored its medieval contents. It was truly a holy place, full of blessings.
This prayer was written some years ago by Donald Allchin, our lecturer:

We thank you, Lord God, for the life and prayer of your servant Mellangell. May her care and compassion for all your creatures inspire us in our day, with the same concern for all that You have made. May we, with her, learn to find Your glory in the world around us, and in all that you give us to do. We ask this through Jesus Christ Our Lord.
-Susan Williams