Birinus

Also known as Saint Birinus, St. Birinus, Birinus of Dorchester

Birinus (also Berin, Birin;  – 3 December 649 or 650) was the first Bishop of Dorchester and was known as the "Apostle to the West Saxons" for his conversion of the Kingdom of Wessex to Christianity. He is venerated as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and Anglican churches.

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Key facts

Christian leader.honorific_prefix: Saint
Christian leader.name: Birinus
Christian leader.image: Saint Birinus.jpg
Christian leader.caption: Stained glass window of Birinus at Dorchester Abbey
Christian leader.title: Bishop of Dorchester
Christian leader.appointed: before 634
Christian leader.ended: 3 December 649
Christian leader.predecessor: diocese established
Christian leader.successor: Agilbertus
Christian leader.death_date: 3 December 649 or 650
Christian leader.birth_place: Francia
Christian leader.death_place: Dorchester, Wessex (England)
Christian leader.feast_day: 3 December (Catholic) 4 September (Anglican)
Christian leader.venerated: Roman Catholic ChurchEastern Orthodox Church Anglican Communion
Christian leader.attributes: Bishop, sometimes baptising a king
Christian leader.patronage: Berkshire; Dorchester
Christian leader.shrine: Dorchester Abbey, now destroyed. Small parts survive. Modern replica now in place. (Or Winchester Cathedral, now destroyed.)
Christian leader.consecrated_by: Asterius of Milan

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Wikidata facts

Image: Bernius stained glass Dorchester cropped.jpg

Show 3 more facts

Commons category: Birinus
date of death: 0651-12-03
date of birth: 0600-01-01

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Article

7 sections

Contents

Life and ministry
Veneration
See also
References
Citations
Works cited
Further reading

==Life and ministry== After Augustine of Canterbury performed the initial conversions in England, Birinus, a Frank, came to the kingdom of Wessex in 634, landing at the port of Hamwic, now in the St Mary's area of Southampton. During Birinus's brief time at Hamwic, St Mary's Church was founded.