Who Was St Wulfstan?

St Wulfstan Stain glass window

St Wulfstan - The Bishop Who Fought Slavery, Patron Saint of Peasants and Vegetarians

St Wulfstan was born in 1008 in Long Itchington, Warwickshire, and became Bishop of Worcester in 1062.

He has become renowned for being the Bishop who fought slavery, and many report that he was a prominent social reformer. Legend has it that he had a daily ritual of washing the feet of the poor. It is also said that he hosted a banquet attended by local dignitaries, and at the same time invited the poor. He then insisted that the dignitaries serve the poor.

It is reported that he campaigned vigorously to end the slave trade involving Irish slaves who were sold in Bristol, and eventually resulted in the end of this trade.

He is also Patron Saint of Vegetarians. He became a vegetarian after becoming distracted from his devotions by the smell of roast goose!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/content/articles/2007/03/13/aboliltion_wulfstan_feature.shtml

http://thomasfowellbuxton.org.uk/tfb/blog/2013/05/02/st-wulfstan-the-bishop-who-fought-slavery/