Our Patron | St. Edward the Confessor
Patron of difficult marriages, separated spouses, English royal family and kings
Born: 1003
Died: January 5, 1066
Canonized: By Alexander III October 13, 1161
Feast day: October 13
St. Edward was the son of Ethelred II and Emma, daughter of Duke Richard of Normandy. When barely ten years old, he was sent with his brother, Alfred, into Normandy to be brought up at the court of the duke, his uncle. The Danes, under Sweyn and his son, Canute, gained the mastery in England. After the death of Ethelred, Emma married Canute and he became King of England.
Thus Edward spent the best years of his life in exile, the crown having been settled by Canute, with Emma's consent, upon his own offspring by her. Early misfortune thus taught Edward the folly of ambition, and he grew up in innocence, delighting chiefly in assisting at Mass and the church offices, and in association with religious.
Upon Canute's death in 1035 his illegitimate son, Harold, seized the throne and Edward and his brother Alfred were persuaded to make an attempt to gain the crown, which resulted in the cruel death of Alfred who had fallen into Harold's hands, whilst Edward was obliged to return to Normandy.
In 1042, upon the death of the king, Edward was called by acclamation to the throne at the age of about 40, being welcomed even by the Danish settlers owing to his gentle saintly character. His reign was one of almost unbroken peace; the threatened invasion of Canute's son, Sweyn of Norway, was averted by the opportune attack on him by Sweyn of Denmark, and the internal difficulties occasioned by the ambition of Earl Godwin and his sons were settled without bloodshed by Edward's own gentleness and prudence.
He undertook no wars except to repel an inroad of the Welsh, and to assist Malcolm III of Scotland against Macbeth, the usurper of his throne. Being devoid of personal ambition, Edward's one aim was the welfare of his people. He remitted the odious taxes; though profuse in alms to the poor and for religious purposes, he made his own royal patrimony suffice without imposing taxes. Such was the contentment caused by "the good St. Edward's laws," that their enactment was repeatedly demanded by later generations when they felt themselves oppressed.
Yielding to the entreaty of his nobles, he accepted as his consort the virtuous Editha, Earl Godwin's daughter. Having, however, made a vow of chastity, he first required her agreement to live with him only as a sister. As he could not leave his kingdom without injury to his people, the making of a pilgrimage to St. Peter's tomb, to which he had bound himself, was commuted by the pope into the rebuilding at Westminster of St. Peter's abbey. The dedication took place a week before his death. He was buried there. St. Edward was reported to have the power to heal by touch. He was canonized by Alexander III on October 13, 1161.
The above material was taken from http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/ste03001.htm. View the site to learn more about the history of our patron saint or read more legends about St. Edward.