Day 92 -- Saint Christina of Markyate

Today we go back about 1,000 years to find our saint...to the year 1097 when Saint Christina of Markyate was born in Huntingdon, England. She was born to nobility and at age 15 she visited Saint Albans Abbey where to made a private vow of celibacy. Her parents, however, opposed this vow and arranged for her marriage to a man named Berktred. Christina took her case to Bishop Robert Bloet. He initially sided with her, but was later bribed into changing his mind. Christina was betrothed and married against her will and spend the first years of her married life as a prisoner because she did not want to consummate the union.

A hermit named Eadwin came to her aid and she escaped and went to Flamstead where she lived two years with an anchoress named Alfwen. She moved to a hermitage at Markyate in 1118 and became the spiritual student of hermit Blessed Roger of Albans. In 1122, Burktred obtained an annulment. This and the death of Bishop Bloet in 1123 allowed Christina to return to Markyate where she lived the rest of her life.

She had a reputation of holiness and others were attracted to this and her house became a priory of nuns. She was offered the position of abbess in York, but chose to stay at Markyate.

She was a skillful needle worker and she embroidered mitres and sandals for the Pope Adrian IV. She died in 1160 in Markyate.