The Patron Saint of our school is St Edward the Confessor whose Feast Day is celebrated on 13th October each year.
Edward the Confessor was born in Islip, near Oxford, probably in 1005. He was the son of King Ethelred the Unready and his Norman queen, Emma. He became King of England in 1042. Edward had vowed to make a pilgrimage to St Peter's in Rome if he managed to return safely to his kingdom however he found it impossible to leave his subjects to make the pilgrimage to Rome.
The Pope released him from his vow on the condition he founded a monastery and dedicated it to St Peter. In accordance with the Pope's wishes, Edward built a new cathedral in Norman style to replace the Saxon church at Westminster. The cathedral became known as Westminster Abbey.
Edward the Confessor was an enigmatic figure who was believed to have the power to heal. He began the royal custom of touching ill people to cure them. The tradition continued for nearly 700 years until the reign of Queen Anne.
Edward the Confessor died on January 5 1066. He was made a saint in 1161 and his body was translated to a shrine at Westminster Abbey in 1163.
Today Edward the Confessor is the only major English saint whose body is still in its shrine.