Birinus (c. 600 - 649/650), saint, was the first bishop of Dorchester in England and the "Apostle to the West Saxons." For other uses, see number 600. ... Events July 5 - Martin I becomes pope Arabs conquer Cyprus Reccaswinth succeeds his father Chindaswinth as king of the Visigoths. ... Events Arab conquest of Persia, establishment of Islam as state religion Hindu empire in Sumatra Croats and Serbs occupy Bosnia Khazars conquer Great Bulgarian Empire in southern Russia building of St. ... General definition of saint In general, the term Saint refers to someone who is exceptionally virtuous and holy. ... A bishop is an ordained member of the Christian clergy who holds a specific position of authority in any of a number of Christian churches. ... Dorchester is the name of two towns in England: Dorchester, Dorset (the traditional county town of Dorset) Dorchester, Oxfordshire (Dorchester-on-Thames, anciently the seat of the Bishop of Dorchester) Dorchester in Dorset was central in the organisation of the emigration of puritans to North America in the 17th century... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area  - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... Alternate meanings: See Apostle (Mormonism), The Apostle (1997 movie) The 12 Apostles (in Greek απόστολος apostolos= emissary) were probably Jewish men (10 names are Aramaic, 4 names are Greek) chosen from among the disciples, who were sent forth , by Jesus to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles, across... Wessex was one of the seven major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (the Heptarchy) that preceded the kingdom of England. ...

The commissioning of Birinus (center) by Asterius (left), from Dorchester Cathedral.

After Augustine of Canterbury performed initial conversions in England, Birinus, a Frank, came to the kingdoms of Wessex in 634. Birinus had been made bishop by Asterius in Genoa, and Pope Pope Honorius I created the commission to convert the West Saxons. In 635, he persuaded the West Saxon king, Cynegils, to allow him to preach. Cynegils was trying to create an alliance with Oswald of Northumbria, with whom he intended to fight the Mercians. At the final talks between kings, the sticking point was that Oswald, being a Christian, would not ally himself with a heathen. Cynegils then converted and was baptized, and he gave Birinus Dorchester for his episcopal see. Birinus's original commission would have entailed preaching to all parts of the West Saxon kingdom, but he remained there in Wessex. However, in Wessex, Birinus was very active in establishing churches. After Cynegil's death, the new king, Cenwalh, invited Birinus to establish a church at Westminster. He also laid the foundations for the churches at Saint Mary's in Reading and Saint Helen's in Abingdon. This article is about the figure in Greek mythology. ... Augustine of Canterbury (birth unknown, died May 26, 604 (traditional) or 605 (Thorn)) was the first Archbishop of Canterbury, sent to Ethelbert of Kent, Bretwalda of England by Pope Gregory the Great in 597. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Wessex was one of the seven major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (the Heptarchy) that preceded the kingdom of England. ... Events The Arabs invade Palestine. ... Location within Italy Flag of Genoa Christopher Columbus monument in Piazza Aquaverde Genoa (Italian Genova (jeno-vah), Genoese Zena (zaynah), French Gênes) is a city and a seaport in northern Italy, the capital of Liguria. ... The Pope is the Catholic Bishop and patriarch of Rome, and head of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches. ... Honorius I (died October 12, 638) was pope from 625 to 638. ... Events Saint Aidan founds Lindisfarne in Northumbria, England Nestorian China Births Pippin of Herstal, Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia (approximate date) 23 May - Chan Bahlum II, king of Palenque Deaths Categories: 635 ... Oswald (c. ... Mercia, sometimes spelled Mierce, was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon heptarchy, in what is now England, in the region of the Midlands, with its heart in the valley of the River Trent and its tributary streams. ... This article is about the religious people known as Christians. ... Paganism is a catch-all term which has come to bundle together (by extension from its original classical meaning of a pre-Christian religion) a very broad set of not necessarily compatible religious beliefs and practices that are usually, but not necessarily, characterized by polytheism and, less commonly, animism. ... Baptism is a water purification ritual practiced in certain religions such as Christianity, Mandaeanism, Sikhism, and some historic sects of Judaism. ... Westminster is the name of a city that covers much of central London, located to the west of the ancient City of London, and which has been the principal seat of government in England for more than nine hundred years. ... St Marys Church and market Reading is a town and unitary authority in Berkshire in England. ... Missing image Map sources for Abingdon at grid reference SU4997 Abingdon is a market town in Oxfordshire, England and is one of several places which claim to be Britains oldest continuously occupied town. ...

His feast day is December 3 in the Roman Catholic Church, but some churches celebrate his feast on December 5. The calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organising a liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with a saint, and referring to the day as the saints day of that saint. ... December 3 is the 337th (in leap years the 338th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Roman Catholic Church is the largest religious denomination of Christianity with over one billion members. ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External link

Berkshire History site with a biography of St. Birinus (http://www.berkshirehistory.com/bios/birinus.html)