Saint Faith - Geddington, Northamptonshire
This is a medieval monumental brass depicting Saint Faith (also known as Saint Foy) is part of the John Mulsho and wife monument at Geddington, Northamptonshire. The brass is in the shape of a cross fleury (a cross with floriated ends), with quatrefoil terminals on each arm. At the center is a finely engraved figure of Saint Faith holding a sword and gridiron.1 She is dressed in long robes and surrounded by intricate Gothic tracery and foliage designs.
Born in Agen, Aquitaine, Saint Faith was a young girl, likely in her teens, when she was arrested during the Roman persecutions under Emperor Diocletian. She refused to renounce her Christian faith and was reportedly tortured and burned alive for her beliefs. Because of her steadfastness, she became a symbol of courage and purity.
She is the patron saint of pilgrims and prisoners, and sometimes invoked by those seeking courage or justice. Her relics were translated to Conques (in southern France) in the 9th century, where the Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy became a major pilgrimage site on the Camino de Santiago route. The church at Conques is also famous for its gold reliquary statue of Saint Foy, one of the masterpieces of Romanesque art.
- 1.
The Brasses Of England New York EP Dutton and Company 1907.p79.
