Saint Dunstan was one of the greatest saints of the Anglo-Saxon Church and a pivotal figure in the history of medieval England. Born around the turn of the 10th century near Glastonbury, Dunstan's life was marked by his deep piety, intellectual brilliance, and influential role in both the Church and the state.
As a young man, he was skilled in many crafts, including metalwork, bell-making, and organ-building. Dunstan's talents caught the attention of King Athelstan, who brought him to court, but his enemies there soon turned the king against him, leading to Dunstan's exile. He was wrongfully accused of partaking in the dark arts and witchcraft. When he was exiled, his enemies beat and bound him and threw him into a sewage pit. Miraculously, he was able to crawl out and made his way to the house of a friend. From there he was able to enter into the service of his kinsman, the Bishop of Winchester.
His bishop eventually convinced him to become a monk, and Dunstan rose quickly through the ranks, becoming Abbot of Glastonbury and then Bishop of Worcester and London. When King Eadgar came to power in 959, he recalled Dunstan and appointed him Archbishop of Canterbury, granting him influence over his entire kingdom.
As Archbishop, Dunstan spearheaded a program of ecclesiastical reform, working closely with the king to revive monastic life, enforce clerical celibacy, and improve the education and conduct of the clergy. Under their leadership, England experienced a period of unprecedented peace and prosperity. Dunstan's crowning achievement was the solemn coronation of King Eadgar at Bath in 973, which cemented the alliance between the Church and the Crown.
Dunstan's later years were marked by continued service to the Church and the kingdom. He is said to have had visions of angels and to have performed miracles, including the legendary story of his confrontation with the devil, whom he drove away with a pair of red-hot tongs. Another story relates how Dunstan nailed a horseshoe to the Devil's foot when he was asked to re-shoe the Devil's cloven hoof. This caused the Devil great pain, and Dunstan only agreed to remove the shoe and release the Devil after he promised never to enter a place where a horseshoe is over the door. This is claimed as the origin of the lucky horseshoe.
Dunstan died in 988 and was quickly venerated as a beloved saint (Canonized in 1029), with his feast day established throughout England. He remained a popular patron, especially among goldsmiths, until the Reformation. As a skilled statesman, reformer, and spiritual leader, Dunstan left an unforgettable mark on his age, earning him a place among the most revered saints of the Anglo-Saxon Church.
St. Dunstan, pray for us.
St. Thomas Becket, pray for us.
St. Thomas More, pray for us.