St. Edward the Confessor was one of the great kings of England. Because he is the patron saint of University founder Father Edward Sorin, C.S.C., his feast day has traditionally been a day of celebration for Notre Dame.

Edward the Confessor’s name reflects less his own piety or status as a sacramental minister than the fact that he is a saint who did not suffer martyrdom. In ancient Christian tradition, saints were those who had been martyred for Christ. As Christianity grew, and local persecutions did not define sainthood as much, different titles were given to saints to designate their particular path to holiness. Confessors were those whose lives confessed the creed in a nonviolent manner.

Edward is a particularly prominent saint, as he was the last Anglo-Saxon king before the Norman conquest of England, which happened during the reign of his successor.

Edward was the seventh son of King Æthelred the Unready, and the first son of Æthelred’s second wife, Emma of Normandy. Edward was born between 1003 and 1005 in Oxfordshire, England.

When Edward was a child, England was plagued by Viking raids. A Viking chieftain, Sweyn, seized the English throne in 1013, causing several decades of turmoil and fighting. Sweyn’s son took over the throne and married Edward’s mother Emma, subsequently banishing Edward and his brothers. Edward was exiled most likely to Normandy but finally returned to England in 1042, invited back to take up the English throne. He was crowned king of England in 1043 in Winchester Cathedral. Winchester was the seat of the Saxon kings before Westminster Abbey, which, incidentally, Edward began the construction of. Westminster Abbey is a beautiful example of Norman Romanesque architecture, and it exhibits the Norman sensibilities of Edward, who spent large amounts of time in exile in Normandy.

Edward the Confessor was the first Anglo-Saxon and the only English king to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. There is considerable dispute over whether his canonization was politically motivated, or whether his cult grew from devoted Englishmen and women who truly loved King Edward. Edward has long been a patron saint of England, before finally being replaced by Saint George. 

Edward died of an illness in 1066, and his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica. St. Edward’s Hall, a men’s residence hall on campus, is named after this English king because he was the patron saint of Father Edward Sorin, C.S.C., founder of the University. The stained glass window above comes from the chapel in St. Edward's hall, and this statue of St. Edward stands in the courtyard in front; he holds a model of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in his hand.

Today marks Founder’s Day for the University of Notre Dame, as it is the celebration of Edward Sorin's "name day," i.e., the feast of the saint after whom he is named. In Notre Dame's earlier years, classes were canceled and the day was marked by games, performances, and a large feast. Today the University commemorates Founder’s Day with a special Mass in the Basilica, celebrated by the university president. For more about the history of Founder’s Day, watch the video below.

Whether or not King Edward was “saintly,” as popular imagination defines it, does not diminish his extraordinary legacy in the building of Westminster Abbey. Westminster has been a home for countless English Catholics and Christians for nearly a millennium. It has been a home for pilgrims seeking a space to pray, beautiful liturgy, and heavenly music.

Much like his namesake Edward, Fr. Edward Sorin was also known for a rather prickly temperament—not a particularly “saintly” disposition. Fr. Edward Sorin, like Edward the Confessor, founded a place that became much larger than the cult of his own personality, which became a place for prayer, learning, and growth, that has been a source of grace for countless visitors and students for almost two hundred years.

St. Edward the Confessor, patron saint of Father Edward Sorin—pray for us!