Welsh princess became hermit

By Tony Staley
Compass Editor

	St. Keyne When: Sixth century Where: Wales, England What: Virgin, founder of churches Feast: Oct. 8

While women usually do not have all the freedoms men enjoy, they have played an important role in the life of the church.

There was, first of all, Mary, the mother of Jesus and his first follower who provides our model for the meaning of discipleship.

Jesus had other important women followers, including Martha and Mary, Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James), Joanna and Susanna. Later, Priscilla and her husband, Aquila, assisted St. Paul in Corinth and Ephesus, before returning to Rome and providing a house church for the Christian community there.

And in 6th century Ireland, St. Brigid founded double monasteries, one for men and one for women. Over the centuries, other women have founded or been members of religious communities that have served the church through prayer, ministering to the sick and the poor, and teaching.

At the time of St. Brigid, St. Kenye or Keyna (as she's also known) also played an important role as the founder of several churches in South Wales, Cornwall, perhaps in Somerset.

Keyne was one of 12 daughters and 12 sons of the Welsh king, Brychan Brycheiniog. Keyne was beautiful and caught the eye of many young men who tried without luck to court her.

She turned them all down because she had taken a vow of consecrated virginity to God, which led the Welsh to call her Cain Wyry (Keyne the Maiden).

Next, she decided that, if she was going to devote her life to God, she should live as a hermit. So she began living in the forests at Somersetshire, England, on the left bank of the Severn River, which flows from east central Wales into the Channel of England.

But just because she chose to live a solitary life didn't mean that she stayed put. She made many trips, founding churches for people in those areas.

Eventually, her nephew, St. Cadoc, a Welsh monk and abbot, convinced her to return to Wales.

A 14th century biography about her, edited by John of Tynemouth, says that in Wales "She made for herself a habitation in a certain hillock at the roots of a certain great mountain" where a healing well appeared.

That was where she died.

The life of St. Keyne reminds us that women have and continue to play a major role in Christianity since the time of Jesus.