- Also known as Ailred, Ælred, and Æthelred
- Birth: 1110 at Hexham
- Died 1167 at Rievaulx
- Buried: Rievaulx Abbey chapter house
- Feast Day: 12 January
- Symbol: An abbot holding a book
- Patron saint of Friendship, integrity, and LGBTQ
St Aelred of Rievaulx (sometimes known as St Ethelred) was a Norman abbot of Rievaulx Abbey in Yorkshire. Aelred was widely known as a writer, among whose most important works was a biography of Edward the Confessor. Much of what we know about Aelred is from an account of his life written shortly after his death by Walter Daniel.
Aelred was born in 1110 in Hexham, Northumberland. His father was Eilaf, a priest at Hexham, and his grandfather, also named Eilaf, served as the treasurer of Durham. Aelred was likely educated at the cathedral school in Durham and seems to have been influenced by Lawrence of Durham, a monk at the cathedral priory.
Aelred spent many years in the service of King David of Scotland, attending David's court at Roxburgh. Sadly, Aelred suffered from depression, and he left the royal court in 1134 and became a Cistercian monk at Rievaulx Abbey, near Helmsley in Yorkshire.
He rose up through church ranks, serving as an intermediary in negations to transfer Wark-on-Tweed Castle to King David, and in 1142 he was part of a delegation of church officials who travelled to Rome to protest the appointment of Henry de Sully as Archbishop of York.
In 1143 Aelred was named the abbot of Revesby Abbey in Lincolnshire, but just four years later, in 1147, he was selected as abbot of Rievaulx. He remained as abbot until his death in 1167.
Aelred is credited with convincing Henry II to support the appointment of Pope Alexander III in 1159.
He suffered from ill-health in his later years and ended his life in a special dwelling built for him near the monastic infirmary.
Aelred was never canonised but his reputation, particularly in the north of England, meant that he was venerated as a saint. This status was officially recognised by the Cistercian order in 1476. A gilded shrine was erected at Rievaulx and became the destination for pilgrims.
Aelred the Author
Aelred was a prolific writer, authoring several books on spirituality and seven more on history, including three dedicated to Henry II. Of these historical works, he is best known for his biography of King Edward the Confessor.
His most influential work was De spirituali amicitia ('On spiritual friendship'), which emphasised human friendship and love in the monastic life as a path to experiencing divine love. In recent times his writing has gained popularity in gay circles and it has been suggested by some writers that Aelred was homosexual, in inclination if not in deed. This growing reputation in gay circles led to Aelred becoming thought of as the patron saint of LGBTQ people.
