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Sigfrid is said to have been born in Glastonbury, England in the second half of the 10th century. It is said that St. [[Alphege]], [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], converted him to the Christian faith. Sigfrid was an eminent priest in York who was sent by the legendary ''King Mildred'' to assist in the Christianization of Scandanavia. It is theorized that this could have been King Æthelred II the Unready.
At the behest of Olaf I Tryggvason, Sigfrid arrived in Norway in 995 with his three nephews who were Cluniac [[monks]]: Unaman the [[priest]], Sunaman the [[deacon]], and Winaman the [[subdeacon]]. There he became a court bishop for the Norwegian King. Due to the Battle of Svolder of 999-1000, Sigfrid and his nephews left for Sweden in 1002 where they founded three churches in Västergötland (West Gothland). This area was already being Christianized by the bishop Odinkar Hvite the Elder, who was based in Skara. Thus Sigfrid and his nephews went east to the region of Värend in Småland to continue their missionary efforts, erecting first a cross and then building a wooden [[Church architecture|church]] on the shores of Växjö Lake.
Soon, twelve prominent men of the area were soon brought to the Christian faith and [[baptism|baptized]] in a spring near the mountain Ostrabo. Their influence began a steady stream of pilgrims, who flocked to hear the Word of God and gaze upon Sigfrid's silken [[vestments]], gold and silver vessels, and other beautiful objects brought with him from England. In 1008, Sigfrid baptized King Olof Skötkonung in a spring near the village of Husaby. Olof Skötkonung became the first Christian King of Sweden, which marked the beginning of the Christianization of Sweden. Sigfrid next traveled north to re-establish the See of Upsala that had been founded by St. [[Ansgar]], but the reversion to paganism was too strong in the region and he left in failure. In 1014, Olof Skötkonung assisted Sigfrid in the establishment of the Diocese of Skara, which became a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Hamburg-Bremen. The first diocesan bishop, a German named Thurgaut, was consecrated by Sigrid. At this time, the diocese was comprised of "the Goth lands" Västergötland and Östergötland (East Gothland), some of Småland, and also a chunk of other surrounding counties. Sigfrid is said to have consecrated a [[vicar bishop]] for the eastern half of the diocese in the city of Linköping in Östergötland.
Entrusting the administration of Växjö to Unaman and his brothers, Sigfrid left to spread Christianity in Denmark. While he was gone, however, a local greedy nobleman Gunnar Gröpe gathered a group of pagans together to kill Sigfrid's brothers and ransack the church in Växjö. When Sigfrid returned from his mission, he found his nephews' heads in a weighed tub that was at the bottom of Lake Helgasjön near the church. The bodies were buried deep inside a forest. According to Sigfrid, the heads still possessed the ability to speak and told him the names of their murderers. Sigfrid glorified God that He allowed Unaman, Sunaman, and Winaman to become [[martyrs]]. Soon Olof Skötkonung heard of the occurrence in Växjö and offered to execute the perpetrators, which Sigfrid refused. The King also offered to extract from them weregild, which the saint also refused. This made even the laying of foundation extremely difficult for the destitute bishop, but he eventually rebuilt the church and placed inside of it the relics of his holy kin.
Sigfrid continued to preach visited Bremen in 1030 and build churches until he reposed in the Lord in 1045. His [[relics]] were place placed below the high [[altar]] of the Växjö church and performed many miracles until the shrine was dismantled after the Swedish Reformation.
==York Episcopate==
*[http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-sigfrid/ Saints.SPQN.com: Saint Sigfrid of Sweden]
*[http://theoniondome.com/2013/02/15/february-15-saints-of-the-day-onesimus-of-the-seventy-and-sigfrid-of-sweden/ The Onion Dome: February 15 Saints of the Day – Onesimus of the Seventy and Sigfrid of Sweden]
*[http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigfrid_(mission%C3%A4r) Wikipedia: Sigfrid (missionär)] In (Swedish)
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigfrid_of_Sweden Wikipedia: Sigfrid of Sweden]
*[http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Husaby Husabyvägen] In (Swedish)
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winaman Wikipedia: Winaman]
*[http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunnar_Gr%C3%B6pe Wikipedia: Gunnar Gröpe] In (Swedish)
*[http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=2150 Catholic Online: St. Winaman]
*[http://www.sweden.orthodoxy.ru/old/Engelska/hagiography_en/st_sigfrid_of_sweden_en.html Russian Orthodox Church in Sweden: Saint Sigfrid of Växjö, Apostle of Sweden and its patron saint]
*[http://www.orthodoxengland.org.uk/saintss.htm Orthodox Europe: Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome]
*[http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0215.shtml#sigf St. Patrick Catholic Church: Saint of the Day: February 15]
*[http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olof_Sk%C3%B6tkonung#Olof_Sk.C3.B6tkonungs_avs.C3.A4ttning_och_sista_.C3.A5r Wikipedia: Olof Skötkonung] In (Swedish)
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olaf_Tryggvason Wikipedia: Olaf I of Norway]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diocese_of_Skara Wikipedia: Diocese of Skara]
*[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/16074b.htm New Advent: Ancient See of Skara]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adalbert_of_Hamburg Wikipedia: Adalbert of Hamburg]
*[http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thurgot Wikipedia: Thurgot] In (Swedish)
*[http://www.nyrups.dk/Historie/Gorm/Erobreren.htm Medieval Studies > IX. King Gorm Saga > IV. Gorm the Conqueror]
*[http://kampgruppe-engel.blogspot.com/2013/03/gunnar-grope.html Kampgruppe Engel: Gunnar Gröpe]
*[http://commonplacebookofsaints.blogspot.com/2010/02/sigge-st-sigfrid-of-vaxjo.html A Commonplace Book of Saints: Sigge: St. Sigfrid of Växjö]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ealdwulf_(archbishop_of_York) Wikipedia: Ealdwulf (archbishop of York)]
*[http://www.osh.ru/pedia/religion/hristian/st/st-sigufridu.shtml Святой Зигфрид Шведский, епископ - покровитель Швеции (вместе с Олафом)] {{ru icon}}
==External link==
*[http://orthodoxengland.org.uk/servsigf.htm Commemoration of Our Father among the Saints Sigfrid, Bishop of Växjö, Enlightener of Sweden & Norway, & the Holy Martyrs Unaman the Priest, Sunaman the Deacon & Vinaman the Subdeacon] Composed by [[Reader]] [[Isaac Lambertson]]
[[Category:Bishops]]
