Home  Kalendar  Program  History  Our Vicar  Pictures  Links  Shopping  Video  News   Worship... Baptism Divine Mercy Holy Eucharist Lectionary Mass, about Rosary ------------------- Calendar Church Year Liturgical Colors Advent Christmas Epiphany Lent Holy Week Easter Ordianry Time   Resources... Apostle's Creed Articles of Religion Athanasian Creed Lambeth 1886 1888 Natures of Christ Nicene Creed Preface 1st BCP Ten Commandments ---------------------- Apostles Books of the Bible Glossary Resource Page Sacraments Saints (Alpha) Saints (Patron) Sign of the Cross Vestments
 

George Herbert, Priest, 1633
27 February

George Herbert was born in 1593, a cousin of the Earl of Pembroke. His mother was a friend of the poet John Donne. George attended Trinity College, Cambridge, and became the Public Orator of the University, responsible for giving speeches of welcome in Latin to famous visitors, and writing letters of thanks, also in Latin, to acknowledge gifts of books for the University Library. This brought him to the attention of King James I, who granted him an annual allowance, and seemed likely to make him an ambassador. However, in 1625 the king died, and George Hebert, who had originally gone to college with the intention of becoming a priest, but had head turned by the prospect of a career at Court, determined anew to seek ordination. In 1626 he was ordained, and became vicar and then rector of the parish of Bemerton and neighboring Fugglestone, not far from Salisbury.

He served faithfully as a parish priest, diligently visiting his parishioners and bringing them the sacraments when they were ill, and food and clothing when they were in want. He read Morning and Evening Prayer daily in the church, encouraging the congregation to join him when possible, and ringing the church bell before each service so that those who could not come might hear it and pause in their work to join their prayers with his. He used to go once a week to Salisbury to hear Evening Prayer sung there in the cathedral. On one occasion he was late because he had met a man whose horse had fallen with a heavy load, and he stopped, took off his coat, and helped the man to unload the cart, get the horse back on its feet, and then reload the cart. His spontaneous generosity and good will won him the affection of his parishioners.

Today, however, he is remembered chiefly for his book of poems, The Temple, which he sent shortly before his death to his friend Nicholas Ferrar, to publish if he thought them suitable. They were published after Herbert's death, and have influenced the style of other poets, including Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Several of them have been used as hymns, in particular "Teach me, my God and King," and "Let all the world in every corner sing."
 

© 2005-08 Saint Matthew's Church
Biblical † Orthodox † Anglo-Catholic
Established 1886
Some pages require Adobe Reader
Contact the Webmaster