Who Was St Dunstan, the Cathedral’s Patron?

Who was St. Dunstan, the Cathedral’s patron?  His image is seen prominently on the ceiling and his statue is located high in the center of the altar screen. 

St. Dunstan was an English Catholic priest and bishop who lived in the 10th century.  He was a scholar, statesman, and advisor to kings and nobles.  St. Dunstan became  the Abbot of Glastonbury Abbey, a Bishop of London, and an Archbishop of Canterbury. He established over 50 monasteries.   He was an illustrator, a musician, and a skilled metalworker. St. Dunstan was canonized for his piety, devotion to learning, and dedication to the Church.  He is one of the most popular saints in England having gained fame for the many stories of his greatness and holiness.

English literature contains references to him, for example in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, and in this folk rhyme which reads: St Dunstan, as the story goes, once pull’d the devil by the nose, with red-hot tongs, which made him roar, that he was heard three miles or more.

We have St. Dunstan to thank for the origin of the lucky horseshoe.  The folklore recounts how Dunstan nailed a horseshoe to the Devil’s hoof, causing him great pain.  Dunstan only agreed to remove the shoe after the devil promised to never enter a place where a horseshoe is hung over the door.

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