Born in 1008 in Long Itchington, Warwickshire, Wulstan was named after his uncle, who was both Bishop of Worcester and Archbishop of York. Wulstan entered the secular priesthood, but was soon drawn to the monastic life.

Wulstan entered the community at Worcester Cathedral, and in 1055 was appointed prior, emphasising the virtues of austerity of life.  In 1062, he was appointed Bishop of Worcester. He was one of very few Saxon bishops to survive in office after the Norman conquest of 1066, and used his position to foster English spiritual and religious values in Anglo-Norman England.

His great strength was as a pastor, imposing high standards of conduct on clergy and laity alike, and repeatedly preaching the need for peace and reconciliation to congregations whose interests were affected by the Norman invasion. He preached energetically against the slave trade, which operated out of Bristol and was largely successful in stopping it. In the absence of a surviving English aristocracy, Wulstan seems to have gradually assumed a patriarchal role for the English population.

Wulstan died on 20th January 1095 and was canonised by Innocent III in 1203. He quickly became the focus of particular devotion by monarchs. King John adopted him as his patron during his quarrel with the pope, and insisted that he should be buried next to Wulfstan in Worcester Cathedral.

In later centuries, he has been adopted as the patron saint of vegetarians, having studiously avoided meat, after he endured agonising distractions from prayer from the smell of a goose cooking nearby.

The Feast of St Wulstan is kept on the 19th January.

​Father,
you gave to the people of Worcester
Bishop Wulstan, as a true shepherd of your flock.
He went from place to place strengthening faith,
encouraging hope and inspiring love.
May we who honour his memory
always have the help of his prayers.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

• Worcester Cathedral welcomes pilgrims!
• As well as being a Cathedral Worcester was - until the Reformation - a monastic house too. Reminders of the Benedectin priory can be seen in the Cathedral grounds, in the Cloisters, quire, and chapter house, and in the former refectory (now part of the King's School). 
• The shrine of St Wulstan, along with that of St Oswald, formerly in the Cathedral was destroyed at the Reformation. However small images of both saints were carved on the tomb of King John, and remain to this day. 
• To mark the Millennium year 2000 the Cathedral commissioned a window by Catholic artist Mark Cazalet. The window illustrates the birth of Jesus, his healings and teachings, together with episodes from the history of Christianity in Worcester - including the ministry of St Wusltan and the martyrdom of St John Wall.  The window is in the Cathedral's cloister.
• The crypt of Worcester Cathedral dates back to the time of Wulstan, and is all that remains of the Norman rebuilding of the Cathedral. A lovely place for quiet prayer, it also includes a small historical display about the istory of the Cathedral - including the remnants of the boots of a medieval pilgrim!
• The Cathedral's library and archive traces its history back to Anglo-Saxon times. Its collection comprises 298 medieval manuscripts, 6600 post-medieval books and 19,000 archive documents. Visits to the library are able to be booked via its website.
• The Commandery, a short walk from the Cathedral, began life as a medieval monastic hospital, founded by the Templars. It includes a remarkable painted chamber containing religious medieval wall paintings including the Throne of Mercy, and the martyrdoms of St Thomas Becket and Erasmus. It also contains a museum display explaining the events of the CIvil War Battle of Worcester. It is well worth a visit. 
• A short drive from the centre of Worcester is Red Hill and the site of the martyrdom of Saint John Wall and Blessed Edward Oldcorne. 

Photographs from Worcester Cathedral (c) 2026, Allen Morris.

St Wulstan preaching, and washing the feet of the poor

St Wusltan freeing slaves

Saint Wulstan and King John