Holy Virgin Erfyl of Llanerfyl

St Erfyls Church, Llanerfyl, Powys

The sixth of July in the Orthodox Church is the feast-day of Saint Erfyl, a holy virgin of Powys, possibly from the Welsh age of saints, who founded the church at Llanerfyl and is commemorated there. She is featured in Orthodox iconography as well.

Little is known about the life of Saint Erfyl [also Eurfyl, Vrfyl or Urvul], except that she founded this church and is supposed to have been buried in the churchyard there. A misreading of a memorial stone (the Rustica Stone) in the church yard has led the Welsh genealogists to attempt to connect her to Saint Padern and Saint Cadfan. She is attested in several local calendars, which keep her feast day as either the fifth or the sixth of July, and celebrate the day as ‘Gwyl Erfyl Santes’.

She has a holy well within the churchyard. There is also an ancient yew with four distinct trunks growing some four hundred yards west of the church which is said to be grown from the staff of Erfyl, which the saintly virgin planted in the ground. Little else is known of this local holy Welsh lass. Holy virgin Erfyl, foundress of Llanerfyl, pray unto Christ our God that our souls may be saved!

Saint Erfyl’s Yew