Birinus | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Dorchester | |
 Stained glass window of Birinus at Dorchester Abbey | |
| Appointed | before 634 |
| Term ended | 3 December 649 |
| Predecessor | diocese established |
| Successor | Agilbertus |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | by Asterius of Milan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 600 |
| Died | 3 December 649 or 650 Dorchester, Wessex (England) |
| Sainthood | |
| Feast day | 3 December (Catholic) 4 September (Anglican) |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church Anglican Communion |
| Attributes | Bishop, sometimes baptising a king |
| Patronage | Berkshire; Dorchester |
| Shrines | Dorchester Abbey, now destroyed. Small parts survive. Modern replica now in place. (Or Winchester Cathedral, now destroyed.) |
Birinus (also Berin, Birin; c. 600 – 3 December 649 or 650) was the first Bishop of Dorchester[1] and was known as the "Apostle to the West Saxons" for his conversion of the Kingdom of Wessex to Christianity. He is venerated as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and Anglican churches.
- ^ Powicke & Fryde 1961, p. 219.