Aelred of Hexham

Aelred of Hexham, Abbot of Rievaulx, is a Christian saint of noble descent who was born in Hexham, England, in 1110. His father, a (married) priest, sent Aelred to spend several years at the court of King David I of Scotland to ensure his future as a nobleman. Aelred rose to Master of the Household of the King before leaving the court to enter a Cistercian monastery at Rievaulx , in Yorkshire, in about 1134.

Aelred became Abbot of Rievaulx in 1147 and spent the remainder of his life in the monastery. At the request of his lifelong friend, Bernard of Clairvaux, the abbot wrote several influential books on spirituality, among them The Mirror of Charity , and his most famous work, Spiritual Friendship .

Aelred died on January 12, 1167, at Rievaulx.

Aelred is the patron saint of Integrity, an organization in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America of gays and lesbians and their friends. He is also patron saint of the Order of St. Aelred, a gay-friendly organization in the Philippines.