St. William of York Essay

Saint William of York William FitzHerbert, an English priest and Archbishop, was born in York, Yorkshire in the late eleventh century. Sometime in his late twenties, William was selected to be the treasurer of York, and shortly after, he was appointed to become to archdeacon of Yorkshire. Two elections took place before William was elected the archbishop; the first elected archbishop was eliminated because one of his followers bribed an official to guarantee the candidate would win. William was elected the archbishop of York in January 1141, but after many Bishops refused to consecrate him, a new election was demanded and after fourteen long years, William became the Archbishop of York in 1154. He unfortunately died within two months of his election on June 8th, 1954, Scholars believe he died because the chalice at mass was poisoned by one of the archdeacons of York, but this was never proved. Saint William of York proves to be an admirable saint because of his long-lasting perseverance throughout his disastrous lifetime and his enigmatic death. Saint William of York remains an excellent role model even hundreds of years after he lived and was canonized a saint. Throughout his traumatic lifetime, William never failed to lose hope in becoming the archbishop of York, even though it took about 14 years to actually earn the title. His perseverance is vital to his appearance as a role model because without his diligence, William would have never become the successful Archbishop he was at the end of his life. People should look up to Saint William because it appears that recently, society makes it seem okay to give up on your dreams and what you are passionate about; Saint William reminds us that if we stick to our goals, we will be rewarded. Furthermore, a few months after William was elected the Archbishop of York, he was killed in a baffling way by one of the Archdeacons of York by poisoning the chalice used in mass. This strange death is relatable to people who