Saint Tetha

Tetha (; ), also known as Teath , Tecla, In 1878, it was held on the movable feast of Whit Tuesday. 6 September, and (mistakenly) 15 January. or Catholic church in Wales.

Name and identity Early Latin records give the companion of Breaca and patron of St Teath the name Tecla, The editor of the Bollandists' mention of the saint (Acta Sanctorum, Vol.) LX, Octobris, Vol. XII, "De SS. Ia et Breaca Virginibus Eorumque Comitibus Uni, Sinino, Elwino, Maruano, Germocho,Crewenna, Helena, Thecla seu Etha, Gwithian et Gwinnear seu Wymero, in Cornubia Britannica", pp. 293 ff. Imprimerie Polleunis, Ceuterick, & Lefébure (Brussels), 1886. Cited in Bartrum. which some have considered a corruption of "Itha". This in turn has led to the saint becoming confused and conflated with the Irish saint Íde of Killeedy. Tethe, &c. making her the sister of numerous other saints in Wales and Cornwall. She is listed among Saint Breaca's companions, who missionized Cornwall from Ireland around AD 460, by Leland and William of Worcester. Unlike some of her companions, she does not seem to have been martyred by Tewdwr Mawr, the hostile king of Penwith. (Note, however, that Borlase was of the opinion that the saint's name had been inserted in the list of Breaca's companions by mistake. )

Legacy A church of 'St Tecla' is attested in St Teath as early as 1201. largely consists of 15th-century improvements to a Norman original. It is listed as a Grade I protected building.