William FitzHerbert served as treasurer of York and was elected its archbishop in 1141, but his election was bitterly contested and he was deposed from his see. After years of quiet patience he was restored by the pope in 1153, only to die on June 8, 1154, shortly after his joyful return to York; he was canonized in 1227.
William bore injustice, false accusation, and the loss of his position without bitterness, forgiving those who had worked against him. His life shows that gentleness and patient trust in God can outlast every wrong, and that peace of heart is a greater victory than vindication.
Saint William of York, who bore every trial with patience and forgave from the heart, pray that we may meet injustice with gentleness and trust God to make all things right in his time. Amen.