Chad of Mercia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chad |
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| Bishop of Northumbria | |
Stained glass depiction from Holy Cross Monastery, West Park, New York
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| Appointed | 664 |
| Reign ended | 669 |
| Predecessor | Paulinus |
| Successor | Wilfrid |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | 664 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Unknown, but most likely in the 620s. Northumbria |
| Died | 2 March 672 Lichfield, Staffordshire |
| Buried | Lichfield Cathedral |
| Sainthood | |
| Feast day | 2 March |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church Anglican Communion Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Attributes | Bishop, holding a triple-spired cathedral (Lichfield) |
| Patronage | Mercia; Lichfield |
| Shrines | Grave and shrine tower was discovered in 2003 under the east end of Lichfield Cathedral nave.
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Chad (died 2 March 672) was an important Anglo-Saxon monk and church leader in the 600s. He was an abbot (head of a monastery) and later became a bishop in different parts of England. After he died, people knew him as a saint.
Chad was the brother of Bishop Cedd, who was also a saint. The famous writer Bede wrote a lot about Chad. Chad and Bishop Wilfrid of Ripon helped bring Christianity to the Mercian kingdom.
Contents
Chad's Early Life and Learning
His Family
Chad was one of four brothers who were all active in the Anglo-Saxon church. His brothers were Cedd, Cynibil, and Caelin. Chad seemed to be younger than Cedd. He became important about ten years after Cedd.
It is likely that Chad and his brothers came from important families in Northumbria. They had strong connections with the leaders there. Interestingly, the name Chad comes from an old British (Celtic) word. It means "battle" and was used in the names of many Welsh princes.
His Education
Bede tells us that Chad studied with Aidan at the Celtic monastery in Lindisfarne. Bede said that Chad's way of serving God was like Aidan's and his brother Cedd's. Cedd also studied with Aidan.
Aidan came from Iona in 635 to start a monastery at the request of King Oswald of Northumbria. Aidan died in 651. So, Chad must have studied at Lindisfarne sometime between these years.
Travels and Study in Ireland
Chad is thought to have finished his education in Ireland as a monk. He became a priest after this. Bede does not say this directly. One of his friends in Ireland was Egbert of Ripon. Egbert was also from a noble family in Northumbria.
Bede says that Chad and Egbert were among English scholars who went to Ireland. They went to Rath Melsigi, an Anglo-Saxon monastery in County Carlow, to study more. The monks in Ireland were very kind. They taught the English scholars, fed them, and even let them use their valuable books for free. This was very generous because books were all copied by hand back then.
In 664, a terrible plague hit. Egbert, who was 25, barely survived, but all his friends died. By this time, Chad had already left Ireland. He went to help his brother Cedd start the monastery of Lastingham in Yorkshire.
Starting the Lastingham Monastery
King Oswiu of Northumbria asked his nephew, Œthelwald, to look after the coastal area of Deira. Chad's brother, Cælin, was a chaplain at Œthelwald's court. Cælin suggested that Ethelwald give land to build a monastery at Lastingham. This place was near Pickering in the North York Moors. It was also close to an old Roman road. Caelin introduced Ethelwold to Cedd. The monastery became a base for Cedd, who was a missionary bishop in Essex.
Bede says that Cedd "fasted strictly" to make the land holy. On the thirtieth day of his forty-day fast, he had to leave for important business. Cynibil, another of his brothers, finished the fast for the last ten days. This shows how close the brothers were to Northumbria's royal family. Lastingham was clearly meant to be a family base.
Cedd became sick with the plague and died in 664. Chad then took over as the abbot (head) of the monastery.
Chad as Abbot of Lastingham
Chad first became a church leader in 664. This was shortly after the Synod of Whitby. Many church leaders had died from the plague, including Cedd. When his older brother died, Chad became the abbot.
Bede tells us about a man named Owin (Owen). He came to Lastingham in ragged clothes, carrying an axe. Owin had been a servant for Æthelthryth, a princess who married King Oswiu's son. Owin decided to give up his old life and work with his hands. He became one of Chad's closest friends.
Chad believed strongly in the idea of the "last things" (like judgment day). This affected others. One of his students, Trumbert, remembered that Chad would stop reading whenever a strong wind blew. He would pray to God to have mercy on people. If the storm got worse, he would close his book and lie down to pray. During long storms, he would go into the church to pray and sing psalms until it was calm again. His monks thought this was a very strong reaction. Chad explained that God sends storms to remind people of judgment day and to make them humble.
Becoming Bishop of the Northumbrians
The Need for a Bishop
Bede writes a lot about the Synod of Whitby in 663/4. This meeting decided that the Northumbrian Church would follow Roman customs. Cedd helped a lot at the synod because he could speak many languages.
Many church leaders died from the plague shortly after the synod, including Cedd. The plague hit the church leaders hard. Most bishops in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms died. Colmán, the bishop of the Northumbrians, left for Scotland after the synod. Tuda took his place but died soon after.
Wilfrid's Mission
The first choice to replace Tuda was Wilfrid. He strongly supported the Roman ways. Because of the plague, there were not enough bishops (three were needed) to ordain him in England. So, Wilfrid went to the Frankish Kingdom of Neustria to be ordained. This was King Alfrid's idea. Wilfrid met his teacher, Agilbert, who was a bishop in Paris. Agilbert arranged for Wilfrid to be ordained by several bishops. Bede says Wilfrid stayed abroad for some time after his ordination.
Chad Becomes Bishop
Bede suggests that King Oswiu decided to act because Wilfrid was away longer than expected. It is not clear if Oswiu changed his mind about Wilfrid or just thought he would not return.
Chad was then asked by King Oswiu to become bishop of the Northumbrians. Chad is often called a Bishop of York, but he was more likely the Bishop of Northumbria. Bede usually uses names for people, not places, for early Anglo-Saxon bishops. However, Bede does mention Oswiu wanting Chad to be bishop of the church in York. York later became an important church city. Oswiu clearly wanted Chad to be bishop over all the Northumbrian people, even over Wilfrid.
Chad had the same problem as Wilfrid: he needed to be ordained. So, he traveled to find bishops to ordain him. Bede says he first went to Canterbury, but the archbishop there had died. The journey seems strange because the archbishop had died three years earlier. Chad then traveled to Wessex. There, he was ordained by bishop Wini of the West Saxons and two British (Welsh) bishops. None of these bishops were recognized by Rome.
Bede describes Chad as someone who "diligently performed in deed what he had learnt in the Scriptures should be done." Chad taught the values of Aidan and Cedd. He traveled constantly. Bede says Chad visited towns, countryside, villages, and houses to preach the Gospel. He was like a prophet or missionary. Bishops usually performed baptism and confirmation. For many years, these were often done in large ceremonies.
Chad Steps Down
Around 666, Wilfrid returned from Neustria. Bede says he brought "many rules of Catholic observance." He found Chad already in the bishop's position. Wilfrid did not seem to challenge Chad directly in his area. Instead, he worked to gain support in other monasteries. He did, however, act as a bishop by ordaining priests in Mercia and even Kent. Bede says that because of Wilfrid, the Irish monks in Northumbria either followed Catholic practices or went home.
In 669, a new Archbishop of Canterbury, Theodore of Tarsus, arrived in England. He was sent by Pope Vitalian. Theodore immediately traveled around the country. He told Chad to step down and Wilfrid to take over. Bede says Theodore was very impressed by Chad's humility. He confirmed Chad's ordination as a bishop but still insisted he leave his position. Chad accepted this gracefully. He returned to his job as abbot of Lastingham. Wilfrid then became bishop of the Northumbrians at York.
Bishop of the Mercians
Called Back to Serve
Later that same year, King Wulfhere of Mercia asked for a bishop. Wulfhere and his brothers had become Christian. Their father, Penda, had remained a pagan until his death. Penda had allowed bishops in Mercia, but none had fully established the Church without royal support.
Archbishop Theodore refused to make a new bishop. Instead, he called Chad out of his retirement at Lastingham. Bede says Theodore was very impressed by Chad's humility and holiness. Chad showed this by refusing to ride a horse. He insisted on walking everywhere. Even though Theodore respected Chad, he ordered him to ride on long journeys. Theodore even lifted him into the saddle once.
Chad was made bishop of the Mercians (people living near the border) and the Lindsey people (Lindisfaras). Bede says Chad was actually the third bishop chosen by Wulfhere. This made him the fifth bishop of the Mercians. The Kingdom of Lindsey was in the north-eastern part of modern Lincolnshire. It was under Mercian control. Later lists of bishops sometimes add the Middle Angles to his responsibilities. These were a separate part of the Mercian kingdom, around Tamworth, Lichfield, and Repton.
New Monasteries
With King Wulfhere's support, Chad started many monasteries. The site at Lichfield was chosen as the center for the new Mercian diocese. Archbishop Theodore made Chad Bishop of Mercia in 669. The church at Lichfield was similar to Lastingham. Bede said that monks from Lastingham, including Chad's loyal friend Owin, helped staff it. Lichfield was very close to the old Roman road of Watling Street, which was a main route across Mercia.
Wulfhere also gave Chad land for a monastery at Barrow upon Humber in North Lincolnshire. Chad remained abbot of Lastingham throughout his life. He also led the communities at Lichfield and Barrow.
Working in Mercia
Chad then did a lot of missionary and pastoral work in the kingdom. Bede says Chad led the bishopric of the Mercians and Lindsey people "in the manner of the ancient fathers and in great perfection of life." However, Bede gives few details about Chad's work in Mercia. He implies it was similar to what he did in Northumbria. The area he covered was very large, stretching across England from coast to coast. Much of it was difficult land, with forests and marshes.
Bede does say that Chad built a small house at Lichfield. It was a short distance from the church. It was big enough for his group of seven or eight brothers. They gathered there to pray and study with him when he was not traveling.
Chad worked in Mercia and Lindsey for only two and a half years before he died during a plague. Yet, St. Bede wrote that Mercia became Christian and Essex was brought back to the faith by the two brothers, Cedd and Chad. This means Bede believed Chad's two years as bishop were very important for making Mercia Christian.
Chad's Death
Chad died on 2 March 672. He was buried near the Church of Saint Mary, which later became part of the cathedral at Lichfield. Bede tells the story of Chad's death as if he was already seen as a saint. Bede had always shown that Chad's holiness was recognized by others, even by Theodore. The story of his death was very important to Bede. It confirmed Chad's holiness.
Bede wrote that Owin was working outside the prayer room at Lichfield. Inside, Chad was studying alone because the other monks were in church. Suddenly, Owin heard joyful singing coming from heaven. It came closer until it filled the roof of the prayer room. Then there was silence for half an hour. After that, the singing went back the way it came. Owin did nothing at first. About an hour later, Chad called him in and told him to get the seven brothers from the church. Chad gave his last speech to the brothers. He told them to keep the monastic rules they had learned. Only after this did he tell them that he knew his death was near. He called death "that friendly guest who is used to visiting the brethren." He asked them to pray, then blessed them and sent them away. The brothers left, sad.
Owin returned a little later and spoke to Chad privately. He asked about the singing. Chad told him to keep it a secret for now. Angels had come to call him to heaven, and in seven days, they would return to get him. So, Chad became weaker and died after seven days, on 2 March. This is still his feast day. Bede wrote that: "he had always looked forward to this day, or rather his mind had always been on the Day of the Lord." Many years later, his old friend Egbert told a visitor that someone in Ireland had seen the heavenly group coming for Chad's soul and returning with it to heaven. Cedd was with the heavenly group.
Bede's story of Chad's death strongly confirms the main ideas of his life. He was mainly a monastic leader. He was deeply involved with the small groups of loyal brothers who helped him in his mission. He thought a lot about the "last things" and their meaning. Finally, he was always connected with Cedd and his other brothers.
Honoring Saint Chad
Chad is considered a saint in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Eastern Orthodox churches. His feast day is celebrated on 2 March.
According to St. Bede, people honored Chad as a saint right after he died. His relics (parts of his body or belongings) were moved to a new shrine. He remained important for healing throughout the Middle Ages. People focused on his tomb and especially his skull, which was kept in a special chapel.
After the Reformation, his relics were moved many times. In 1841, some bones believed to be Chad's were placed in the new St Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham. In 1985, scientists used carbon-dating to test six bones. All but one were from the seventh century. The Vatican said they were 'true relics'. Every year, a special Mass and procession of the relics are held at St Chad's Cathedral in Birmingham.
In November 2022, one bone relic was returned to Lichfield Cathedral. It is now in a new shrine. Lichfield Cathedral is an important place for pilgrims (people on a religious journey).
Chad is remembered in the Church of England and the Episcopal Church on 2 March.
Pictures of Saint Chad
There are no pictures or descriptions of St Chad from his own time. The only hint is the story of Theodore lifting him onto a horse. This might suggest he was remembered as being small.
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"Saint Chad", a stained glass window by Christopher Whall. It is at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
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A sculpture of St Chad from St Chad's Church, Lichfield, Staffordshire, made in 1930.
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A sculpture of St. Chad unveiled in 2021 outside Lichfield Cathedral.
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Places Named After Saint Chad
Churches
Chad's name is given to Birmingham's Roman Catholic cathedral. This cathedral has some of the saint's relics (about eight long bones). It is the only cathedral in England that has its patron saint's relics on its main altar. The Anglican Lichfield Cathedral, where he was buried, is dedicated to Chad and St Mary. It still has a head chapel, where the saint's skull was kept until it was lost during the Reformation.
Chad also gives his name to a parish church in Lichfield. This church has Chad's Well, where people believe Chad baptized converts.
Many churches named after Chad are in the West Midlands. For example, Wolverhampton has two Anglican churches and an Academy named after Chad. The nearby village of Pattingham has both an Anglican church and a primary school. There are also churches in Church Wilne in Derbyshire, Far Headingley in Leeds, Rochdale, and Haggerston in London. Some churches in other countries, like Chelsea in Australia, are also named after him.
St Chad's College is part of the University of Durham. It was founded in 1904. In Canada, St Chad's Chapel and College was built in 1918 in Regina. It is now a protected historic building.
Place Names
Chadkirk Chapel in Romiley, Greater Manchester, may have been dedicated to St Chad. The chapel dates back to the 1300s, but the site is much older. People believe St Chad visited there in the 600s to bless a well.
St Chad's Well near Battle Bridge on the River Fleet in London was a healing well named after St Chad. It was destroyed in 1860. The street name St Chad's Place remembers it.
Schools
Denstone College in Denstone, Staffordshire, was founded as St Chad's College, Denstone. The school's chapel is named the Chapel of St Chad. Students wear the cross of St Chad, which is the school's logo.
Chad as a Name
Chad is still a fairly popular given name today. It is one of the few personal names from the 600s that is still used. However, it was not used much for many centuries before becoming more popular in the mid-1900s.
What Chad is Known For
Because of some confusion with his appointment and the word 'chads' (small pieces of paper from ballot machines), some people jokingly say Chad is the patron saint of messed-up elections. However, there is no official patron saint of elections.
The Spa Research Fellowship says Chad is the patron saint of healing springs. Other lists do not mention this.
St. Chad's Day (2 March) is traditionally seen as the best day to plant broad beans in England.
Chad's Legacy
St. Chad's College is a college at Durham University.
