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Chad Of Mercia




He was one of four brothers, all active in the Anglo-Saxon church - the others were Cedd , Cynibill and Caelin .

Most of our knowledge of Chad comes from the writings of the Venerable Bede . As a youth Chad was a student of Aidan at the Celtic Monastery at Lindisfarne . He travelled to Ireland as a monk, and there he was ordained as a priest.

Shortly after the Synod Of Whitby in 663 / 4 , Chad was invited to become Bishop Of York by King Oswiu Of Northumbria after the first choice for the position, Saint Wilfrid , failed to return from France, where he had gone in order to be consecrated to the position. In 666 Wilfrid returned from France freshly consecrated as Bishop of York , only to find Chad already occupying the same position. In 669 the Archbishop Of Canterbury persuaded Chad to step down and allow Wilfred to take over; Chad stepped down gracefully.

Later that same year, King Wulfhere Of Mercia requested a bishop. Impressed by Chad's humility (he refused to ride a horse, preferring to walk as Jesus had), Archbishop Theodore sent Chad. Under Chad, the See of Mercia was fixed at Lichfield . He was the first bishop of Mercia and Lindsey . Chad then proceeded to carry out missionary and pastoral work within the kingdom.

Chad died on March 2 , 672 , and was buried at the church of Saint Mary at Lichfield. According to Bede , he was immediately venerated as a saint, and his relics were translated to the Cathedral Church of St. Peter . He is considered a Saint in the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. His feast day is celebrated on 2nd March .

Saint Chad gives his name to one church in Lichfield , many churches around the Birmingham area (including its Roman Catholic Cathedral , where there are some alleged Relic s of the saint), St Chad's , as well as St Chad's College at the University Of Durham .

Due to the somewhat confused nature of Chad's appointment and the continued references to ' is the one of politicians.