Saint Cedd (Missionary Bishop, Northumbria) c. 620s - 664

Wednesday

St Cedd Demographics:

Important Background Facts:

Most that is known about Saint Cedd comes from the writings of Saint Bede (Ecclesiastical History Of The English People).

Childhood & Education:

Adult Life:

He was a priest by the year 653.
Was acknowledged head of the family.
While he was alive, he seems to have taken the lead, while his brother Chad was the chosen successor.

Influence of Saint Aidan:

Saint Aidan came to Northumbria from Iona, bringing with him his practices known as the Celtic Rite.
Aidan was well-known for his austerity & disinterest in wealth & power.
Bede comments that Cedd & Chad learned from Saint Aidan's example & traditions.
It is believed that Cedd owed his training as a priest & scholar to Aidan & Lindisfarne.

Cedd's Evangelising of the Middle Angles / Mercia:

King Oswiu sent Cedd & 3 other priests on an evangelical mission to Mercia in 653 AD.
Peada (son of sub-king Penda) agreed to become a Christian in return for the hand in marriage of Oswiu's daughter, Alchflaed.
Cedd, with the other 3 priests (Adda, Betti & Diuma) accompanied Peada back to Middle Anglia, making many christian converts on the journey.

Cedd Becomes Bishop of East Saxon Kingdom:

King Oswiu then sent Cedd to the East Saxon kingdom at the request of King Sigeberht to help re-convert his subjects (having been originally converted by Canterbury missionaries).
King Sigeberht's baptism & decision to reconvert his kingdom to christianity was due to the efforts of King Oswiu.
Cedd then returned to Lindisfarne and reported to Finan who ordained him as bishop of the East Saxons.
Once Cedd was a bishop he became very commited to his beliefs & was unafraid to confront the powerful.
Cedd on one occasion confronted king Sigeberht about associating with an undesirable thegn (whom Cedd had excommunicated) & foretold that the king would die in that house (Sigeberht was later murdered by the pagan Swithelm).
Swithelm went on to became king after Sigeberht's death, and some time later Swithelm accepted baptism from Cedd at Ethelwald's home.

Cedd's Abbot Roots At Lastingham Monastery:

Cedd subsequently went on to found many churches, as well as monasteries at Tilaburg & Ithancester.
He also became abbot of the monastery of Lastingham in Northumbria, where he remained abbott until his death.
Cedd, however, still kept his position as a missionary bishop & diplomat, so he was not always present at the monastery, thus appointing others to deal with routine matters.

Cedd's Later Life:

Cedd was involved in the council negotiations between those trained in the Celtic Rite and those of the Roman Rite.
When the council ended, he returned to Essex and recommenced his work as a bishop.
Cedd, following the negotiations, did accept the Roman Rite of observance of Easter.
He then travelled back to the monastery at Lastingham, where he fell ill with the plague & died on October 26, 664.
His brother Chad succeeded Cedd as abbot at Lastingham monastery.
King Swithelm also died at about the same time as Cedd.
There followed a partial reversion to paganism which was also blamed on the effects of the plague.

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