1350 years after his death, St Chad’s life is still an inspiration. His faith, humility and integrity are examples we can all live by.
Chad’s legacy shaped the region as we know it today. In his lifetime he bridged two warring kingdoms, covered vast distances on foot, and spoke engagingly and authentically of his faith.
The example of St Chad is one that points us to Jesus, leads us to examine our own faith and stand still in the mystery of God’s love.
Who was Chad?
Chad is the saint and bishop to whom Lichfield Cathedral is dedicated. Born to a noble family around 634, he was educated on Lindisfarne and spent time as Bishop of York and Abbot of Lastingham. When he was appointed Bishop of Mercia, one of the most powerful Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, Chad chose to centre his administration in Lichfield. He founded a church and a community here in 669 which became the religious heart of the kingdom.
Chad died in 672, much loved and revered. Bishop Hedda, his successor, consecrated the first cathedral in Lichfield on his burial site in 700. The shrine of St Chad grew quickly in importance and became one of the three most important centres of mediaeval pilgrimage in the country.
‘A holy man, of modest character, well-read in the Scripture, and diligently practising those things which he had learned therein.’
The Venerable Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People (completed around 731).