Dedicated by the 99th Bishop of Lichfield, The Rt Revd Dr Michael Ipgrave OBE, on 26 June 2021
Unveiled and dedicated on Saturday 26 June, this major new sculpture of our patron saint, St Chad was commissioned by Lichfield Cathedral and created by local sculptor Peter Walker. The statue of St Chad will welcome all who visit, a lasting monument to this central figure in Lichfield’s history.
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).
The Statue
Lichfield Cathedral has commissioned local sculptor and its Artist-in-Residence, Peter Walker, to create a major new public sculpture of our patron saint.
Made of bronze and standing 3m tall in The Close facing Dam Street to welcome visitors and pilgrims to the Cathedral, he will hold a representation of the Cathedral’s famous 8th century St Chad Gospels in one hand with his other hand raised in blessing.
Famous for his holiness and humility, Chad maintained a life of poverty and simplicity and preferred to walk to all parts of his huge diocese than to ride. In the sculpture he is seen almost in motion, about to set out from the Cathedral behind him to draw people into its community.
Recipient of a Lichfield City Art Fund grant
Lichfield City Art Fund was launched in 2017 by Lichfield District Council and Swinfen Broun Charitable Trust. The fund was set up to reinvest the proceeds of the sale of the statue Donna Che Trattiene il Tempo into new art projects. The philanthropist Swinfen Broun had bequeathed the statue, known locally as Old Father Time, to the people of Lichfield. However, after a permanent home for the statue could not be found, the council auctioned it off in 2008 with the intention to use the money on new art projects.
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