Patrick Comerford
The Diocese of Lichfield is celebrating the patron saint of the diocese, Saint Chad, on his feast day today, 2 March. For the past 55 years, Lichfield, Lichfield Cathedral and the Chapel of Saint John’s Hospital in Lichfield have been like a spiritual home to me after what I have described in an interview with David Moore as ‘a self-defining moment.’
He was interviewing me for A Self Defining Moment, the first of four films that went up on YouTube over 11 years ago (21 January 2015) and in which I talked about my own self-defining moment, and the scenic route I took to ordination and priesthood.
Ever since, I return to Lichfield a few times each year for prayer, reflection, and to follow the daily cycle of prayer and liturgy in the cathedral in my own personal, self-guided retreat or pilgrimage. I was there last month just a few days before we left for this visit to Kuching.
So there are many reasons for me to remember Saint Chad’s Day today, although I am in Kuching, over 11,000 km or 7,000 miles from Lichfield.
Saint Chad was born in Northumbria, the youngest of four sons, all of whom became both priests and monks. They entered the monastery on the isle of Lindisfarne, where they were taught by Saint Aidan.
Saint Chad’s brother, Saint Cedd, founded the abbey at Lastingham and, on when Cedd died, Chad was elected abbot as his successor.
During the confusion in ecclesiastical discipline between the Celtic-oriented, Anglo-Saxon hierarchy and the pressure from Rome for conformity, Chad became Bishop of York for a time.
He graciously stepped back with the arrival in Britain of Theodore, who doubted the validity of indigenous consecrations. This was eventually rectified and Chad became Bishop of Mercia, a huge diocese the centre of which he moved from Repton to Lichfield.
Saint Chad travelled extensively and became much loved for his wisdom and gentleness in otherwise difficult situations. The plague was widespread at this time and Saint Chad died on this day, 2 March, in the year 672. His bones were moved to the new Lichfield Cathedral in the year 700.
The new Shrine of Saint Chad was consecrated and reinstated at two moving services in Lichfield Cathedral in November 2022. The new shrine in the Lady Chapel celebrates Lichfield’s own saint as Bishop, Evangelist and Disciple, and an inscription reads: ‘Christ is the morning star who, when the night of this world is past, brings to his saints the promise of the light of life and opens everlasting day.’
Saint Chad’s day is being celebrated in Lichfield Cathedral today at Morning Prayer (8 am), the Mid-Day Eucharist (12:30) and the Festal Evensong (5:30).
The Collect:
Almighty God,
from the first fruits of the English nation who turned to Christ,
you called your servant Chad
to be an evangelist and bishop of his own people:
give us grace so to follow his peaceable nature,
humble spirit and prayerful life,
that we may truly commend to others
the faith which we ourselves profess;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
The Post Communion Prayer:
Holy Father,
who gathered us here around the table of your Son
to share this meal with the whole household of God:
in that new world where you reveal
the fullness of your peace,
gather people of every race and language
to share with Chad and all your saints
in the eternal banquet of Jesus Christ our Lord.
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