Aidan of Lindisfarne
|
|
Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne, the Apostle of Northumbria (?-651), is the founder and first bishop of the monastery on the island of Lindisfarne in England. A Christian missionary, he is credited with restoring Christianity to the Northumbria.
An Irishman, possibly born in Connaught, Aidan was a monk at the monastery on the island of Iona in Scotland.
The Roman Empire had spread Christianity into England, but due to its decline, paganism was seeing a resurgence in Northern England. Oswald of Northumbria had been living at the Iona monastery as a king in exile since 616 AD. There he converted to Christianity and was baptised. In 634 he gained the crown of Northumbria, and was determined to bring Christianity to the mostly pagan people there.
Due to his past at Iona, he requested missionaries from that monastery instead of the Roman-backed monasteries in England. At first the monastery sent a new bishop named Corman, but he returned to Iona and reported that the Northumbrians were too stubborn to be converted. Aidan criticised Corman's methods and was soon sent as a replacement in 635.
Aidan chose the island of Lindisfarne, close to the royal castle at Bamburgh, as his diocese. King Oswald, who spoke Irish, often had to translate for Aidan and his monks, who did not speak English at first. When Oswald died in 642, Aidan received continued support from King Oswine of Deira and the two became close friends.
An inspired missionary, Aidan would walk from one village to another, politely conversing with the people he saw and slowly interesting them in Christianity. According to legend, the king gave Aidan a horse so that he wouldn't have to walk, but Aidan gave the horse to a beggar. By patiently talking to the people on their own level Aidan and his monks slowly restored Christianity to the Northumbrian communities. Aidan also took in twelve English boys to train at the monastery, to ensure that the area's future religious leadership would be English.
In 651 a pagan army attacked Bamburgh and attempted to set its walls ablaze. According to legend, Aidan prayed for the city, after which the winds turned and blew the smoke and fire toward the enemy, repulsing them.
Aidan was a member of the Irish branch of Christianity instead of the Roman branch, but his character and energy in missionary work won him the respect of Pope Honorius I and Felix of Dunwich.
Aidan's friend Oswine of Deira was murdered in 651. Twelve days later Aidan died, on August 31, in the 17th year of his episcopate. He had become ill while at the Bamburgh castle and died leaning against the wall of the local church.
The monastery he founded grew and helped found churches and other monasteries throughout the area. It also became a center of learning and a storehouse of scholarly knowledge. Saint Bede the Venerable would later write Aidan's biogarphy and describe the miracles attributed to him. Saint Aidan's feast day is on August 31st.
External links
- Irelandseye.com biography of Saint Aidan (http://www.irelandseye.com/irish/people/saints/aidan.shtm)
- Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne (http://www.lindisfarne.org.uk/general/aidan.htm) by Reverend Canon Kate Tristram
- Britannia biography of Saint Aidan (http://www.britannia.com/bios/saints/aidan.html)
- A History Of The Church (http://www.netacc.net/~mafg/book/v2c3s3.htm) (around the time of Aidan) by Philip Hughes