Taking inspiration from St Chad

Last week we celebrated St Chad’s day (officially 2nd March).  The Cathedral would not be here were it not for St Chad and last Wednesday a special service took place for his patronal festival.  All of the bishops from Chad to our current Bishop Michael Ipgrave (99 in total) were listed and remembered.  The College of Canons then celebrated Chad with a meal and a drink from a memorial cup called the Loving Cup (you may have seen the photos in last week's Update).   In addition, on Monday pupils in Years 5, 6 and 7 took part in our annual St Chad’s pilgrimage walk to St Chad’s Well.

We have much to thank St Chad for, not only would the Cathedral not be here had he not chosen this place, but clearly the School would not be here either.  Indeed, until 1981 our school was called St Chad’s in his honour. 

So who was St Chad? 

St Chad was born in  the early 7th century in Northumbria. He was one of four brothers - the others were called Cedd, Cynibill and Caelin.  When he was still young  he joined  the monastery at Lindsfarne and became a monk under St Aidan.  He  subsequently became the Bishop of Lichfield where he became famous for his hard work in spreading the Gospel and helping the poor.   He was a humble man who chose to travel everywhere on foot. The story goes that  Archbishop Theodore had to persuade him to ride by lifting him bodily onto a horse.  

When the plague broke out in Lastingham, Chad went to care for the monks.  He died on the 2nd March 672 of the plague.  Pilgrims soon began coming to his grave in Lichfield at the church of Saint Mary which later became part of the Cathedral at Lichfield.   People remembered all the good things that he had done and the Church made him into a saint. Eventually, his bones (or relics) were transferred from the graveyard to a magnificent tomb in Lichfield Cathedral and his shrine became one of the great centres of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages. 

St Chad's relics were eventually moved to St Chad's Cathedral in Birmingham for safekeeping, on the day of its consecration on 21st June 1841. They were placed in a shrine above the High Altar. More recently, part of these relics were returned to the cathedral here in Lichfield and you can see them in the shrine which is just in front of the Lady Chapel. 

St Chad embodied the values of our school - faith, learning, leadership and service.  So we encourage our pupils to follow in the footsteps of St Chad and find strength in faith, work hard in their learning, take opportunities to show leadership qualities and at all times consider how they can show service by helping others. 

Inservi Deo et laetare