aidan

aint Aidan was born in Ireland at the end of the 6th century. We know very little of his youth except he was in the community of Saint Senan on Scattery Island. He felt the call to travel across the Irish sea to become a monk at Saint Columba's monastery on the island of Iona. It was from there that he was chosen to be a missionary to Northern England.

Northern England had been Christian but as the power of the Roman Empire receded, paganism returned. When King Aethelfrith of Northumbria was killed in battle in 616 A.D., his children fled into exile. Oswald, who later became king, found a haven at Iona and was converted. It was a decisive event because when he regained the throne, he invited the monks of Iona to missionize Northumbria.The first monk sent out proved to be intolerant and unsuccessful in winning over the people. Saint Aidan replaced him and with his gentler personality,found a warmer reception.

Saint Aidan chose twelve monks to found a monastery on the tidal island of Lindisfarne, given to him by King Oswald and close to his capital of Bamburgh. Like Mont Saint Michel, twice a day the island was surrounded by water, twice a day it afforded soggy access by foot.The buildings were in the Irish tradition - a few wooden communal buildings surrounded by small circular huts for the monks. Also in the Irish tradition was the ascetic way of life - fasting, prayer and study, his rule being based on Saint Columba's for Iona. Each year he maintained the practice of retiring to an even more remote island, Inner Farne, for the whole of Lent. Aidan was the first bishop and abbot of Lindisfarne and from there, he and his monks set out to bring the faith to all in the area.

Most of what we know about Saint Aidan is from the writings of the Venerable Bede and here is his description of this holy man -

"...his love of peace and charity; his continence and humility; his mind superior to anger and avarice, and despising pride and vainglory; his industry in keeping and teaching the heavenly commandments; his diligence in reading and watching; his authority becoming a priest in reproving the haughty and powerful, and at the same time his tenderness in comforting the afflicted, and relieving or defending the poor.To say all in a few words, as near as I could be informed by those that knew him, he took care to omit none of those things which he found in the apostolical and prophetical writings, but to the utmost of his power endeavored to perform them all."

"...he left the clergy a most salutary example of abstinence or continence; it was the highest commendation of his doctrine, with all men, that he taught no otherwise than he and his followers had lived; for he neither sought nor loved anything of this world, but delighted in distributing immediately among the poor whatsoever was given him by the kings or rich men of the world. He was wont to traverse both town and country on foot, never on horseback, unless compelled by some urgent necessity; and wherever in his way he saw any, either rich or poor, he invited them, if infidels, to embrace the mystery of the faith; or if they were believers, to strengthen them in the faith, and to stir them up by words and actions to alms and good works."

Lindisfarne

Besides being a traveler on the sea, he traveled on land also, walking the countryside to draw men to Christ wherever he found them. His life of simplicity, his openness to all men and his living of the gospel message won over so many people that he is regarded as the missionizer of Northumbria and of wider parts. He founded churches and monasteries, trained young men to take up his work in the future, freed Anglo-Saxon boys sold into slavery and educated them, promoted vocations among men and women, cared for the sick, extended care to animals and encouraged religious practices among the laity.

In 651, when Saint Aidan was at the king's court at Bamburgh he departed this world to his reward in a better world. His body was taken back to Lindisfarne where it was first placed in the cemetery, then later moved inside the church itself.

Saint Aidan is represented in art by a stag, which he is said to have saved from dogs. His feast day is August 31st.