Icon of St Chad by the hand of Aidan Hart, in the chapel at Shrewsbury School. Image from Western Saints Icon Project.
Today (2 March) we commemorate St Chad of Mercia, abbot of Lastingham, Bishop of York and Bishop of Lichfield. His life and work in the church of 7th century Anglo-Saxon Britain is well-documented and interesting, but makes for a long read, so rather than even attempt a brief sketch I refer readers to several good accounts elsewhere:
- Baring Gould
- celt-saints
- rather good wikipedia article
- OrthodoxWiki, also rather better than usual
- Akathist in French from Acathistes et offices orthodoxes
Troparion in the fourth tone to St Chad, Bishop of York (+672)
Brother of St Cedric (Cedd), monk and then abbot,
You followed the Rule of St Columban.
Then you became Bishop of the city of York,
Before humbly effacing yourself to go
To the see of Lichfield, where you died.
St Chad, pray to the Lord to have mercy on us!
– troparion text is my English translation from a French original composition by Claude Lopez-Ginisty at Acathistes et offices orthodoxes
Pilgrim 