NEWS FEATURE: Chad _ A Saint For Our Times

c. 2000 Religion News Service (UNDATED) Once upon a time, when dimples were dimples and butterflies were something you got in your stomach, there lived a man who knew how to settle an election. His name was Chad. Saint Chad. Born about 620, Chad was the youngest of four brothers, all of whom went into […]

c. 2000 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) Once upon a time, when dimples were dimples and butterflies were something you got in your stomach, there lived a man who knew how to settle an election.

His name was Chad. Saint Chad.


Born about 620, Chad was the youngest of four brothers, all of whom went into the ministry.

In 664, the plague struck brothers Cynebil and Cedd. On his deathbed, Cedd requested that Chad succeed him as Abbot of Lastingham.

He did.

Then the next year, Chad was consecrated as a bishop under circumstances that can only be called irregular.

According to the Web site for The Parish of St. Chad’s in Lichfield, England, a man named Wilfrid was sent to France to be consecrated as bishop of the Northumbrian kingdom, the area of England now known as York. But rather than returning to his new flock immediately, Wilfrid stayed in France for two years.

In the meantime, Bishop Wini of the West Saxons called Chad to take Wilfrid’s place.

When Wilfrid finally showed up, he found the bishop’s seat filled and returned to the Abbey at Ripon.

Time passed.

In 669, Theodore of Tarsus became Archbishop of Canterbury. During some administrative housecleaning, he discovered that Northumbria had two bishops.

Digging a little deeper, he discovered that Chad had been consecrated by one bishop of the Roman tradition and two others of the British tradition. The participation of the two British bishops invalidated Chad’s consecration, Theodore said, and he asked Chad to surrender his staff.


Chad did so, reportedly saying: “If you know I have not duly received episcopal ordination, I willingly resign the office, for I never thought myself worth of it; but, though unworthy, in obedience submitted to undertake it.”

Theodore, impressed with Chad’s concession speech, properly completed Chad’s consecration.

Later that year, when King Wulfhere of Mercia needed a bishop, Theodore called Chad, who served there until his death on March 2, 672.

In the United States, St. Chad is remembered in Birmingham, Ala., where the seal for the Roman Catholic diocese includes his cross, a rendition of the traditional Christian emblem in which the vertical and horizontal lines intersect with a chad-like box.

Mobile, Ala., Archbishop Oscar H. Lipscomb surmises that this stems from the existence of the Cathedral of St. Chad in Birmingham, England.

But after this year’s presidential election in which controversy surrounds chads _ the small pieces of paper so many Florida voters apparently dimpled, dangled and hung in their attempts to punch ballots Nov. 7 _ the archbishop mused that St. Chad’s memory might be honored by action.

“”Wouldn’t that be nice if as a legacy somebody stepped down and continued in service to the nation as Chad stepped down and continued in God’s service?”


The Rev. Albert Kennington of Mobile’s Trinity Episcopal Church also suggested that St. Chad’s words and deeds centuries ago might provide some lessons today.

“I think Chad says something to all of us about getting over it and getting focused on the mission, whatever the mission of the country is,” Kennington said. “There is an agenda for all those wonderful things in the Constitution promoting the general welfare and the common defense and the blessings of liberty: That’s what we’re about for ourselves and our posterity. I think if we don’t do like Chad, then the last laugh may be on us, and it won’t be funny.”

DEAEND CAMPBELL

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