From: trudie.Miller@cox.net   
      
   October 26th - St. Cedd, Bishop of Essex, Abbot of Lastingham   
      
   Born: c. AD 620 in Northumberland   
   Died: 26th October AD 664 at Lastingham, Yorkshire North Riding   
      
   St. Cedd was the eldest of four holy brothers, born into a noble Northumbrian   
   family at the beginning of the 7th century. With his siblings, Cynebil, Caelin   
   &   
   (St.) Chad, he entered the school at Lindisfarne Priory at an early age and   
   learnt the ways of the Irish monks under Bishop Aidan. They were eventually   
   sent   
   to Ireland for further study and all four subsequently became priests.   
      
   In AD 653, the mighty armies of King Penda of Mercia expanded their monarch's   
   influence to the control of Middle Anglia (Leicestershire and parts of Lincoln   
   and Derby), where his son Peada was appointed King. Soon afterward, the young   
   king visited his neighbour, King Oswiu (Oswy) of Northumbria, at Walton (or   
   Atwell or Wattbottle) and, as his new kingdom had already been considerably   
   influenced by East Anglian Christianity, Peada agreed to be baptised in return   
   for the hand of Oswiu's daughter, Alchflaed. Bishop Finan of Lindisfarne   
   therefore welcomed the King and a number of his nobles into the Christian faith   
   and Oswiu provided him with four priests to instruct his people further. One of   
   these was St. Cedd.   
      
   Within a year, Cedd returned home, having helped to convert much of Middle   
   Anglia to Christianity. He travelled to Lindisfarne to confer with Bishop   
   Finan,   
   who promptly sent this impressive young missionary out once more to evangelise   
   the people of Essex, who were sorely in need of some spiritual guidance. King   
   Oswiu, having imposed his overlordship there, had persuaded King Sigeberht   
   (Sigebert) Sanctus to adopt Christianity, in a general mobilization against   
   Penda of Mercia. Cedd thus turned south again to spread the word of God amongst   
   the East Saxons. He baptised many of the locals and built several   
   churches-possibly Prittlewell and West Mersea amongst them-and is particularly   
   noted for the foundation of monasteries at Ythanchester (Bradwell-on-Sea) and   
   Tilaburg (East Tilbury).   
      
   The following year, Cedd made a brief visit to Northumbria once more, where   
   Bishop Finan had no hesitation in ordaining him as Bishop of Essex. Back in his   
   southern province, Cedd pursued the work he had previously begun with more   
   ample   
   authority. He re-instated St. Paul's in London as the main seat of his diocese.   
   He ordained priests and deacons to assist him in his work and gathered together   
   a large flock of servants of Christ in his two monastic foundations.   
      
   Bishop Cedd always remained fond of his homeland, however, and was wont to make   
   regular visits there. On one such occasion in AD 658, Cedd was approached by   
   King Aethelwald (Ethelwald) of Deira who had been instructed in Christianity   
   and   
   administered the Sacraments by the Bishop's brother, Caelin. Finding Cedd to be   
   a good and wise man, he pressed upon him to accept a parcel of land at   
   Laestingaeu (Lastingham in Yorkshire) on which to build a Royal monastery and   
   prospective mausoleum. Cedd eventually agreed, but would not lay the foundation   
   stones until the place had first been cleansed through prayer and fasting.   
   This,   
   he undertook himself throughout lent, until his brother, Cynebil, took over,   
   when the Bishop was called to the Royal Court. Cedd was the first Abbot of   
   Lastingham and remained so while still administering to his flock in Essex.   
      
   Christianity had not quite been universally accepted in Cedd's southern   
   province   
   and, by AD 660, there was considerable discontent with the rule of King   
   Sigeberht of Essex. He was murdered by his brothers, Swithelm and Swithfrith,   
   and the former took the throne as a pagan King. St. Cedd was forced to flee   
   north into East Anglia, where he settled at the Court of King Aethelwald at   
   Rendlesham (Suffolk). The East Anglians appear to have held some sort of   
   overlordship in Essex at this time and, within about two years, Aethelwald had   
   persuaded Swithelm that it would be in his interest to become Christian. Cedd   
   baptised him at Rendlesham, with Aethelwald as his godfather, and the two   
   returned to Essex.   
      
   It was around this time that, owing to the influence of St. Wilfrid who had   
   been   
   established at Ripon by King Alchfrith of Deira, that a great divide was   
   forming   
   in the Northumbrian Church. All the missionaries of the north had been brought   
   up in Iona or Lindisfarne, and followed the Celtic ritual. Wilfrid, ordained by   
   a French bishop, introduced Roman ways. The split even extended to the Royal   
   household where, each year, Oswiu celebrated the Celtic Easter feast and his   
   Queen, the Roman. To settle this difference, and prevent a rupture, the King   
   convened a religious synod at Whitby in AD 664. St. Cedd attended the   
   synod-probably with his brother, Chad-to act as interpreter and to speak on   
   behalf of his fellow Celtic ecclesiastics, Bishop Colman of Lindisfarne and   
   Abbess Hilda of Whitby. On the opposing side were Abbot Wilfrid of Ripon,   
   former   
   Bishop Agilbert of Wessex, Romanus, the Queen's chaplain, and James the Deacon   
   who had remained in Swaledale after St. Paulinus had fled Yorkshire. After much   
   debate, it was decided that the Roman usages should be adopted and Cedd, along   
   with many others, reluctantly renounced the customs of Lindisfarne and returned   
   to his diocese to spread the new Roman ways amongst the people of Essex.   
      
   The same year, Cedd visited his Abbey at Lastingham while a great plague was,   
   unfortunately, raging through the area. Both he and his brother, Cynebil, fell   
   sick and, after placing Lastingham in the charge of their youngest brother,   
   Chad, they died. Cedd was first buried in the open air and his funeral was   
   attended by some thirty monks from Bradwell who, sadly, also contracted the   
   plague and died. Eventually, a little stone church was built at the Lastingham,   
   in honour the Virgin Mary, and Cedd's body was interred there, to the right of   
   the altar. The latter remains intact in the Norman crypt that was later built   
   on   
   the site, though St. Cedd's bones were removed around the same time to the   
   cathedral founded by his brother, Chad, at Lichfield.   
      
   This Version Taken From:   
   http://www.britannia.com/bios/saints/cedd.html   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   Alas! we have not as much love as we need! I mean that it would require and   
   infinite amount to have enough to love our God according to His due; and yet,   
   miserable that we are, we throw it away lavishly upon vile and unworthy   
   objects,   
   as if we had a superfluity.   
   -St. Francis de Sales   
      
   Bible Quote   
   14 He that taketh away mercy from his friend, forsaketh the fear of the Lord.   
   (Job 6:14)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   AN ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY FACE   
      
   O Adorable Face of Jesus, since Thou hast deigned to make special choice of our   
   souls, in order to give Thyself to them, we come to consecrate these souls to   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)