Our Church
Our school is in the parish of St Chad's Cathedral. We take part in all celebrations on High Days and Holy Days. We also celebrate Mass in the school on Holy Days of Obligation and every Thursday morning at 9.15 a.m. This term the following Masses will be celebrated by Canon Pat Browne. Parents and parishioners are very welcome to join us in our worship.
St.Chad
Chad was born in Northumbria, one of four brothers, all of whom became priests. After his education at Lindisfarne under St. Aiden he went to Ireland as a monk. He returned to England in 664 when he was elected Abbot of Lastingham in North Yorkshire, succeeding his brother Cedd. There had been tensions between the Roman and Celtic traditions over matters of Church discipline and the dispute had finally been resolved at the Synod of Whitby in 664. The leading champion of the Roman party was Wilfred, Abbot of Ripon, and in 664 he was appointed bishop of the Northumbrians with his seat at York. Wilfred went off to Gaul to be consecrated but was away so long that Chad was appointed in his place. Chad went to Canterbury to be consecrated but when he arrived there the archbishop had died so he went to Winchester where he was consecrated by Bishop Wine, assisted by two British bishops. Wilfred duly returned and challenged the validity of Chad's consecration. Chad happily gave up the see and returned to Lastingham.
His ability and apostolic zeal had been noted, however, and in 669 Chad was appointed bishop of Mercia with his seat at Lichfield and was consecrated canonically by Archbishop Theodore of Canterbury. Chad immediately began an energetic pastoral ministry. He insisted on going everywhere on foot, after the example of Jesus. The Archbishop told him he must have a horse for long journeys, but Chad refused, so the Archbishop bought him a horse and personally lifted him on to it !
After two and a half years Chad succumbed to the plague and died in Lichfield on 2nd March 672 at the age of 34. He was recognised as a saint in his own lifetime and immediately after his death a popular cult grew up, focussed on his grave outside the little cathedral at Lichfield. In 700 a new cathedral was built and Chad's bones were translated to it. He was buried, according to the Venerable Bede, 'in a wooden coffin in the shape of a little house, having an aperture in its side, through which those who visit it out of devotion can insert their hands and take out a little of the dust.'
At the reformation the shrine was destroyed but some of the bones were preserved by Catholic families and in 1841 were brought to the newly built St. Chad's Cathedral in Birmingham. They were enshrined above the High Altar in a casket to a design by Augustus Pugin, based on Bede's description. Chad was a quiet-spoken, self- efacing man for whom the office of Bishop was a heavy burden.He accepted it as an act of obedience to God's will, and it is the example of his total obedience to God and readiness to serve Him that makes Chad such an inspiring patron of our diocese. His feast day is kept on the 2nd March each year.
Reprinted on this web site by the kind permission of Father Brian Doolan Dean of St.Chad's Cathedral.
God our Father, your holy bishop Chad watched over the flock entrusted to his care by seeking the lost and the stray, visiting the sick and feeding your people with word and sacrament. Through his intercession may we come to praise you in the glory of heaven. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. St.Chad pray for us.
http://www.stchadscathedral.org.uk/
Click on the above link to go directly to the cathedral website.
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