Our Father among the Saints Cedd, Bishop of the East Saxons and Abbot of Lastingham
Come to them for
Missionary Work
Life
Cedd was a Northumbrian monk and bishop who played a pivotal role in the evangelization of the East Saxons in seventh-century England. Educated at the monastery of Lindisfarne under Saint Aidan, he was sent as a missionary to the kingdom of the East Saxons around 653, where he founded churches and monasteries and was consecrated bishop by Finan of Lindisfarne. He is especially remembered for founding the monastery of Lastingham in Yorkshire (c. 658), which he governed as abbot alongside his episcopal duties. He died of plague at Lastingham on 26 October 664.
Cedd was the eldest of four brothers, all of whom became clergy — the most famous being his brother Chad (Ceadda), later Bishop of Lichfield. His feast day in the Orthodox calendar falls on January 7.
Timeline 7 moments
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c. 620Birth in NorthumbriaBorn in the Kingdom of Northumbria, Cedd was the eldest of four brothers, all of whom entered monastic and clerical life.
early lifeEducation at LindisfarneCedd and his brothers entered the school at Lindisfarne Priory, where they were formed in the traditions of Celtic Christianity under Bishop Aidan of Lindisfarne.
c. 653Mission to the East SaxonsAt the direction of King Oswiu of Northumbria and then Bishop Finan of Lindisfarne, Cedd was sent to evangelize the East Saxons. He baptized many converts and established monasteries at Ithancester (probably Bradwell-on-Sea) and Tilaburg (likely East Tilbury), and reinstated Saint Paul's in London as the principal see.
c. 654Consecration as BishopBishop Finan of Lindisfarne consecrated Cedd as Bishop of the East Saxons in recognition of his successful mission work.
c. 658Foundation of LastinghamKing Aethelwald of Deira granted Cedd land in the hills of Yorkshire for a monastery. Before beginning construction Cedd insisted on spending a period of fasting and prayer to consecrate the site. He became the monastery's first abbot while continuing to serve as bishop.
664Synod of WhitbyCedd participated in the Synod of Whitby, serving as an interpreter between the Celtic and Roman parties who debated the date of Easter and other ecclesiastical customs.
26 October 664Death from plague at LastinghamThe plague that swept Britain in 664 reached Lastingham. Both Cedd and his brother Cynebil succumbed. He was buried first outside the monastery, then later within a stone church built in his honor. A group of monks from Essex came to mourn him and was nearly entirely carried off by the same plague.
Contributions & Legacy
2 contributions
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Mission and Monastic Foundations
Cedd's missionary work among the East Saxons transformed that kingdom, establishing a network of churches and religious communities in a region that had previously reverted to paganism after an earlier Christian mission had faltered. His establishment of monasteries at Bradwell-on-Sea and East Tilbury — communities that drew on the Lindisfarne tradition of Irish-influenced monastic Christianity — gave the East Saxons lasting institutional anchors for the faith.
Lastingham was intended from its founding as a place of intense prayer and ascetic formation. The requirement that the site be cleansed through Lenten fasting before construction reflects the seriousness with which Cedd approached monastic foundation. The monastery later sheltered other members of his family, and after his death his brother Chad governed it briefly before being called to the episcopate.
Legacy and Veneration
Cedd is venerated by the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Anglican churches. His relics were kept at Lastingham and later associated with the cathedral founded at Lichfield by his brother Chad. The Norman crypt at St Mary's Church, Lastingham — built over the original Saxon foundations — remains a site of pilgrimage connected to his memory.
The Venerable Bede, writing in the early 8th century, is the principal historical source for Cedd's life, recording his missionary work and death in the Ecclesiastical History of the English People.
His companions & kin
Younger brother of Cedd; Bishop of Lichfield, who succeeded Cedd as abbot of Lastingham
Chad of Lichfield
Bishop of Lindisfarne, under whom Cedd received his monastic education
Aidan of Lindisfarne
Bishop of Lindisfarne who sent Cedd to the East Saxons and later consecrated him bishop
Finan of Lindisfarne
Notes
Local pre-schism Western saint — clergy/source review advised.
