[MR] St Aedan, St. Aidan?

[Rowanwald Central]

St. Aedan was recognised as a patron Saint of soldiers by the Catholic
Church. Various miracles were attributed to him after his death by soldiers
who prayed for his aid in battle. His great gifts - loyalty, honesty,
leadership and respect for the gifts of each person make him a fine example
of those qualities a war leader needs on and off the field, especially when
coupled with his long history as a Soldier's Saint.

Here's all the raw data that I have gathered so far about this Saint (I
apologise that I've purged the unsubstantiated legends, many of them were
martial):

Aidan of Lindisfarne d. 651
Feast Day 31 August
The Venerable Bede on Aidan:
" His life is in marked contrast to the apathy of our times."
Most of what we know of Aidan comes from Bede's Ecclesiastical History of
the British People. Like Columba, Aidan was an Irishman. He became a monk at
Iona and in c. 635 he was sent as a Bishop to Northumbria. His predecessor
Corman had been sent back to Iona, rejected by the English for being too
austere and describing them as an "ungovernable people of obstinate and
barbarous temperament". At the council to find a replacement Aidan who
suggested a softer approach was thus sent as bishop to King Osward and was
given the island of Lindisfarne as his see.
A monastery was established at Lindisfarne and Aidan went on numerous
journeys on foot gaining many disciples from among the poor and the slaves
that he bought back into freedom. He was not a fluent English speaker and
often King Oswald, educated at Iona, translated for him as he preached to
both the "thanes and chief men".
Aidan died shortly after the murder of King Oswald's successor King Oswin
and is buried at Lindisfarne

St. Aidan of Lindisfarne
An Irish monk who had studied under St. Senan, at Iniscathay (Scattery
Island). He is placed as Bishop of Clogher by Ware and Lynch, but he
resigned that see and became a monk at Iona about 630. His virtues, however,
shone so resplendently that he was selected (635) as first Bishop of
Lindisfarne, and in time became apostle of Northumbria. St. Bede is lavish
in praise of the Episcopal rule of St. Aidan, and of his Irish co-workers in
the ministry. Oswald, king of Northumbria, who had studied in Ireland, was a
firm friend of St. Aidan, and did all he could for the Irish missionaries
until his sad death at Maserfield near Oswestry, 5 August, 642. St. Aidan
died at Bamborough on the last day of August, 651, and his remains were
borne to Lindisfarne. Bede tells us that "he was a pontiff inspired with a
passionate love of virtue, but at the same time full of a surpassing
mildness and gentleness." His feast is celebrated 31 August.
W.H. GRATTAN FLOOD

   During the 7th century Northumbria, comprising the kingdoms of Bernicia
and Deira, was a battleground in which the fate of rival kings determined
whether the Celtic or the Roman church should be the prevailing missionary
influence. In 616, when King Ethelfirth of Northumbria was defeated in
battle and slain, his son Oswald took refuge in Scotland and was converted
to Christianity at Iona. Edwin, the new king, also became a Christian, but
under the influence of Saint Paulinus, bishop of York, whose allegiance was
to Rome. After Edwin's death in 633, Paulinus abandoned his work in northern
England. Oswald returned from exile and eventually became king, whereupon he
sent to Iona for a bishop who would preach the Gospel in Northumbria.
   The first Celtic bishop, Corman, soon returned to Iona, where he declared
that the Angles of Northumbria were too stubborn and intractable. The
historian Bede writes that, at a meeting to discuss the problem, an Irish
monk called Aidan suggested that Corman had been unreasonably harsh with his
unlearned listeners, and "did not first, as the Apostle has taught us, offer
them the milk of less solid doctrine". It was immediately resolved to send
Aidan to Northumbria as bishop.
   Little is known of the saint's early life, save that he may have studied
under Saint Senan on Scattery Island, Co. Clare. He arrived in Northumbria
c635 and with Oswald's consent made his headquarters on the offshore island
of Lindisfarne, close to Oswald's castle at Bamburgh. It was a fruitful
partnership, with Oswald having on occasion to interpret the words of Aidan,
who lacked fluency in the English language.
   When Oswald was killed in battle in 642, Aidan worked equally well with
Oswin, kin of Deira. Aidan preached widely throughout Northumbria,
travelling on foot, so that he could readily talk to everyone he met. When
Oswald gave him a horse for use in difficult terrain, Aidan quixotically
gave it to a beggar soliciting alms. Oswald was angry until, as Bede
recounts, Aidan asked if the son of a mare was more precious to the king
than a son of God. Oswin sought Aidan's pardon, and promised never again to
question or regret any of his wealth being given away to children of God.
Both Oswald and Oswin are venerated in England as saints and martyrs.
   Scores of Scottish and Irish monks assisted Aidan in his missionary work,
building churches and spreading Celtic Christian influence to a degree that
Lindisfarne became the virtual capital of Christian England. The saint also
recruited classes of Anglo-Saxon youths to be educated at Lindisfarne. Among
them was Saint Eata, abbot of Melrose and later of Lindisfarne. In time,
Eata's pupil, Saint Cuthbert, also became bishop of Lindisfarne.
   Aidan lived a frugal life, and encouraged the laity to fast and study the
scriptures. He himself fasted on Wednesdays and Fridays, and seldom ate at
the royal table. When a feast was set before him he would give the food away
to the hungry. The presents he received were given to the poor or used to
buy the freedom of slaves, some of whom entered the priesthood. During Lent
Aidan would retire to the small island or Farne for prayer and penance.
While there in 651, he saw smoke rising from Bamburgh, which was then under
attack by the pagan King Penda of mercia. He prayed for the wind to change,
and many of the besiegers were destroyed by fire.
   When Oswin was killed in 651 by his treacherous cousin Oswy, king of
Bernica, Aidan was grief-stricken. The saint outlived Oswin by a mere 12
days, dying in a shelter he had erected against the wall of his church in
Bamburgh.


Rosine