He was probably born around 620CE and he was schooled at Lindisfarne Monastery in Northumbria under St. Aidan, as one of 12 boys destined to be future ecclesiastical leaders. He became a priest and enjoyed walking around the Northumbrian villages proclaiming the Gospel. He became abbot of the monastery at Lastingharn and was then invited to become Bishop of York. Unfortunately another priest, Wilf
rid, had gone to Europe to be consecrated to this same bishopric. Chad humbly resigned saying “I never thought myself worthy of it." Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury, was so impressed by Chad's humility that he appointed him as bishop to the Mercians, and Chad established his seat in Lichfield, where the Cathedral is named in his memory. An early historian, Bede, writing a few decades after St. Chad's death, described him as follows: "As a Bishop, Chad... devoted himself to maintain the truths of the church, and set himself to practise humility and continence, and to study. He was a holy man, modest in his ways, learned in the scriptures, and one who was careful to practice all he found in them." Just before Chad died, feeling that the end was near, he called his fellow monks to him and urged them to maintain the virtues of love and peace amongst themselves, and towards all the faithful. He died a week later on 2nd March 672CE, which is still observed as St.
