Saint Cedd was born about the year 620 in the Kingdom of Northumbria. With his brothers Chad, Cynibil, and Caelin—all of whom became priests—he was brought up on the island of Lindisfarne in the school of Aidan of the Irish Church. There he absorbed Aidan's austerity, love of Scripture, and missionary spirit. By 653 he was already a priest, closely associated with Aidan's successor Finan.
In that year King Oswiu of Northumbria sent Cedd, together with the priests Adda, Betti, and Diuma, to evangelize the Middle Angles under the sub-king Peada, who had accepted baptism in order to marry Oswiu's daughter. The missionaries won many converts of every rank. Soon afterward Oswiu recalled Cedd and sent him, with one companion, to the East Saxons at the request of King Sigeberht the Good, who had himself been baptized by Finan. After initial success Cedd returned to Lindisfarne to report; Finan, assisted by two other Irish bishops, consecrated him bishop of the East Saxons. He is therefore counted among the early bishops of London.
As bishop Cedd demanded genuine conversion. He excommunicated a thegn living in an unlawful marriage and forbade the faithful to accept the man's hospitality. When King Sigeberht continued to visit the house, Cedd went there, denounced the king, and foretold that he would die in that very place. Bede records that Sigeberht was later murdered there (c. 660) and regarded the death as penance for defying the bishop. The new king, Swithhelm, a pagan, was persuaded by King Æthelwold of East Anglia to receive baptism from Cedd at Rendlesham.
Cedd founded churches and monasteries among the East Saxons, notably at Tilaburg (Tilbury) and Ithancester (Bradwell-on-Sea). At the request of the sub-king Œthelwald of Deira he also established the monastery of Lastingham in his native Northumbria. To purify the site he undertook a forty-day fast; after thirty days royal business called him away, and his brother Cynibil completed the fast. Cedd remained abbot of Lastingham until death, while continuing his episcopal and diplomatic labors, often leaving the daily rule to other priests.
In 664 he took part in the Synod of Whitby. Because the participants spoke different tongues, Cedd served as interpreter for both sides. After the synod he accepted the Roman computation of Easter and returned to his work among the East Saxons. Shortly afterward he came back to Lastingham, fell ill of the plague, and died on 26 October 664. He was first buried in an open grave; later his body was translated into a shrine within the stone church of the monastery. Chad succeeded him as abbot. Immediately after Cedd's death thirty monks journeyed from Essex to Lastingham to honor him; all but one small boy died there of the same plague.
Cedd is commemorated on 26 October.
May Saint Cedd obtain for us the grace of courageous fidelity to the Gospel and the zeal to bring Christ to every place entrusted to us today.
