During the fifth century AD the Roman Empire was under siege. The legions were recalled from across the Empire and when they departed from these islands the civilisation they had maintained collapsed. Law and order, civil administration, gracious living - and Christianity also departed with them.. Tribal wars broke out; anarchy and paganism filled the vacuum. Ancient religions, such as Druidism, re-appeared. In the north of England, King Vortigern invited over bands of Germanic mercenaries to assist him in wars against the Picts. Having been successful, these tribes of Angles, Saxons and Jutes decided that they liked the land of the Britons and declined to return home. Thus the "Adventus Saxorum" described by Bede, marked the beginning of the period of history known as the Dark Ages.

However, about a century later, light began to dawn in the dark night of paganism. Out of the land in the west came a band of Irish missionaries - Columba, Kenneth, Brendon the Navigator, Maelrubba, Moluag, Cairan, Oran - and others.. They brought with them the word of God and, little by little, the Celtic Church gained ground over paganism. The spiritual heart of the Church was on the island of lona where Columba and Oran had settled. This became an important centre for mission to the heathens; not an easy task as the various kingdoms were constantly at war with one another. One such was the kingdom of Northumbria, ruled in the seventh century by the newly converted King Edwin. When Edwin was killed in battle by the pagan King of Mercia, his two sons sought sanctuary on Iona. Later, one of the sons, Oswald, successfully drove out the pagans (having seen St. Columba in a dream the night before the battle). The new king was determined to convert all his people and sent to Iona for a missionary. Unfortunately, the missionary he received appears to have been somewhat harsh and severe and he certainly was not a success with the Northumbrians. He returned to Iona declaring that such barbarous people were beyond conversion. One monk, listening to this, reminded him of the words of St. Paul, that if pagans are to be converted they must be led gently to the Truth. He was an Irish monk with a reputation for discretion and prudence - and probably not without a certain degree of Irish charm - and his name was Aidan. He accepted the challenge and went to Northumbria.

King Oswald gave him the island of Lindisfarne which was situated near the royal court at Bamburgh and, therefore, convenient for evangelising Bernicia (the northern section of the kingdom of Northumbria). Aidan became the first bishop of Lindisfarne but not for him the trappings of power. He continued to live the austere life of the monk as he had done so during his time on Iona. We founded several churches and monasteries and encouraged monastic practices among the laity such as fasting and meditation on the scriptures. He liberated Angle Saxon slaves and educated them for the church. Lindisfarne was not only a monastery but a school and several of Aidan’s pupils became missionaries, bishops and saints. They included St.. Cedd who took the Christian message to the East Saxons in the south and later established a monastery at Lastingham in North Yorkshire. His brother St. Chad followed him at Lastingham and later went on to evangelise the Mercians and became the first bishop of Lichfield. St. Wilfred of York also studied at Lindisfarne during Aidan’s later years.

Aidan divided his time between his monastery and a small cell on the nearby island of Inner Fame where he devoted himself to prayer and fasting. Here he had the vision of Bamburgh being burnt by the pagan King Penda of Mercia and he prayed (successfully) that the wind would change. He died at Bamburgh in 651 and was buried on Lindisfarne. The story goes that on the night he died a young boy in Scotland had a vision of Aidan’s soul being carried to heaven by angels. He vowed that he would devote his life to God and become a monk. His name was Cuthbert and he was to become the most famous of Aidan’s successors at Lindisfarne.

What we know of St. Aidan comes from the pen of St. Bede who praised him for his love of prayer and study, his purity and humility and for his care of the sick and the poor. Although disapproving of Aidan’s adherence to the Celtic custom of fixing the date of Easter he wrote more warmly of him than of any other saint. He saw Aidan as the finest example of a bishop who guided his flock by example. It was this, Bede maintained, that had converted the "un-convertable" Northumbrians. "This thing did chiefly commend his doctrine to all men, that the doctrine which he taught was correspondent to the life he led"

The Synod of Whitby in 664 brought to a head the divisions of the Celtic Church and the Church of Rome. St. Colman, who was the abbot of Lindisfarne at that time, supported the former while St. Wilfrid the latter. The argument for Rome prevailed and St. Colman resigned as abbot. He, with his monks, left Lindisfarne and returned to Iona. Later they went back to Ireland from whence had come the first mission over a century before. With them, also, went some of the bones of St. Aidan. So the wise, discreet and humble monk returned to his homeland.

His feast day is on 31st August. Although later somewhat eclipsed by St. Cuthbert, Aidan is remembered today for Lindisfarne, for its place as a great centre of learning and Christian education and evangelism in the tradition of the old Celtic Church, brought from Ireland to Britain by St. Columba and his fellow evangelists from Clonard.

Out of Ireland have come many good things - but none better than the word of God!

Barbara Hothersall