St. Cuthbert
Born: c. 634 CE
Died: March 20, 687 CE
Feast day: March 20
Patron saint of: Kingdom of Northumbria
We know little of Cuthbert’s parents or background, but we do know that on an evening in the year 651 Cuthbert, a 16-year-old Anglo-Saxon warrior, saw a light from heaven beaming on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. He later learned that this phenomenon accompanied the passing of Aidan, the Irishman who brought Christianity to the region. That vision led Cuthbert to join the monastery in Melrose, Scotland, where his reputation for prayer, kindness, and skillful faith-sharing caused his brothers to elect him as prior.
From there, Cuthbert served as abbot at the mother monastery of Lindisfarne. He dwelt on a little side-island, which is still known as “St. Cuthbert’s Island.” Every day, the tide cuts off the little island’s rocky surface from the larger island. This allowed Cuthbert a healthy balance of his energies: contemplation when isolated by the waters and active engagement with the world’s affairs when the tide was low.
More about St. Cuthbert:
Find God in creation with St. Cuthbert
Let this pilgrim saint show you the way of love.
Image: Bede, British Library digital collections, Yates Thompson MS 26 - Illustrated catalogue - Online viewer (Info), CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
