-- as used at Sunday Mass, December 3, 2000

St. Chad.

He's for real.
Whether or not he had dimples is not known
But it is known that St. Chad died on March 2, 672

When Chad was elected and duly installed as archbishop of York, some bishops objected to his ordination because his consecration had not been rightly performed.

Chad humbly withdrew in favor of the other candidate to preserve unity. Rather than cause division in the church, Chad is said to have told the archbishop of Canterbury: “If you decide that I have not rightly received the episcopal character, I willingly lay down the office; for I have never thought myself worthy of it, but under obedience, I, though unworthy, consented to undertake it.”

The archbishop of Canterbury was so impressed with Chad's humility, the story goes, that he ordained Chad Bishop of another diocese.

One biographer says he is “best known for not being the archbishop of York”.

Prayer of St. Chad
“Almighty God, whose servant Chad, for the peace of the church, relinquished cheerfully the honors that had been thrust upon him, only to be rewarded with equal responsibility: Keep us, we pray Thee, from thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, and ready at all times to step aside for others, in honor preferring one another, that the cause of Christ may be advanced.”
- Suggested prayer on the Feast of Saint Chad

The Washington Times
www.washtimes.com

St. Chad's grace in defeat won him eternal veneration

Robin Galiano
COX NEWS SERVICE
Published 11/30/00

LONGVIEW, Texas - As if this presidential election needs another twist, it turns out there is a patron saint of disputed elections, and it's none other than St. Chad of Lichfield, England.

The seventh-century Anglican bishop is perhaps best known for not being the archbishop of York. While Chad was elected and duly installed as archbishop of York, some bishops objected to his ordination because his consecration had not been rightly performed.

Unlike his bickering American counterparts today, however, Chad humbly withdrew in favor of the other candidate to preserve unity.

Rather than cause division in the church, Chad is said to have told the archbishop of Canterbury: “If you decide that I have not rightly received the episcopal character, I willingly lay down the office; for I have never thought myself worthy of it, but under obedience, I, though unworthy, consented to undertake it.”

The archbishop of Canterbury was so impressed with Chad's humility, the story goes, that he ordained Chad Bishop of Lichfield instead. Chad died on March 2, 672, and he was venerated as a saint soon afterward.

The Rev. Jim Bass, pastor of Mission Bend United Methodist Church in Houston, uncovered the ironic historical twist and passed along the information to Methodist pastors in the Texas conference. His tale was verified by the Oxford Dictionary of Saints.

The Rev. Jim Welch of Longview's First United Methodist Church said the irony of a saint named Chad was too good to pass up at the beginning of his sermon Sunday morning. And the congregation cracked up, he added.

“I was going to use it in our newsletter, but I could not resist using it in church," Mr. Welch said. "I mean, how ironic. The Bible is full of gentle humor, with all kinds of word play. And the greatest use is irony.”

Hard to Punch Holes
In Story of St. Chad

By HELEN KENNEDY
Daily News Washington Bureau

Thought there was nothing weird left to discover about the 2000 election? Think again.
It seems there is a patron saint of disputed elections, and his name is - the Daily News could not make this up if we tried - St. Chad.

Thirteen hundred years before “dimpled chad” stalled America's transfer of power, the name Chad came to mean wrongfully holding office and stepping down selflessly in the name of unity.

The year was 664, in Dark Ages Britain, just as the Latin and Celtic churches were uniting after a big fight over the date of Easter.

A monk named Wilfred was named bishop of York and went off to Paris to be consecrated. He stayed for two years - preferring the city to the desolate moors of his new diocese.

Possibly thinking Wilfred dead, King Oswy of Northumbria picked a humble abbot named Chad for the post.

Chad was consecrated by the only two bishops left in the plague-struck area, but because they insisted on the Celtic date of Easter, they were technically out of communion with the church.

When Wilfred finally returned from Gaul in 666, the archbishop of Canterbury determined that Chad wasn't a proper bishop and charged him with holding office illicitly.

“I willingly lay down the office, for I have never thought myself worthy of it,” Chad said, according to Bede's medieval history of the church written in 731.

The archbishop was moved at his graciousness and made Chad bishop of Mercia.

Some readings of the Chad story paint the saint as a usurper who was ordained by two shady Welsh bishops and was properly deposed.

But most retellings dwell on the selfless way he stepped aside to preserve peace within the church.

The plague caught up with Chad in 672.

One biographer says he is “best known for not being the archbishop of York” - a line that might echo in the ears of George W. Bush and Al Gore.

“I think both Gore and Bush should be praying to St. Chad,” cracked the Rev. Sean McManus, head of the Irish National Caucus in Washington.

The prayer for the Feast of St. Chad on March 2 starts:

“Almighty God, whose servant Chad, for the peace of the church, relinquished cheerfully the honors that had been thrust upon him, only to be rewarded with equal responsibility: Keep us, we pray Thee, from thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, and ready at all times to step aside for others.”

St. Chad is still popular in the British Midlands, which is peppered with Chadwells and Chadfields and Chadworths. His bones, stored at St. Chad's Cathedral in Lichfield, England, were carbon-dated in 1996 and found to be from the right time period, though there was an extra leg mixed in with the relics. An ancient well dedicated to St. Chad in London - the waters of which were said to cure indigestion and hangovers - was destroyed to build King's Cross railway station.

Prayer of St. Chad