St. Aidan of Lindisfarne

St. Aidan was a seventh-century Irish monk of the monastery of Iona, and died on 31 August 651 at Bamburgh in Northumbria (northern England). At the request of the holy King St. Oswald of Northumbria, who wished to bring the Christian faith to his people, Aidan was sent from Iona as a missionary bishop. Choosing the tidal island of Lindisfarne as his base, close to the royal fortress, he founded there a monastery that became a great center of learning and holiness.

Renowned for his gentleness, humility, and love of the poor, he traveled on foot through the countryside preaching and teaching, giving away what he was given, and gradually winning the Northumbrians to Christ; the king himself sometimes served as his interpreter. He trained a generation of native English clergy and monks, and his mission bore lasting fruit in the flourishing Church of northern England. He is venerated as a saint and honored as the Apostle of Northumbria.