Calendar November 2019

Hilda, Abbess of Whitby 680

On November 19th the Church remembers Hilda of Whitby (614-680) who demonstrated the important role women played in the development of Christianity in the Early English kingdoms. Hilda was of noble birth and brought up in the household of King Edwin of Northumbria. It was not until she was in her thirties that she decided to forsake themore leisurely life of a noblewoman for that of a nun. Under the influence of Aidan of Iona and Lindisfarne, Hilda was persuaded to remain in the north of England and she eventually became Abbess of Whitby.

This was a double monastery containing both monks and nuns and at the head of the community was Abbess Hilda. The monastery had very large estates and, as a result, Hilda not only supervised the monks who led the worship, the nuns who devoted themselves to prayer and contemplation, but she was also responsible for the large number of lay servants and craftsmen who looked after the monastery and its estates.

Amongst the servants in

St Andrew the Apostle

There is an intriguing connection between the Beacon Saint for October - Wilfrid - and this month's Saint - Andrew the Apostle. And yet they lived six hundred years apart! Legend has it that Wilfrid came back from a pilgrimage to Rome clutching some relics of St Andrew - probably pieces of bone - and presented them to the King of Scotland. The King installed these relics at a place in Fife which we know as St Andrews. Of course, Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and the St Andrew Cross (the saltire) with its X shape is part of the Union Jack. Sadly, like so many other stories about St Andrew it is very unlikely that he had any genuine connection with Scotland or with Russia, Romania or Greece, all claiming him as their patron saint.

It is said that he chose to be martyred on the X shaped cross because he felt unworthy to be crucified on the same style of cross as Jesus. Again, this tradition of his martyrdom dates probably from as late as 900AD and we really know