St. Bede the Scholar Monk (673-735)
St. Bede, also known as the Venerable Bede, is widely regarded as the greatest of all the Anglo-Saxon scholars. He wrote some forty books on practically every area of knowledge, but most of his writings were on theology and history.
He wrote of himself:
"I have devoted my energies to the study of the scriptures, observing monastic discipline, and singing the daily services in church; study, teaching, and writing have always been my delight."
Born in 673, Bede began his monastic-discipline at the newly founded Benedictine monastery of St. Peter in Wearmouth at the age of seven. When he had completed this schooling, he moved to the twin monastery of St. Paul in nearby Jarrow where he remained for the rest of his life. He was ordained a priest in 702 by St. John of Beverly.
Bede's Biblical writings were extensive and important in their time, but it is as an historian that he is best known. He wrote "The Life and Miracles of St. Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne. However, his most famous work is the Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, a chronicle of English history from the Roman occupation until the date of its completion in 731. Even today, this work is considered an important source of early English history. He also wrote grammatical and chronological works, hymns, letters, and homilies and compiled the first martyrology.
St. Bede died on the eve of the Ascension, May 26, 735. Even on the day of his death, the saint was busy dictating a translation of the Gospel of St. John. When finished, he lay upon the floor of his cell singing, "Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost" and peacefully breathed his last breath.
In about 1022, Bede's remains were taken some say stolen - from Jarrow by a monk called Alfred, and brought to Durham. At frist, they were buried in the Choir together with the remains of St. Cuthbert. Then in 1370, Bede's bones were moved to a splendid shrine in the Galilee Chapel. This shrine, shrine, however, was destroyed in 1540 during the Reformation and Bede's remains were buried in a grave where the shrine had previously stood. When the grave was opened again in 1831, some bones and a gilded iron finger-ring were found. The bones were re-buried in the Durham Cathedral and the present tomb erected above them. The ring is now in the Cathedral's Treasury Museum.
St. Bede was declared Venerable (made sacred) by the church in 836 and was canonized in 1899. His feast day is commemorated on may 25 with the title "Doctor of the Church."
St. Bede, also known as the Venerable Bede, is widely regarded as the greatest of all the Anglo-Saxon scholars. He wrote some forty books on practically every area of knowledge, but most of his writings were on theology and history.
He wrote of himself:
"I have devoted my energies to the study of the scriptures, observing monastic discipline, and singing the daily services in church; study, teaching, and writing have always been my delight."
Born in 673, Bede began his monastic-discipline at the newly founded Benedictine monastery of St. Peter in Wearmouth at the age of seven. When he had completed this schooling, he moved to the twin monastery of St. Paul in nearby Jarrow where he remained for the rest of his life. He was ordained a priest in 702 by St. John of Beverly.
Bede's Biblical writings were extensive and important in their time, but it is as an historian that he is best known. He wrote "The Life and Miracles of St. Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne. However, his most famous work is the Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, a chronicle of English history from the Roman occupation until the date of its completion in 731. Even today, this work is considered an important source of early English history. He also wrote grammatical and chronological works, hymns, letters, and homilies and compiled the first martyrology.
St. Bede died on the eve of the Ascension, May 26, 735. Even on the day of his death, the saint was busy dictating a translation of the Gospel of St. John. When finished, he lay upon the floor of his cell singing, "Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost" and peacefully breathed his last breath.
In about 1022, Bede's remains were taken some say stolen - from Jarrow by a monk called Alfred, and brought to Durham. At frist, they were buried in the Choir together with the remains of St. Cuthbert. Then in 1370, Bede's bones were moved to a splendid shrine in the Galilee Chapel. This shrine, shrine, however, was destroyed in 1540 during the Reformation and Bede's remains were buried in a grave where the shrine had previously stood. When the grave was opened again in 1831, some bones and a gilded iron finger-ring were found. The bones were re-buried in the Durham Cathedral and the present tomb erected above them. The ring is now in the Cathedral's Treasury Museum.
St. Bede was declared Venerable (made sacred) by the church in 836 and was canonized in 1899. His feast day is commemorated on may 25 with the title "Doctor of the Church."