him the patron saint of tanners! He is portrayed in art with his skin draped
over his arm.
31 August St Aidan (died 651 AD)
The story of St Aidan was told by Bede in his Ecclesiastical History of the
English People. Aidan came to England at the behest of St Oswald, who
wanted his kingdom to become Christian and had asked the monks of Iona
to send him a bishop. Oswald gave Aidan the island of Lindisfarne. Aidan
was born in Ireland and ‘proclaimed the word of God in all provinces under
Oswald’s rule’. Bede had the highest praise for Aidan, his only criticism was
that he kept the Easter date according to the northern and Pictish
calculation, not the Roman one (decided at Whitby in 663) Aidan stayed in
Northumbria after Oswald was killed and was succeeded by Oswy and
Oswin. He died at Bamburgh Castle on 31 August 651 and was buried at
Lindisfarne.
Brigitte Williams
INSPIRES ONLINE: The free e-newsletter of the Scottish Episcopal Church
For news of activities and events across the seven dioceses
of the Scottish Episcopal Church, check out the diocesan
websites:
Aberdeen & Orkney
Argyll & The Isles
Brechin
Edinburgh
Glasgow & Galloway
Moray, Ross & Caithness
St Andrews, Dunkeld & Dunblane
www.aberdeen.anglican.org
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www.brechin.anglican.org
www.edinburgh.anglican.org
www.glasgow.anglican.org
www.morayepiscopalchurch.scot
www.standrews.anglican.org
A Prayer for the Church
O God of unchangeable power and eternal light, look
favourably upon the whole Church, that wonderful and sacred
mystery; and by the tranquil operation of thy perpetual
providence carry out the work of man’s salvation, and let the
whole world feel and see that things which were cast down
are being raised up, and things which had grown old are
being made new, and all things are returning to perfection
through him from whom they took their origin, even Jesus
Christ our Lord.
Amen
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