Saint Hilda of Whitby (November 17)

Saint Hilda of Whitby (614-680)

Saint Hilda was born in 614 in Northumbria, England, a princess of the royal family. Her father was a nephew of Edwin, King of Deira, a northern Anglo-Saxon kingdom. Her father died while she was still a child.
She became a nun at the age of thirty-three. She had intended to join her sister Hereswith in a monastery in Gaul (France), but she was called back to Northumbria at the request of Bishop Aidan of Lindisfarne. She became abbess of Hartlepool, and in 657 she founded the monastery at Whitby and became its abbess.

She set up a library and a school of theology, and established a high standard of holiness and charity. Five of her students became bishops, two of whom, John of Beverley and Wilfrid of York, are honoured as saints. Bede said of her monastery: “No one there was rich, and no one was poor, for everything was held in common and no one had any personal property.” Bede wrote admiringly of Hilda’s gifts as an abbess, and her community was known for peace, charity and justice. Hilda’s strength and wisdom were known throughout the land, and kings and powerful people sought her advice.

Saint Hilda died in 680. For the last six years of her life she was very ill, yet despite her illness she never stopped working. Bede records that there were several visions surrounding her death. In a monastery Hilda had founded at Hackness, a nun dreamed that she saw Hilda’s soul rising to heaven, surrounded by angels, through the open roof of the dormitory. When monks arrived from Whitby to announce her death, the nuns there had already begun chanting psalms and prayers for her.
Hilda is said to have been a woman of great energy who cared for everyone, whatever their status. She employed many people, including a cowherd named Cædmon. Cædmon was inspired to sing verses in praise of God, a gift that Hilda recognized and encouraged. Cædmon is known today as the earliest known English poet.
She is honoured as a saint by the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Churches and the Anglican Communion, and is celebrated on November 17 (November 19 among Anglicans). She played a very important role in the history of Christianity in England.
She is regarded as the patron saint of education, culture and poetry.

Prepared by Rita, of the Sawt el Rab team