St. Chad... unbelievable but apparently true

[Mark A. Mandel]

Callie Hills posted this to the Lois Bujold mailing list. It looks too good
to be true, but it really does check out in some other sources I can find
on-line, such as
 - Lives of Western Saints,
http://www.ocf.org/OrthodoxPage/resource/West.lives.html
 - Catholic Encyclopedia ,http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03470c.htm
(evidently scanned in and proofed poorly or not at all)

-- Mark

   Mark A. Mandel : Dragon Systems, a Lernout & Hauspie company
          Mark_Mandel at dragonsys.com : Senior Linguist
 320 Nevada St., Newton, MA 02460, USA : http://www.dragonsys.com

>From the Washington Times on-line,
http://www.washtimes.com/national/default-20001130223428.htm
November 30, 2000


St. Chad's grace in defeat won him eternal veneration


By Robin Galiano
COX NEWS SERVICE

     "Keep us, we pray, from thinking of ourselves more highly than we
ought to think, and ready at all times to step aside for others, in honor
preferring one another, that the cause of Christ may be advanced." ?
Suggested prayer on the Feast of Saint Chad

     LONGVIEW, Texas -- As if this presidential election needs another
twist, it turns out there is a patron saint of disputed elections, and it's
none other than St. Chad of Lichfield, England.
     The seventh-century Anglican bishop is perhaps best known for not
being the archbishop of York. While Chad was elected and duly installed as
archbishop of York, some bishops objected to his ordination because his
consecration had not been rightly performed.
     Unlike his bickering American counterparts today, however, Chad humbly
withdrew in favor of the other candidate to preserve unity.
     Rather than cause division in the church, Chad is said to have told
the archbishop of Canterbury: "If you decide that I have not rightly
received the episcopal character, I willingly lay down the office; for I
have never thought myself worthy of it, but under obedience, I, though
unworthy, consented to undertake it."
     The archbishop of Canterbury was so impressed with Chad's humility,
the story goes, that he ordained Chad Bishop of Lichfield instead. Chad
died on March 2, 672, and he was venerated as a saint soon afterward.
     The Rev. Jim Bass, pastor of Mission Bend United Methodist Church in
Houston, uncovered the ironic historical twist and passed along the
information to Methodist pastors in the Texas conference. His tale was
verified by the Oxford Dictionary of Saints.
     The Rev. Jim Welch of Longview's First United Methodist Church said
the irony of a saint named Chad was too good to pass up at the beginning of
his sermon Sunday morning. And the congregation cracked up, he added.
     "I was going to use it in our newsletter, but I could not resist using
it in church," Mr. Welch said. "I mean, how ironic. The Bible is full of
gentle humor, with all kinds of word play. And the greatest use is irony."

-- Mark