Who was Hilda of Whitby and why is she important?
St Hilda founded the original Whitby Abbey. The stone ruins that remain today are from a later reconstruction. (Photo: Getty/iStock)19 November is the day when Anglicans remember St Hilda of Whitby. She was a powerful and important woman in the history of the English Church. This is her story.
The Spread of Christianity in England
In the seventh century, what we now call England was made up of several kingdoms. The southern Anglo-Saxon kingdoms — Kent and later East Anglia, Wessex (the West Saxons), Sussex (the South Saxons), and the Isle of Wight—had become Christian through the efforts of Pope Gregory I, with ecclesiastical authority centred at Canterbury.
Meanwhile, the northern kingdoms north of the River Humber were slowly converting to Christianity through missions from both the Saxon south and the Celtic Christian centres of Iona and Lindisfarne. The northern kingdoms of Deira (from the rivers Humber to the Tyne) and Bernicia (from the rivers Tyne to the Forth) later combined to form Northumbria (literally “the land north of the Humber”), which covered much of what later became Yorkshire. Between the north and south lay the still largely pagan kingdom of Mercia, covering the English Midlands.
Family History
Hilda was born into this world as the great-niece of King Edwin of Deira. In AD 627 the family converted to Christianity through the preaching of St Paulinus, who had been sent from Kent. The family, including Hilda — then 13 years old — was baptised by Paulinus at York, which became the ecclesiastical centre of northern England.
King Edwin was succeeded by King Oswald, who also converted to Christianity and encouraged Irish Gaelic-speaking missionaries under St Aidan. Oswald gave them the island of Lindisfarne as a base.
Meanwhile Hilda’s sister Hereswith married Ethelhere of East Anglia and later became a nun at Chelles in Gaul. Hilda followed her to East Anglia, but St Aidan recalled her.
Abbess Hilda
Hilda first became a nun on the northern bank of the River Wear, and afterwards an abbess at Hartlepool. An abbot ruled a house of monks and an abbess ruled a house of nuns. In ancient times, particularly in the Celtic tradition, there were double monasteries containing both monks and nuns, ruled either by an abbot or an abbess. In those days, when priests and bishops could only be male, the role of abbess was the most powerful position a woman could hold within the Church.
In 657, Hilda founded a double monastery at Streanæshalch (now Whitby) on the North Sea coast of what is now North Yorkshire. Under her leadership, Whitby Abbey became a great centre of learning. In the days before printing, books were hand-copied and expensive; Hilda developed a monastic library, and Whitby became known for studying the Scriptures (then only available in Latin). Such was the abbey’s reputation that five of its monks later became bishops, most notably St Wilfrid, who became Bishop of York.
Different Christian Traditions
In Northumbria, two traditions of Christianity existed side by side: the Celtic tradition of the native British and Irish, and the Roman Catholic tradition. Although they shared the same fundamental beliefs, the same Bible, and the Latin language, there were differences. One major difference was the calculation of the date of Easter. The Celtic tradition based Easter on the Jewish Passover, whereas the Roman Church followed the ruling of the Synod of Nicaea (AD 325). This meant Christians within the same kingdom could be celebrating Easter at different times.
The Synod of Whitby
The issue came to a head under King Oswiu (also spelled Oswy or Oswig) of Northumbria, who became king after his brother Oswald in 642. Both brothers had been raised in the Celtic Christian tradition and spoke Gaelic as well as Anglo-Saxon. They kept Easter according to the Celtic calendar. However, Oswiu’s wife, Queen Eanflaed, whose mother was from Kent, followed the Roman dating of Easter. This created tensions because much of the liturgical year depends on the date of Easter — setting the dates of Lent and Pentecost — so one spouse might be fasting while the other was feasting.
In 664, King Oswiu called a meeting of representatives from both Christian traditions to resolve the issue. This gathering became known as the Synod of Whitby.
Abbess Hilda agreed to host the synod. She and her abbey followed the Celtic calculation of Easter. Arguments for the Celtic side were presented by Colman, Bishop of Lindisfarne; arguments for the Roman side were presented by Wilfrid. Bishop Colman defended the Ionan calculation of Easter. Wilfrid argued for the Roman position and the authority of St Peter.
Hilda advocated unity and humility, demonstrating a commitment to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). Though she personally seems to have preferred Celtic customs, she accepted the decision for the sake of wider Church unity.
Underlying the debate was a deeper question: should the English Church follow the traditions of Celtic saints like Aidan and Columba, or align with the authority and customs of the Roman Church and with the southern Anglo-Saxon kingdoms?
After the synod, York became the ecclesiastical centre of Northumbria and was made an archbishopric in AD 735. This is why the Church of England still has two archbishops today.
Wisdom and Influence
After the Synod of Whitby, Hilda became famed for her wisdom and was sought out by rulers and spiritual leaders. The Venerable Bede admired her, describing her as a “mother” to many, echoing Proverbs 31:26: “She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.” Under her guidance, Whitby became a centre of learning and nurtured talents such as Cædmon, the earliest English Christian poet — thus living out the call to “fan into flame the gift of God” (2 Timothy 1:6).
Much of what we know about Hilda comes from Bede’s writings.
Death
Hilda died on 17 November AD 680. Soon after her death she was venerated as a saint in Anglo-Saxon England due to her holiness, wisdom, and role as abbess of Whitby Abbey. She was never formally canonised by the Catholic Church but is generally recognised as a saint. Her day of remembrance is the date of her death, on or near 17 November. The Catholic Church commemorates her on 17 November, some parts of the Anglican Communion on 18 November, and the Church of England now on 19 November.
Church Dedications
There are a dozen or more old English churches dedicated to St Hilda along the northeast coast, for example St Hilda's at South Shields where she founded a monastery.
St Hilda’s College, Oxford — founded in 1893 as a women-only college until 2008 — was named in her honour.
Collect
The Anglican collect for Hilda of Whitby is:
“Eternal God, who made the abbess Hilda to shine like a jewel in our land and through her holiness and leadership blessed your Church with new life and unity:
help us, like her, to yearn for the gospel of Christ and to reconcile those who are divided;
through him who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.”
Hilda’s Blessing
Written in her honour by Barrie Williams:
“Have peace with one another as children of one mother.
Let each defer to other and may your hearts be one.
Have peace with all around you; sweet love of earth surround you;
and may no harm confound you or break the peace within.
Have peace with God your maker. In Jesus be partaker and Spirit consecrator.
God, Three in One, grant peace.
The peace of God possess you. The love of God caress you.
The grace of heaven bless you; peace everlastingly.” CT.
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