May Saints

              Venerable Bede
                    672-735 A.D.
     Bede was born around 672 in England. At the age of seven he was brought to a Benedictine Monastery. He became a monk when he was ordained a priest in 692. Bede was also an English scholar and wrote on grammar, orthography, chronology, theology, and history.

     Bede was one of the most learned men of his time. His most important work was the Ecclesiastical History of the English people which he finished around 731. It was considered the main source of English history up until that time. This work has made him known as the "Father of English History". He also wrote a book of the description of the physical universe and a book on the nature of time. He popularized the idea of dating events backward or forward from the time of Christ. He wrote commentaries on the books of the Old and New Testament. These he thought where his most important contributions to learning.

     On his deathbed he translated the Gospel of Saint John into English. He was canonized as a doctor of the church in 1899. We celebrate his feast day on May 25th.