Cuthbert of Lindisfarne & Hereberht of DerwentwaterA.D. 687Feast Day: March 20
St. Cuthbert is well known enough to students of Celtic Christianity or English church history, but who is Hereberht and where is Derwentwater? The connection between these two saints is important enough for those who seek to follow the pattern of the Celtic saints for Cuthbert was Hereberht's soul friend. However, first to Cuthbert.
Bede's life of St. Cuthbert is our best source for Bede's own sources were those who had known Cuthbert during his time on Lindisfarne. Indeed the earliest story of Cuthbert's life comes via Bishop Trumwin, instrumental in calling Cuthbert out of seclusion to take on the role of Bishop of Lindisfarne. Trumwin told Bede that Cuthbert had confided a story of his early youth in which the call of God was first made known. While playing a rowdy game with the local youths a three year old child tearfully rebuked Cuthbert's wild behavior, addressing him as 'Most holy priest and bishop.' That incident would certainly take the steam out of any game.
Later, when Cuthbert was with some shepherds, he saw a vision of angels conducting a glorious soul heavenward. He later learned that Aidan, the bishop of Lindisfarne, had died that very evening. Though Cuthbert was a Saxon, he was drawn to the Celtic style of monastic life and entered the community at Melrose. From there he was sent along with the monk Eata to the community at Ripon where Wilfred, the staunch advocate of the Continental church was bishop. Cuthbert's loyalty to the Celtic pattern and his efforts to find compromise between the two styles of community incurred Wilfred's displeasure and he was soon sent back to Melrose.
An outbreak of plague devastated the Melrose community and Cuthbert was one of those affected along with the Abbot, Boisil. The Holy Spirit revealed to Boisil that Cuthbert would survive but that he would die. So Boisil took Cuthbert under his wing and in the last week of his life lead Cuthbert through an intense study of the Celt's favorite Gospel, St. John. Cuthbert was made prior of Melrose, but his stay there was short. When Eata became abbot of Lindisfarne, he prevailed upon Cuthbert to join him as prior. At Lindisfarne Cuthbert settled into the pattern that characterized so many of the Celtic saints, the easy movement between action in the world and retreat to solitude for prayer. This pattern continued over his years at Lindisfarne, but Cuthbert moved more and more into solitude, first retreating to "St. Cuthbert's Island" a small rock just south of the Abbey which, like Lindisfarne, is surrounded by water at high tide. Cuthbert sought further isolation at Inner Farne, an isolated island further to the south. (It was at Inner Farne that the founders of the Order of St. Aidan took their life vows.)
Although Cuthbert's involvement in the world became less and less, he still went forth seeking to reconcile the Celtic and continental factions of the Church. During one such visit to the Abbess Ebba at Coldingham, Cuthbert spent the night in prayer, standing in the icy North Sea waters while chanting the psalms. A curious monk who had followed him was amazed that when Cuthbert returned to shore, some sea otters joined him and dried his feet with their fur. The decision of the Council of Whitby in 664 to suppress the Celtic style of community in favor of the continental drove Cuthbert more and more into solitude. However, unlike many of his brothers, he did not abandon the community, but accepted the Council's decision with humility and grace. From 676 until 685, Cuthbert lived almost entirely at Inner Farne, with few visitors save brothers from Lindisfarne and his soul friend, Hereberht. In 685, Bishop Trumwin led a delegation to Cuthbert and prevailed upon him to leave his solitude and take on the duties of Bishop of Lindisfarne.
These duties took him to Carlisle for an ordination in late 686 and during that journey he called upon Hereberht at his cell on an island in Derwentwater in the Lake District. At this meeting he told Hereberht that they would not see one another again in this life, for he believed that the time of his death was approaching. Hereberht pleaded that they might 'journey together and see God's glory in heaven.' Cuthbert agreed and returned home to Lindisfarne. On March 20, 687 Cuthbert died on Lindisfarne, and Hereberht also at that hour on Derwentwater, bonded as soul friends at their death as during their life.
