#102- ST HILD AND HER POWER UNKNOWN TO MANY

St Hild was deeply connected to York and Canterbury through the Synod of Whitby (664). Here’s how it fits:

• At that time, the Celtic Church (rooted in Irish/Scottish traditions, especially from Iona and Lindisfarne) celebrated Easter on one date, following their own calendar.

• The Roman Church, centred in Canterbury (linked to Rome itself), celebrated Easter on a different date.

• This wasn’t just about the calendar — it symbolised two different traditions of Christianity in Britain.

Hild gathered church leaders and scholars together at Whitby Abbey, which she led, to settle the issue. This was remarkable because:

1. She presided over the council as host and abbess, creating the conditions for dialogue.

2. She held space for men of huge authority — bishops, kings, and scholars — to debate in her abbey.

3. Ultimately, the decision went with the Roman calculation of Easter, bringing unity with Canterbury and Rome, which gave the English church consistency and authority.

So yes — Whitby Abbey became the place where the church aligned, and Hild was at the centre of it.

✨ From a Changing Spaces perspective, this is:

• A woman leading not just a monastery but a moment of transition for an entire nation’s faith.

• The tension between local tradition (Celtic) and wider conformity (Roman).

• Her abbey as a meeting ground — a container for reconciliation and decision-making.

  
  

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