Saint Accas
(+ 740)
Évêque en Angleterre. Il
était l'ami de Bède le Vénérable. Après avoir évangélisé la Frise il revint en
Angleterre au diocèse d'Hexham.
SOURCE : https://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/8597/Saint-Accas.html
Also
known as
Accas
Actas
Arcas
formerly 19 October
19 February
(translation of relics)
6 August (Scottish
Kalendar of Dempster)
16 January (Scottish
Kalendar of Camerarius)
Profile
Grew up in the household
of Saint Bosa of York,
and became his spiritual student, aide, and travelling
companion. Benedictine
monk.
Close friend of and chaplain
to Saint Wilfrid,
and accompanied him on trips to the continent. Friend of the Venerable Bede, who
dedicated some of his writings
to Acca. Abbot of
Saint Andrews at Hexham,
England
in 709,
nominated by Saint
Wilfrid just before that holy man died.
Bishop
of Hexham.
Built churches, and
re-outfitted the principal church at Hexham.
Had a beautiful singing
voice, and encouraged the revival of vocal music in
British liturgy. First English
prelate to appeal to Vatican in a dispute. Believed the Church in England
needed to be more like Rome in liturgical form. Bible scholar
with a large theological
library
who supplied information for Bede‘s Ecclesiastical
History.
Political intrigues led
to king Ceolwulf
of Northumbria
being kidnapped
in 731, and
forced to enter a monastery.
Ceolwulf’s supporters later restored him to the throne, and Acca was exiled,
which probably indicates his involvement in the coup. Some records imply that
he fled west, and was appointed bishop of
Whithorn.
Born
c.660 in Northumbria,
England
20 October 742 at
Whithorn, Galloway,
Scotland
of natural causes
buried
beside the east wall of Hexham
Cathedral
between two huge stone crosses
decorated with vines and tendrils, which survive to today and can be seen in
the abbey church
relics translated in
the late 10th
century, in 1154,
and in 1240
Additional
Information
Book of
Saints, by the Monks of
Ramsgate
Dictionary
of National Biography
Saints
of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein
books
Kalendars of Scottish
Saints, by Alexander Penrose Forbes, 1872
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
Saints
and Their Attributes, by Helen Roeder
The Saints: A Concise Biographical Dictionary, by John
Coulson
other
sites in english
1001 Patron Saints and Their Feast Days, Australian
Catholic Truth Society
Orthodox Christian Saints of the West
webseiten
auf deutsch
sites
en français
fonti
in italiano
Readings
Great in the sight of God and men. – Venerable Bede writing
about his friend Acca
MLA
Citation
“Saint Acca of Hexham“. CatholicSaints.Info.
8 January 2024. Web. 7 October 2026.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-acca/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-acca/
Hexham Abbey
Hexham
Abbey
Article
ACCA (Saint) Bishop
(October 20) (8th century) A disciple of Bosa of York and of St. Wilfrid, and
successor of the latter Saint at Hexham. Saint Acca was held in the highest
veneration by Venerable Bede. He seems to have died (A.D. 740), perhaps in
exile, or shortly after his return to Hexham. A solemn Translation of his
relics took place three centuries later. Saint Acca was certainly one of the
most learned Anglo-Saxon prelates of his century.
MLA
Citation
Monks of Ramsgate.
“Acca”. Book of Saints, 1921.
CatholicSaints.Info. 30 April 2012.
Web. 7 October 2026. <http://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-acca/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-acca/
New Catholic
Dictionary – Saint Acca
Article
(c.660–742)
Confessor.
Bishop
of Hexham, England.
Bede
dedicated several works to him. Driven from his diocese,
732,
he took refuge in Galloway, but returned in 742.
The Celtic
cross at his grave in Hexham has been restored. Patron of learning. Feast,
20
October.
MLA
Citation
“Saint Acca”. New Catholic Dictionary. CatholicSaints.Info. 25
July 2012.
Web. 7 October 2026.
<http://catholicsaints.info/new-catholic-dictionary-saint-acca/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/new-catholic-dictionary-saint-acca/
St. Acca
Feastday: October 20
Birth: 660
Death: 742
Bishop and scholar, a
companion of early English saints and missionaries. Acca was born in
Northumbria, England, and was educated in the company of St. Bosa, a
Benedictine apostle
of great courage. He also met St. Wilfrid, who appointed him the abbot of St.
Andrew's Monastery in Hexham, England. Acca joined St. Wilfrid
as early as 678 and accompanied him to Rome in 692.
When Wilfred died in 709, Acca succeeded him as the bishop of
Hexham. He spent his monastic and episcopal years erecting parish
churches in the area. He also introduced Christian
arts and promoted learning. Acca brought a famous cantor, a man named
Maban, to Hexham, and with him introduced the Roman Chants. St. Bede
dedicated several of his works to Acca, who also promoted other Christian
writers. For reasons undocumented, Acca was driven out of Hexham in 732. He
retired to a hermitage in Withern, in Galloway. Just before his death in 742 he
returned to Hexham and was unanimously revered. When he was buried, two Celtic crosses
were recreated at his gravesite. One still stands in Hexham. When his body was
moved sometime later, his vestments
were found intact. The accounts of Acca's miracles were drawn up by St. Aelred
and by the historian Simeon of
Durham.
SOURCE : https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1094
St. Acca, Bishop of
Hexham
(Died AD 740)
During his youth, Acca
joined the household of Bishop Bosa of
York, where he fell in with the Romanist party and became a faithful friend
of St.
Wilfred, Abbot of Ripon. They were constant companions for thirteen, often
turbulent, years and Acca accompanied the great man on many of his Continental
visits.
Upon, Wilfred's deathbed
(AD 709), he nominated Acca to succeed him as Abbot of Hexham and, in the
event, he was able to take up the Bishopric as well. He completed the building
work started by his friend and decorated the principal church at Hexham with
altars, sacred vessels and holy relics.
Acca was an accomplished
singer and a noted scholar of the age. Bede praised
the high quality and wide-ranging diversity of his theological library; and
dedicated several of his biblical works to the Bishop. The two seem to have
known each other well, for when Acca found St. Ambrose's commentary on St. Luke
too long, he encouraged the father of English History to write a reduced
version. He later supplied Bede with information for the Ecclesiastical
History.
In AD 731, political
intrigues led to King Ceolwulf of Northumbria being seized by unknown opponents
and forced to enter a monastery. His supporters subsequently restored him to
the throne, but vengeance was swift and Bishop Acca expulsion from his see soon
afterward almost certainly indicates his involvement in the coup. Some records
imply that he fled west where he was appointed Bishop of Whithorn.
Acca died on 20th October
AD 740. He was buried beside the east wall of Hexham Cathedral, between two
huge stone crosses decorated with Mediterranean-style vines and tendrils. These
survive largely intact and can be seen today inside the Abbey Church.
SOURCE : http://www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/adversaries/bios/acca.html
ACCA OF HEXHAM, ST.
Bishop of Hexham; d.
Hexham, England, Oct. 20, 740. A Northumbrian, he was fostered by Bosa (d.
705), who was afterward appointed bishop of York (678), and he became the
devoted disciple and companion of Wilfrid. When the latter was reinstated at
Hexham in 705, he made Acca abbot of St. Andrew's monastery there. Acca
succeeded Wilfrid as bishop of Hexham in 709. In addition to ruling the diocese
with zeal, he concerned himself with the promotion of the liturgy in all its
splendor by procuring the service of the cantor Maban (fl. 720), who had
inherited the Roman tradition of psalmody of gregory the great, brought to
England by the monks of Augustine of Canterbury. He completed, decorated, and
richly furnished the churches begun by Wilfrid. He promoted learning, built and
equipped a famous library, and, above all, encouraged bede, who wrote about him
and dedicated several books to him. He was expelled from Hexham in 732 for some
unknown reason; he sought refuge in Galloway but returned to die and be buried
in his diocese.
Feast: Oct. 20.
Bibliography: Bede, Ecclesiastical
History 5:19–20; ed. C. Plummer 1:330–332. J. Godfrey, The
Church in Anglo-Saxon England (Cambridge, England 1962), passim. A. S. Cook, "The Old-English Andreas and Bishop Acca of Hexham," Transactions
of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences 26 (1924) 245–332. A. M. Zimmermann, Lexicon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. J. Hofer and K. Rahner (Freiburg 1957–65) 1:103; Kalendarium Benedictinum (Metten
1933–38) 3:200–203.
[C. Mcgrath]
New Catholic Encyclopedia
SOURCE : https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/acca-hexham-st
Saints of the Day
– Acca of Hexham
Article
Born in Northumbria,
England, c.660; died 742; feast day formerly October 19; feast of translation
is February 19.
From his youth Acca had
been close to other saints of the time. He was raised in the household of Saint
Bosa of York and became a disciple and constant companion of Saint Wilfrid,
whom he accompanied for 13 years to England, Frisia, and Rome (and in the last,
says Bede, ‘learning many valuable things about the organization of the church
which he could not have found out in his own country’). When Wilfrid was ill at
Meaux in 705, he told Acca the story of his vision. Later, on his deathbed,
Wilfrid named Acca abbot of Saint Andrew’s in Hexham.
Acca was also a friend of
the Venerable Bede, who described him as “great in the sight of God and man”
and who dedicated several works in his honor. For his part, Acca urged Bede to
write a simple commentary on Luke because that completed by Saint Ambrose was
too long and diffuse. He also supplied material to Bede for the Ecclesiastical
history and to Eddius for his life of Saint Wilfrid.
Saint Wilfrid was the
first English prelate to appeal to Rome in a dispute. Acca, who succeeded
Wilfrid in the see of Hexham in 709, also believed that the English Church
needed to be brought into line with Roman customs – liturgically rather than
legally. Bede writes, “He invited a famous singer named Maban, who had been
trained by the followers of Pope Gregory’s disciples in Kent, to come and teach
him and his clergy.” Maban, a monk of Canterbury, taught church music for 12
years – reviving old forgotten chants as well as bringing new ones. Acca also
sang beautifully, according to Bede, and encouraged this revival by his own
example.
Acca loved the Scriptures
and studied them diligently. He refurbished the churches with sacred vessels
and lights. Above all he enlarged and beautified the cathedral of Saint Andrew
in Hexham, and adorned it with altars, relics, and sacred vessels. He also
finished three of Wilfrid’s smaller churches. He also established a fine
library to which scholars and students were drawn, all of whom received the
patronage of Bishop Acca, one of the most learned Anglo-Saxon prelates of his
day. Bede considered this library one of the finest collections available.
For some reason Acca was
forced out of his diocese in 732. He was exiled to Withern (Whithorn), Galloway
(and may have been its bishop); but he returned before his death and was buried
at Hexham. Two stone crosses decorated with grape vines adorned his tomb in the
cathedral’s east wall. The relics were translated in the late 11th century, at
which time a portable altar inscribed “Almae Trinitati, agiae Sophiae, sanctae
Mariae” was found in his coffin. They were again translated in 1154 and 1240
(Benedictines, Bentley, Encyclopedia, Farmer).
He is generally depicted
in art as an abbot or bishop in a library with monks, sometimes with the
Venerable Bede (Roeder).
MLA
Citation
Katherine I Rabenstein. Saints of the Day, 1998.
CatholicSaints.Info. 3 August 2020. Web. 7 October 2026.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saints-of-the-day-acca-of-hexham/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saints-of-the-day-acca-of-hexham/
St. Acca
Bishop of Hexham,
and patron of
learning (c. 660-742). Acca was a Northumbrian by birth and began life in the
household of a certain Bosa, who afterwards became Bishop of York.
After a few years, however, Acca attached himself to St.
Wilfrid and remained his devoted disciple and
companion in all his troubles. He may have joined Wilfrid as early as 678, and
he certainly was with him at the time of his second journey to Rome in
692. On their return to England,
when Wilfrid was reinstated at Hexham,
he made Accaabbot of
St. Andrew's monastery there;
and after Wilfrid's death (709) Acca succeeded him as bishop.
The work of completing and adorning the churches left unfinished by St.
Wilfrid was energetically carried on by his successor. In ruling
the diocese and
in conducting the services of the Church,
Acca was equally zealous.
He brought to the North a famous cantor named
Maban, who had learned in Kent the
Roman traditions of psalmody handed down from St.
Gregory the Great through St.
Augustine. He was famed also for his theological learning,
and for his encouragement of students by every means in his power. It was at
Acca's instigation that Eddius undertook the Life of St.
Wilfrid, and above all, it was to the same kind friend and patron
that Bede dedicated
several of his most important works, especially those dealing with Holy
Scripture. For some unexplained reason Acca was driven from hisdiocese in
732. He is believed to have retired to Withern in Galloway,
but he returned to Hexham before
his death in 742, when he was at once revered as a Saint.
Two crosses of exquisite workmanship, one of which is still preserved in a fragmentary
state, were erected at the head and foot of his grave.
When the body of the Saint was translated, the vestments were
found entire, and the accounts of his miracles were
drawn up by St.
Ælred and by Simeon
of Durham. Of any true liturgical cultus
there is little trace, but his feast is
said to have been kept on 20 October. There is also mention of 19 February,
which may have been the date of some translation of his relics.
Sources
The only writing of
Acca's which we possess is a letter addressed to St. Bede and printed in his
works. This document, together with much other material relating to Acca, has
also been printed in RAINE'S Priory of Hexham (London, 1864), Surtees
Society, 1864. Our knowledge of Acca's life is derived primarily from BEDE,
EDDIUS, SIMEON OF DURHAM, RICHARD OF DURHAM, and AELRED. Adequate accounts may
be also found in STANTON'S English Menology (London, 1892),
507; Dict. of Nat. Biog,; Dict. of Christ. Biog. For some archaeological
sidelights, cf. BROWNE (Anglican Bishop), Theodore and Wilfrith (London,
1897).
Thurston,
Herbert. "St. Acca." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol.
1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 19 Oct. 2019 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01093a.htm>.
Transcription. This
article was transcribed for New Advent by Stephen Patrick Wilson. Dedicated
to Pope John Paul II.
Ecclesiastical
approbation. Nihil Obstat. March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D.,
Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Copyright © 2026 by New Advent LLC.
Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
SOURCE : http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01093a.htm
Dictionary of
National Biography – Acca
Acca (died 740), fifth
bishop of Hexham (709–732), was a native of Northumbria, and was brought up
from childhood in the household of Bosa, who was made bishop of York in 678 in
the place of Wilfrid. Wilfrid was deposed from his see because he refused to
assent to the subdivision of the Northumbrian diocese according to the plan of
Archbishop Theodore. It would seem that Acca sympathised with Wilfrid. He
transferred himself to Wilfrid’s service, accompanied him in his wanderings,
and stood high in his confidence and affection till his death. He was with
Wilfrid in his missionary journey among the South Saxons. He went with Wilfrid
to Friesland, and visited Saint Willibrord. He further accompanied Wilfrid to
Rome. On their return in 705 Wilfrid was seized with sickness at Meaux, and lay
as though dead, but was restored by a vision of Saint Michael. On recovering
consciousness his first question was, ‘Ubi est Acca presbyter?’ and to Acca
alone he narrated his vision. When Wilfrid, on his return to Northumbria in
705, settled in his favourite monastery of Hexham, and became bishop of the
see, which embraced the southern part of Bernicia, Acca shared in his labours.
He was made by Wilfrid abbot of Hexham, and on Wilfrid’s death in 709 Acca was
chosen to succeed his master.
As bishop of Hexham, Acca
faithfully carried out the work which Wilfrid had begun. Wilfrid brought to the
adornment of Hexham all the cultivation which he had gathered from his journeys
on the Continent. He built the monastery church, which was dedicated to Saint
Andrew, and three others, Saint Mary’s, Saint Peter’s, and Saint Michael’s.
These buildings Acca completed and adorned. He gathered relics of saints and
martyrs, and erected side-chapels with altars in their honour. Eddius says that
they were splendid with gold and silver and precious stones, and were draped
with purple and silks. Acca procured holy vessels, lamps, and all things needed
for the ornament of his churches. He was himself a skilful musician, and wished
to have the services performed according to the model which he had seen in
Italy. He summoned to Hexham a famous singer, Maban by name, who had learned
his art in Kent from the descendants of those whom Saint Gregory had sent to
instruct in ritual the barbarous English. Maban abode in Hexham twelve years,
till he had trained a choir. Nor was Acca satisfied with merely providing for outward
magnificence. He carefully brought together a large and noble library,
consisting of theological works and lives of the saints.
In administering his
diocese, Acca was a strict upholder of ecclesiastical discipline, and showed a
worthy example to his clergy and people. He was renowned for his theological
learning, and his advice was freely sought by students. His library at Hexham
was probably of great service to Bede, with whom Acca stood in intimate
relations. Their friendship began soon after Acca’s coming to Hexham, as Bede
dedicated his ‘Hexameron’ to Acca while still abbot. Bede mentions Acca as his
authority for several things which he narrates in his ‘History’. Eddius, in his
preface to his ‘Life of Wilfrid,’ says that he undertook the work at Acca’s
instigation. Acca seems to have acted as an adviser and patron to men of
letters. He was in constant correspondence with Bede about his ‘Commentaries on
the Scriptures,’ and encouraged him to proceed with his work. Bede’s
Commentaries on Genesis, on Saint Mark’s Gospel, and on the Acts of the
Apostles are all dedicated to Acca; and a poem of Bede on the Last Judgment,
addressed to Acca, is interpolated into Simeon of Durham’s ‘Chronicle’. In the
prologue to his ‘ Commentary on the Acts,’ Bede writes to Acca: ‘Accepi
creberrimas beatitudinis tuæ literas, quibus me commonere dignatus es, ne
mentis acumen inerti otio torpere et obdormire permittam.’ One only of these
letters of Acca has come down to us. In this letter Acca beseeches Bede to
write a commentary on Saint Luke’s Gospel; he combats the plea that the work
has been sufficiently done by Saint Ambrose; he urges the need of a simpler
commentary, and humorously exclaims, ‘Beatum Lucam luculento sermone expone.’
The end of Acca’s life is
obscure. In 732 he was driven from the see of Hexham. We do not know the
reason; probably it was some cause connected with the still uncertain
organisation of the Northumbrian dioceses. It cannot have been for any reason
disgraceful to him, since he was revered by the monks of Hexham as a saint.
Richard of Hexham records a story that Acca spent the years of his exile in
organising the new diocese of Whithern, in Galloway. However this may be, Acca
returned to Hexham before his death in 740. He was buried outside the east wall
of the church, and two stone crosses of elaborate workmanship were erected over
his grave. One of these crosses has been identified by Raine, and is engraved
in the ‘Priory of Hexham’. The remains of Acca were twice translated, once in
the eleventh century and again in 1154. He is commemorated in the Calendar on
19 February. His miracles are recorded by Simeon of Durham, s.a.740, and by
Aelred, abbot of Rievaux.
MLA
Citation
Mandell Creighton.
“Acca”. Dictionary of National Biography, 1885.
CatholicSaints.Info. 6 April 2019. Web. 7 October 2026.
<https://catholicsaints.info/dictionary-of-national-biography-acca/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/dictionary-of-national-biography-acca/
Saint of the Day – 20
October – Saint Acca (c 660-742)
Posted on October
20, 2019
Saint of the Day – 20
October – Saint Acca (c 660-742) Bishop, Abbot, Missionary, Theologian,
Musician – born in c 660 in Northumbria, England and died on 20 October 742 at
Whithorn, Galloway, Scotland of natural causes. Patronage –
learning.
During his youth, St Acca
first served in the household of Bosa, the future Bishop of York and a student
of St Wildrid. After meeting St Wilfrid (c 633-710), possibly as
early as 678, St Acca joined him and accompanied him on his missionary
travels. Later he told his friend, St Bede the Venerable, of their
stay at Utrecht with the Saint Archbishop Willibrord, Wilfrid’s old pupil who
was carrying on his work of converting continental heathens. Their
missionary journeys together lasted for 13 years.
On the return from their
second journey to Rome in 692, Wilfrid was reinstated at Hexham and made Acca
the Abbot of St Andrew’s monastery there. During Wilfrid’s later
years, Acca was the older man’s loyal companion, eventually succeeding him in
709 as Abbot and Bishop.
St Acca approached his
duties with much energy, in ruling the Diocese and in conducting the services
of the church. He also carried on the work of church building and
decorating started by Wilfrid. St Bede left a glowing account of
the work Acca did during the quarter of a century when he led the community at
Hexham. He adorned the church with paintings, sculpture and rich
hangings, he gathered sacred relics and built side-chapels to house them, he
created a library of godly books, he brought from Kent a skilled teacher of
Gregorian chant named Maban, to ensure that the music and liturgy of the church
were as fine as any in Europe.
Acca was both an
accomplished musician himself and a learned theologian. St Bede
describes Acca as “…a most experienced cantor, most learned in sacred writings
…and thoroughly familiar with the rules of ecclesiastical custom.”
He was known also for his
encouragement of students by every means in his power. It was Acca who
persuaded Fr Stephen of Ripon, a Priest, to write the Life of St Wilfrid and he
lent many materials for the Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum to Bede, who
dedicated several of his most important works, especially those dealing with
Holy Scripture, to him.
For reasons now unknown
Acca either withdrew, or was driven from, his Diocese in 732. Hexham tradition
says he became bishop of Whithorn in Galloway, Scotland, while others claim he
founded a see on the site of St Andrews, bringing with him relics collected on
his Roman tour, including those of St Andrew. Yet a third account
states that having fallen out with the Northumbrian king, Acca went to live in
exile in Ireland on a remote coast before returning to Hexham. St
Andrew’s Church in Aycliffe is said to have been once dedicated to Acca.
Acca was buried at Hexham
near the east wall of the abbey. Two finely carved crosses,
fragments of one of which still remain, were erected at the head and foot of
his grave. He was revered as a saint immediately after his
death. His body was translated at least three times – in the early
11th century, by Alfred of Westow, sacrist of Durham, in 1154, at the
restoration of the church, when the relics of all the Hexham saints were put
together in a single shrine and again in 1240. His feast day is 20
October. The translation of his relics is commemorated on 19
February.
Author: AnaStpaul
Passionate Catholic.
Being a Catholic is a way of life - a love affair "Religion must be like
the air we breathe..."- St John Bosco Prayer is what the world needs
combined with the example of our lives which testify to the Light of Christ.
This site, which is now using the Traditional Calendar, will mainly concentrate
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provides in our Catholic Monthly Devotions. This Site is placed under the
Patronage of my many favourite Saints and especially, St Paul. "For the
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who move us and lead us, to where we had not expected to go.” Charles Cardinal
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SOURCE : https://anastpaul.com/2019/10/20/saint-of-the-day-20-october-saint-acca-c-660-742/
SAINTS ACCA AND ALCMUND
OF HEXHAM
Our holy Father Acca as a
young man joined the household of Bosa, bishop of York, and later became a
disciple of the great St. Wilfrid, bishop of York and later of Hexham. For thirteen
years he accompanied his teacher on his journeys through England and on the
continent, and was a witness at his holy repose. And when Wilfrid died, in 709,
he became his successor as abbot and bishop of Hexham in Northumbria.
The Venerable Bede called
Acca "the dearest and best loved of all bishops on this earth." Bede
also praised his theological library and dedicated several of his works to him.
On becoming bishop of Hexham Acca completed three of Wilfrid's smaller churches
and splendidly adorned his cathedral at Hexham, providing it with ornaments of
gold, silver and precious stones, and decorating the altars with purple and
silk. Moreover, he invited an excellent singer called Maban who had been taught
church harmony at Canterbury to teach himself and the people. He himself was a
chanter of great skill.
In 732 Acca either
retired or was expelled from his see, and later became bishop of Whithorn in
Southern Scotland. He died on October 20, 740, and was buried near the east
wall of his cathedral in Hexham. Parts of two stone crosses which were placed
at his tomb still survive.
In about 1030, Alfred
Westow, a Hexham priest and a sacrist at Durham, translated the relics of St.
Acca, following a Divine revelation, to a place of more fitting honor in the
church. At that time the saint's vestments were found in all their pristine
freshness and strength, and were displayed by the brethren of the church for
the veneration of the faithful. Above his chest was found a portable altar with
the inscription Almae Trinitati, agiae Sophiae, sanctae Mariae. This also was
the object of great veneration. Many miracles were wrought through this saint.
Those attempting to infringe the sanctuary of his church were driven off in a
wondrous and terrible manner, and those who tried to steal relics were
prevented from doing so.
A brother of the church
by the name of Aldred related the following story. When he was an adolescent
and was living in the house of his brother, a priest, he was once asked by his
brother to keep an eye on some relics of St. Acca which he had wrapped in a
cloth and laid on the altar of St. Michael in the southern porch of the church.
Then it came into the mind of Aldred that a certain church (we may guess that
it was Durham) would be greatly enriched by the bones of St. Acca. So, after
prostrating himself on the ground and praying the seven penitential psalms, he
entered the porch with the intention of taking them away. Suddenly he felt heat
as of fire which thrust him back in great trepidation. Thinking that he had
approached with insufficient reverence and preparation, he again prostrated
himself and poured forth still more ardent prayers to the Lord. But on
approaching a second time he felt a still fiercer heat opposing him. Realizing
that his intention was not in accordance with the will of God, he withdrew.
Our holy Father Alcmund
was bishop of Hexham from 767 to 781, reposed on September 7, 781, and was
buried next to St. Acca. In 1032, he appeared by night to a certain very pious
man by the name of Dregmo who lived near the church at Hexham. Wearing
pontifical vestments and holding a pastoral staff in his hand, he nudged Dregmo
with it and said
"Rise, go to Alfred,
son of Westow, a priest of the Church of Durham, and tell him to transfer my
body from this place to a more honorable one within the church. For it is
fitting that those whom the King of kings has vested with a stole of glory and
immortality in the heavens should be venerated by those on earth."
Dregmo asked: "Lord,
who are you?"
He replied: "I am
Alcmund, bishop of the Church of Hexham, who was, by the grace of God, the
fourth after blessed Wilfrid to be in charge of this place. My body is next to
that of my predecessor, the holy bishop Acca of venerable memory. You also be
present at its translation with the priest."
After saying this, he
disappeared. The next morning, Dregmo went to the priest Alfred and related
everything in order. He joyfully assembled the people, told them what had
happened, and fixed a day for the translation. On the appointed day they lifted
the bones from the tomb, wrapped them in linen and placed them on a bier; but
since the hour for celebrating the Divine Liturgy had passed, they placed the
holy relics in the porch of St. Peter at the western end of the church, intending
to transfer them the following day with psalms and hymns and the celebration of
the Divine Liturgy.
But that night, the
priest Alfred, who was keeping vigil with his clerics around the holy body,
rose when the others were sleeping and took a part of the finger of the saint,
intending to give it to the Church of Durham. The next morning a great
multitude came to the translation. But when the priest and those with him came
to lift the body, it was immovable. Thinking themselves unworthy, they retired,
and others came up. But they, too, were unable to lift it. When no one was
found who could lift it, the people looked at each other in consternation,
while the priest, still ignorant that he was the cause, exhorted them to pray
to God to reveal who was to blame for this. That night, St. Alcmund appeared a
second time to Dregmo, who had suddenly been overwhelmed with sleep, and with a
stern face said to him
"What is this that
you have wanted to do? Did you think to bring me back into the church
mutilated, when I served God and St. Andrew here in wholeness of body and
spirit? Go, therefore, and witness in the presence of all the people that what
has unwisely been taken away from my body should be restored, or else you will
never be able to remove me from this place in which I now am."
And when he had said
this, he showed him his hand with part of the finger missing. The next day,
Dregmo stood in the middle of the people and told them all that had been
revealed to him in the night, vehemently urging that the person who had
presumed to do this should be punished. Then the priest, perceiving that he was
at fault, prostrated himself in the midst of the people and revealed to them
the motives for which he had committed the crime. Begging for forgiveness, he
restored that which he had taken away. Then the clerics who were present came
up and without any effort lifted the holy body and transferred it into the
church on August 6.
Later, Alfred translated
a portion of the relics of Saints Acca and Alcmund, together with portions of
the relics of the other Northumbrian saints: the hermits Baldred and Bilfrid,
the Martyr-King Oswin, St. Boisil of Melrose, St. Ebba of Coldingham and the
Venerable Bede, to his church of Durham.
Holy Fathers Acca and
Alcmund, pray to God for us!
By Vladimir Moss. Posted
with permission.
(Sources: The Venerable
Bede, Ecclesiastical History; Eddius Stephanus, Life of St. Wilfrid; Simeon of
Durham Opera Omnia, ed. T. Arnold, Rolls Series, 1882-85, vol. II, pp. 36-37,
51-52; History of the Church of Durham, ch. 42; David Farmer, The Oxford
Dictionary of Saints, Oxford: Clarendon, 1978)
SOURCE : https://www.orthodox.net/western-saints/acca-and-alcmund-of-hexham.html
La
croix d'Acca à l'abbaye de Hexham.
Remnant
of cross that stood at Acca's grave, Hexham
Abbey
Überrest
des Kreuzes (ohne Querbalken) vom Kopfende von Accas Grab in der Abtei St.
Andrews in Hexham
Sant' Acca di Hexham Abate
e vescovo
Festa: 20 ottobre
Northumbria, Inghilterra,
660 circa - Hexham, Inghilterra, 20 ottobre 740
Fu una figura di rilievo
della Chiesa anglosassone dell'VIII secolo e quinto vescovo di Hexham,
nell'attuale Northumberland. Nato in Northumbria probabilmente intorno al 660,
fu dapprima legato al vescovo Bosa e in seguito divenne uno dei più fedeli compagni
di san Wilfrid, che seguì nei suoi spostamenti in Inghilterra e nei viaggi sul
continente. Dopo la morte di Wilfrid, nel 709, Acca gli succedette nella sede
di Hexham, che governò per oltre vent'anni. Durante l'episcopato si dedicò
all'abbellimento delle chiese, alla raccolta di reliquie e libri ecclesiastici
e alla formazione liturgica del clero. Fu inoltre strettamente legato a Beda il
Venerabile, che gli dedicò diverse opere. Intorno al 732 fu allontanato dalla
sede per una ragione rimasta ignota e successivamente tornò a Hexham, dove
morì. La sua memoria come santo si sviluppò presso la comunità di Hexham e fu
accompagnata da una lunga tradizione cultuale, dalle traslazioni delle reliquie
e dalla conservazione di un'importante croce monumentale associata alla sua
sepoltura.
Emblema: Abiti vescovili,
pastorale, mitra, libro dei Vangeli.
Le notizie sulla giovinezza di Acca sono limitate. Beda riferisce che fu allevato fin dall'infanzia tra il clero del vescovo Bosa di York. In seguito entrò al servizio di Wilfrid e rimase legato a lui per il resto della vita del vescovo. La sua origine è indicata genericamente nella Northumbria e non sono documentati con certezza i nomi dei suoi genitori né il luogo preciso della nascita.
Acca accompagnò Wilfrid nelle sue attività missionarie e nei suoi viaggi. Fu
con lui anche nel viaggio sul continente che portò i due a incontrare
Willibrord a Utrecht e partecipò ai soggiorni di Wilfrid a Roma. Il rapporto
con il suo maestro fu particolarmente stretto. Beda ricorda un episodio
significativo avvenuto durante il viaggio di ritorno dalla Gallia: Wilfrid,
gravemente malato a Meaux, dopo essersi ripreso chiese immediatamente di Acca e
gli confidò la visione che aveva avuto durante la malattia.
Abate di Hexham
Quando Wilfrid tornò a Hexham nel primo decennio dell'VIII secolo, Acca assunse un ruolo importante nella comunità monastica. Le fonti lo ricordano come abate di Hexham prima della successione episcopale del 709. In questo periodo maturò anche il suo interesse per la liturgia, la musica ecclesiastica e lo studio delle Scritture.
Alla morte di Wilfrid, nel 709, Acca gli succedette come vescovo di Hexham.
Beda, che scrisse mentre Acca era ancora in vita, gli dedica un ritratto
particolarmente favorevole e ne sottolinea la cultura, la conoscenza delle
Scritture e la competenza nel canto liturgico.
Vescovo di Hexham
Come vescovo, Acca continuò il programma avviato da Wilfrid. La chiesa di Hexham dedicata a sant'Andrea fu arricchita di altari, reliquie, suppellettili liturgiche e decorazioni. Beda riferisce che Acca si impegnò a raccogliere reliquie degli apostoli e dei martiri e a procurarsi i racconti delle loro passioni. La chiesa divenne così anche un importante centro di conservazione e studio di testi ecclesiastici.
Acca favorì inoltre l'educazione musicale del clero. Beda ricorda Maban,
cantore formato nella tradizione liturgica sviluppatasi nel Kent attraverso la
missione romana, che Acca chiamò a Hexham per istruire lui e il clero della
diocesi. Maban rimase nella comunità per dodici anni. Lo stesso Beda descrive
Acca come un cantore esperto e come un uomo versato nelle Scritture e nelle
consuetudini ecclesiastiche.
Acca e Beda
Acca ebbe un rapporto particolarmente importante con Beda. Il vescovo di Hexham fu un sostenitore degli studi del monaco di Wearmouth-Jarrow e Beda gli dedicò diverse opere esegetiche. Il rapporto non fu soltanto personale: Acca contribuì a creare a Hexham un ambiente favorevole alla conservazione e allo studio dei testi cristiani.
Beda presenta la biblioteca di Hexham come una raccolta considerevole di scritti ecclesiastici e di racconti dei martiri. La tradizione successiva ha attribuito ad Acca un ruolo ancora più ampio nella promozione degli studi, ma il dato sicuramente attestato è il suo interesse per la biblioteca, la liturgia, le Scritture e la produzione intellettuale del suo tempo.
È inoltre conservata una lettera di Acca indirizzata a Beda, considerata la
principale testimonianza scritta direttamente riconducibile al vescovo.
L'allontanamento da Hexham
Verso il 732 Acca fu allontanato dalla sede episcopale di Hexham. Le fonti non spiegano in modo attendibile la ragione della sua deposizione. La cronologia episcopale di Hexham colloca l'allontanamento tra il 732 e il 733. Non sono documentati con certezza né un'accusa personale né un conflitto specifico che permettano di stabilire le cause dell'evento.
Le tradizioni posteriori collegano gli anni dell'esilio a Whithorn,
nell'attuale Galloway. Una tradizione sostiene che Acca avrebbe assunto
responsabilità episcopali in quella sede; altre versioni gli attribuiscono un
ruolo nella fondazione o riorganizzazione di una sede cristiana nell'area.
Queste ricostruzioni non possono essere considerate equivalenti a una
documentazione contemporanea e la natura esatta del suo soggiorno fuori da
Hexham rimane incerta.
Ritorno e morte
Acca tornò a Hexham prima della morte. Le fonti medievali e la tradizione locale concordano nell'associare la sua sepoltura alla chiesa di Hexham. La data generalmente riportata è il 20 ottobre 740, anche se alcune fonti posteriori indicano il 742 e altre tradizioni hanno collegato la morte all'area di Whithorn. Il 740 rimane la data maggiormente attestata nelle ricostruzioni storiche basate sugli annali e sulla tradizione di Hexham.
Acca fu sepolto presso il lato orientale della chiesa di Hexham. Due croci in
pietra furono collocate presso la sua tomba. Una parte consistente di una di
esse è sopravvissuta ed è oggi conosciuta come Acca's Cross. Il monumento
costituisce una delle più importanti testimonianze materiali collegate alla
memoria medievale del vescovo.
Il culto e le reliquie
La venerazione di Acca si sviluppò a Hexham in epoca medievale. La sua tomba fu oggetto di successive traslazioni. Nel 1154, durante una solenne ricognizione delle reliquie dei santi di Hexham, i resti attribuiti ad Acca furono identificati insieme a quelli di altri vescovi della sede e collocati in un nuovo reliquiario. Il racconto di Aelredo di Rievaulx costituisce una delle principali testimonianze medievali di questa cerimonia.
Aelredo riferisce anche episodi prodigiosi collegati alla ricognizione delle reliquie e alla sepoltura di Acca. Questi racconti appartengono alla letteratura cultuale medievale e non costituiscono testimonianze contemporanee alla vita del vescovo. La loro importanza riguarda soprattutto la storia della devozione sviluppatasi a Hexham.
La memoria liturgica di Acca è fissata al 20 ottobre. Una tradizione medievale
e postmedievale ricorda anche una commemorazione collegata alla traslazione
delle reliquie, il 19 febbraio.
Acca e la cultura ecclesiastica
Il ruolo di Acca nella vita culturale di Hexham è uno degli aspetti meglio
attestati della sua figura. Beda lo presenta come esperto di Scrittura, canto
ecclesiastico e disciplina liturgica e attribuisce alla sua iniziativa la
raccolta di libri, racconti dei martiri e reliquie. La sua attività contribuì
alla trasformazione di Hexham in un importante centro religioso e culturale
della Northumbria dell'VIII secolo.
Curiosità
- Una delle croci collocate presso la tomba di Acca è ancora conservata a Hexham Abbey ed è una significativa testimonianza della scultura monumentale northumbriana dell'VIII secolo.
- Beda ricorda che Acca mantenne per dodici anni a Hexham il cantore Maban, chiamato a trasmettere al clero locale una tradizione musicale collegata alla liturgia romana.
- Acca è uno dei pochi vescovi anglosassoni dell'epoca di Beda per i quali
rimane una lettera indirizzata personalmente al grande storico di Jarrow.
Cronologia
- circa 660 - Nascita di Acca in Northumbria.
- fine del VII secolo - Acca entra in relazione con Bosa, vescovo di York, e successivamente con Wilfrid.
- circa 678-705 - Acca accompagna Wilfrid nelle sue attività e nei suoi viaggi in Inghilterra e sul continente.
- 692 - Acca accompagna Wilfrid nel viaggio verso Roma.
- 705 - Wilfrid torna a Hexham e Acca assume un ruolo di rilievo nella comunità monastica.
- 709 - Alla morte di Wilfrid, Acca gli succede come vescovo di Hexham.
- 709-732 circa - Acca governa la diocesi di Hexham, promuovendo la liturgia, la musica ecclesiastica, la raccolta di reliquie e la biblioteca.
- 732 circa - Acca viene allontanato dalla sede di Hexham per una causa non documentata con certezza.
- 1154 - Le reliquie attribuite ad Acca vengono ricognite e traslate insieme a quelle di altri santi vescovi di Hexham.
- 20 ottobre 740 - Morte tradizionalmente collocata a Hexham e sepoltura presso
la chiesa episcopale.
Valutazione storico-critica
- L'identità di Acca, vescovo di Hexham e collaboratore di Wilfrid e Beda, è solidamente attestata dalle fonti dell'VIII secolo, soprattutto dalla Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum di Beda e dalla Vita Wilfridi di Eddio.
- La nascita è collocabile soltanto approssimativamente intorno al 660. Il dato di una nascita nel 688 non trova un fondamento adeguato nelle fonti antiche e risulta incompatibile con la ricostruzione più comunemente accettata della sua attività giovanile.
- La successione di Acca a Wilfrid nel 709 e il suo episcopato a Hexham fino all'allontanamento intorno al 732 sono tra gli elementi meglio documentati della sua biografia.
- La causa dell'allontanamento dalla sede episcopale rimane ignota. Le ipotesi legate alla politica ecclesiastica della Northumbria o ai rapporti con l'organizzazione delle diocesi non possono essere trasformate in una spiegazione certa.
- Il soggiorno di Acca a Whithorn dopo l'allontanamento da Hexham appartiene a una tradizione medievale che non consente di stabilire con certezza quale ruolo egli abbia effettivamente svolto nella sede di Galloway.
- La data della morte presenta una divergenza tra le fonti posteriori: 740 è la data maggiormente sostenuta dalla tradizione storica di Hexham, mentre alcune fonti riportano 742 e altre cronologie medievali trasmettono ulteriori varianti. Anche il luogo della morte è stato collegato dalla tradizione a Whithorn, ma la memoria di Hexham lo associa alla morte e alla sepoltura nella propria sede.
- Il ruolo di Acca nella promozione degli studi, della biblioteca e della musica liturgica è direttamente attestato da Beda ed è quindi molto più solido delle successive attribuzioni devozionali relative a patronati o episodi miracolosi.
- Le narrazioni sui miracoli di Acca appartengono soprattutto alla letteratura
agiografica sviluppatasi dopo la sua morte, in particolare alle opere di
Aelredo di Rievaulx e Simeone di Durham. Il loro valore è rilevante per la
storia del culto, mentre non costituiscono testimonianze contemporanee della
vita del vescovo.
- Il culto di Acca è di origine medievale e precede le procedure moderne di
canonizzazione. La sua memoria rimase particolarmente legata a Hexham, dove la
tomba, le traslazioni delle reliquie e la croce monumentale contribuirono alla
continuità della venerazione.
Fonti e bibliografia essenziale
- Beda il Venerabile, Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum, libro V, capitoli 19-20. La fonte contemporanea più importante per l'attività episcopale di Acca, i suoi rapporti con Wilfrid e Beda, la biblioteca di Hexham e la musica liturgica.
- Eddio Stefano, Vita sancti Wilfridi, fonte fondamentale per i rapporti tra Acca e Wilfrid e per gli anni precedenti all'episcopato.
- Aelredo di Rievaulx, De sanctis Hagustaldensis ecclesiae, fonte medievale per la storia del culto e per la traslazione delle reliquie dei santi di Hexham nel 1154.
- Simeone di Durham, Historia regum Anglorum, fonte medievale per la memoria di Acca, la sua morte e le tradizioni relative ai suoi miracoli.
- James Raine, The Priory of Hexham, Surtees Society, Newcastle, 1864, vol. I. Raccolta e studio delle principali fonti medievali relative alla chiesa e ai santi di Hexham.
- Herbert Thurston, St. Acca, in The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. I, 1907. Sintesi storico-agiografica fondata sulle fonti medievali principali.
- Acca's Cross, Hexham Abbey Heritage. Documentazione storica e archeologica relativa alla croce monumentale associata alla sepoltura di Acca.
Autore: Giampietro Cattini
SOURCE : https://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/97859
Acca von Hexham
Gedenktag katholisch: 19. Februar
Übertragung der Gebeine: 19. Februar
Abt in St Andrews, Bischof von Hexham
* um 660 in Northumbrien in England
† 20. Oktober 742 (?) in Hexham
in England
Acca wuchs auf im
Haushalt von Bosa,
dem späteren Bischof von York.
Er schloss sich um 678 Wilfrid
von York an und begleitete ihn auf dessen zweiter Reise nach Rom
im Jahr 692. Nach ihrer Rückkehr wurde Acca Abt des Klosters in St
Andrews und nach Wilfrids Tod 709 oder 710 dessen Nachfolger als Bischof
von Hexham.
Er war eifrig bedacht, die römische Liturgie und Lehre durchzusetzen,
unterstützte Beda
Venerabilis und entwickelte Wilfrids Kirchenkunst und -musik weiter. 732
wurde er - möglicherweise aufgrund politischer Rivalitäten - aus seiner Diözese
ausgewiesen.
Acca wurde in Hexham
bestattet. Schon gleich nach seinem Tod wurde Acca als Heiliger verehrt. Reliquien
kamen nach Durham
und im 11. Jahrhundert an mehrere andere Orte. In Hexham sieht man heute noch
Kreuzfragmente, die von seinem Grab stammen sollen, deren Echtheit aber
zweifelhaft ist. Ælred
von Rievaulx schrieb Berichte von Accas Wunder auf.
Patron des Lernens
Über das Acca-Kreuz
informiert die Website der Kathedrale von Hexham
in englischer Sprache.
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Quellen:
• https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01060a.htm - abgerufen am 19.07.2023
• Charlotte Bretscher-Gisinger, Thomas Meier (Hg.): Lexikon des Mittelalters. CD-ROM-Ausgabe. J.B. Metzler, Stuttgart / Weimar 2000
• http://www.britischebotschaft.de/de/news/features/st_andrews_day.htm nicht mehr erreichbar
• Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, begr. von Michael Buchberger. Hrsg. von
Walter Kasper, 3., völlig neu bearb. Aufl., Bd. 1. Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau
1993
korrekt zitieren: Joachim Schäfer: Artikel Acca von Hexham, aus dem Ökumenischen Heiligenlexikon - https://www.heiligenlexikon.de/BiographienA/Acca_von_Hexham.htm, abgerufen am 7. 10. 2026
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet das Ökumenische Heiligenlexikon in
der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im
Internet über https://d-nb.info/1175439177
und https://d-nb.info/969828497
abrufbar.
SOURCE : https://www.heiligenlexikon.de/BiographienA/Acca_von_Hexham.htm
Acca of Hexham :
Defining St. Oswald : https://hefenfelth.wordpress.com/2007/10/20/acca-of-hexham-defining-st-oswald/
THE CROSS WHICH STOOD AT
THE HEAD OF THE GRAVE OF ACCA BISHOP OF HEXHAM AD 709-732 WHO DIED AD 740 :
https://web.archive.org/web/20110606133215/http://www.hexhamabbey.org.uk/guide/acca.htm
Acca’s Cross : https://web.archive.org/web/20170117224639/http://hexham-abbey.org.uk/heritage/accas-cross/
