Died 658; feast day may actually be on May 5. Saint Diuma, often thought
to be a woman because of the form of his name, was an Irish or Scottish
priest, who was sent with
Saints Cedd (f.d. October 26),
Betti, and Adda
by
Bishop Saint Finan of Lindisfarne (f.d. February 17)
to evangelize
the Mercians following the baptism of Peada, son of their king, Penda.
The
Venerable Bede (f.d. May 25)
records that their apostolate was
extremely successful. Following Penda's death and the
ascension of the Christian Oswiu to the throne in 654, Diuma was
consecrated bishop of the Mercians and Middle Angles by Finan. An
11th-century menology records the Diuma was buried at Charlbury (Oxon.)
(
Benedictines,
Farmer).