Saint Afan
Saint Afan (also known as Afan Buellt, Afan of Llanafan Fawr, or Avanus; dates uncertain, probably 5th–6th century) was a Welsh bishop and confessor venerated in the ancient Church of Wales. He is associated with the church at Llanafan Fawr (the great church of Afan) in Breconshire (present-day Powys), Wales, from which his name derives — the place-name Llanafan meaning "the sacred enclosure or church of Afan." He is the son of Caw of Pictland (Caw of the North) in the genealogical tradition of the Welsh saints, making him a member of a remarkable family that produced numerous saints. His feast day is November 16.
Afan belongs to the tradition of the post-Roman British saints of the fifth and sixth centuries — the age of saints who shaped the early Celtic Christian Church in Wales, Cornwall, Ireland, and Brittany. He is listed in the Bonedd y Saint (Pedigree of the Saints), a medieval Welsh genealogical document that records the ancestry of the Welsh saints. As son of Caw of Pictland, he is a brother of such saints as Saint Cadoc (in some traditions) and others in the large kin-group of Caw. The settlement at Llanafan Fawr in the Wye Valley of Breconshire preserved his memory and bore his name through the medieval period and into the present.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Afan
| Saint Afan | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | November 16 |
| Profession | Bishop; confessor; Welsh saint |
| Rel. Affiliation | Early Church of Wales; Catholic Church |
| Patronage | Llanafan Fawr; Breconshire (Powys) |
| Attributes | Bishop's vestments; crozier |
| Birthplace | Wales or northern Britain (Pictland) — 5th–6th century |
| Death Place | Llanafan Fawr, Breconshire, Wales |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes; confessor bishop |
| Primary Shrine | Llanafan Fawr (St Afan's Church), Powys, Wales |
| Liturgical Class | Not included in the General Roman Calendar |
| Historic Class | Not included |
Biography
Birth
The birth date of Saint Afan cannot be confirmed from available sources. According to Welsh genealogical tradition, he was the son of Caw of Pictland (also known as Caw of the North or Caw of Prydein), a chieftain of northern British origin associated with the post-Roman period in Wales. The family of Caw produced numerous saints in the Welsh tradition.
Early Life
No details of Saint Afan's early life are preserved beyond his genealogical connection to the family of Caw. He is identified as a bishop in the Welsh tradition — like many Welsh saints, he was probably a bishop-abbot in the Celtic monastic tradition of the fifth and sixth centuries.
Occupation
Saint Afan is associated with the church at Llanafan Fawr in Breconshire (present-day Powys), Wales — a church that preserves his memory in its name, Llanafan meaning "the enclosure/church of Afan." He may have established or served a monastic or episcopal community at this location in the Wye Valley.
Vocation
Saint Afan's vocation was that of a bishop-confessor in the tradition of the early Welsh saints of the post-Roman period — the age of the saints in Wales (c. 450–650 AD) when the Christian faith was consolidated and organized throughout the principalities of Wales, Cornwall, Brittany, and Ireland.
Death
The date of Saint Afan's death is not recorded in available sources. His feast day is November 16 in local Welsh tradition.
Significant events
- Son of Caw of Pictland in Welsh genealogical tradition; member of a saintly family.
- Bishop or confessor associated with Llanafan Fawr, Breconshire.
- Feast day November 16.
- His name is preserved in the place-name Llanafan Fawr (Afan's church).
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: None
Death location: Llanafan Fawr, Breconshire, Wales
Notable location: Church and parish bearing his name; place of his veneration (Llanafan Fawr, Breconshire (Powys), Wales)
Notable location:
Notable location:
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Notable location:
Dynamic content
Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Saint Afan have been added to the database yet.
Media
No media found for this saint.
Shrines
Dynamic shrines
No results
No shrines where this saint is the primary saint.
List of shrines
- St Afan's Church, Llanafan Fawr, Powys, Wales — the ancient church named for him.
Canonization
Servant of God
Recognized by ancient Welsh tradition.
Venerable
Not applicable.
Beatification
Not applicable.
Canonization
Recognized through ancient Welsh tradition.
Miracles
No specific miracles attributed to Saint Afan have been formally documented.
Miracle for beatification
Not applicable.
Miracle for canonization
Not applicable.
Patronage
Saint Afan is venerated as the patron of Llanafan Fawr and the surrounding area of Breconshire.
Feast day
November 16
Veneration
Saint Afan is venerated in the Welsh Catholic tradition and in the Church in Wales as one of the post-Roman bishop-saints of Breconshire.
Prayers
Authored
There are prayers authored by this saint in prayers list yet.
Intercessory
There are no prayers asking for this saint's intercession in prayers list yet.
External links
References
- Wade-Evans, A.W. Welsh Christian Origins. Oxford: Alden Press, 1934.
- Doble, G.H. Lives of the Welsh Saints. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1971.
- Bonedd y Saint (Pedigree of the Saints). In P.C. Bartrum, Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1966.