Saint Baithin
Saint Baithin (also spelled Báithín or Baithan; born c. 536 AD in Ireland; died June 9, 600 AD on Iona, Scotland) was an Irish monk, scholar, and the second abbot of Iona Abbey—the famous island monastery off the west coast of Scotland founded by Saint Columba. He was Columba's first cousin and closest disciple, designated by Columba himself as his successor, and governed the community at Iona from Columba's death in 597 AD until his own death three years later in 600 AD. His feast day is June 9.
Baithin's life is inseparable from Columba's: he was one of the twelve companions who accompanied Columba from Ireland to Iona in 563 AD, shared in the establishment of the great missionary monastery, and inherited its leadership at Columba's death—guiding the community through the difficult first years after the loss of its founding abbot. He is also known as a poet and scribe; he is said to have assisted in the copying of the psalms, and a tradition in the Life of Columba by Adomnán records a charming exchange in which Columba asked Baithin to finish copying a psalter with him, with Columba remarking that the copy would need neither addition nor correction—but when the copy was inspected, one letter was found to be missing, which Columba said was exactly right since one letter of the Old Law would not pass away before the New was fulfilled.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Baithin
| Saint Baithin | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | June 09 |
| Profession | Irish monk; Abbot; Scribe; Poet |
| Rel. Affiliation | Columban monastic tradition; Iona Abbey |
| Attributes | Monk's habit; book or psalter (scribe and scholar) |
| Birthplace | Ireland (exact location uncertain) |
| Death Place | Iona, Argyll and Bute, Scotland |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes |
| Primary Shrine | Iona Abbey, Isle of Iona, Scotland |
| Liturgical Class | Not included (universal calendar) |
| Historic Class | Not included |
Biography
Origins and relationship to Columba
Baithin was born in Ireland around 536 AD, a first cousin of Columba (Colmcille). The two were related through the royal Cenél Conaill dynasty of Donegal, and Baithin grew up within the same circle of Irish monastic formation that shaped Columba's character. When Columba made his fateful voyage to the island of Iona off the west coast of Scotland in 563 AD and established his great abbey there, Baithin was among the twelve companions who made the journey with him.
Life on Iona
Baithin lived at Iona for the rest of his life, participating in all aspects of the community's life: prayer, scholarship, copying of manuscripts, and the missionary outreach to the Picts and other peoples of Scotland for which Iona became the base of operations. He served as prior and Columba's closest deputy.
Columba specifically designated Baithin as his successor. The principal source for this, and for many details of Baithin's life, is the Vita Sancti Columbae (Life of Columba) by Adomnán, the ninth abbot of Iona, written approximately a century after Columba's death. Adomnán includes several anecdotes about Baithin that convey his scholarly seriousness, his loyalty to Columba, and the affection that existed between the two cousins.
Second abbot of Iona
When Columba died on June 9, 597 AD, Baithin succeeded him as abbot. He governed Iona for only three years, dying on June 9, 600 AD—the same feast day as his predecessor and cousin, a coincidence noted in the Irish annals as a sign of special providential connection between the two men.
Significant events
- Born in Ireland, c. 536 AD; first cousin of Columba.
- Accompanied Columba to Iona as one of the twelve founding companions, 563 AD.
- Served as prior and deputy to Columba for the entire period of the monastery's founding.
- Designated by Columba as his successor.
- Became second abbot of Iona on Columba's death, June 9, 597 AD.
- Died June 9, 600 AD, on the same feast day as Columba.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: None
Death location: Iona, Argyll and Bute, Scotland
Notable location: Abbey he joined as one of its founders and governed as second abbot (Iona Abbey, Isle of Iona, Argyll and Bute, Scotland)
Notable location:
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Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Saint Baithin have been added to the database yet.
Media
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Shrines
Dynamic shrines
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Known shrines
- Iona Abbey, Isle of Iona, Argyll and Bute, Scotland — the great Columban monastery where he lived and died; a major site of Celtic Christian pilgrimage.
Canonization
Saint Baithin is venerated through the ancient process of universal veneration in the Irish and Scottish Celtic Christian tradition.
Feast day
June 9
Veneration
Saint Baithin is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church with a feast day on June 9. He is also honored in Celtic Christian tradition in Ireland and Scotland.
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.
Books
Written about the saint
- Adomnán of Iona, Vita Sancti Columbae (Life of Saint Columba) — the primary source for Baithin's life and his relationship with Columba.