Saint Columban
Saint Columban (also Columbanus; born c. 543 AD in Leinster, Ireland; died November 23, 615 AD in Bobbio, Emilia-Romagna, Italy) was an Irish monk who became one of the greatest missionaries of the early medieval West. He founded the great monasteries of Luxeuil (France) and Bobbio (Italy), wrote an influential monastic rule, and was a fearless preacher who rebuked kings and popes alike for moral failures. He is the patron of motorcyclists and of Ireland (with Patrick, Brigid, and Columba). His feast day is November 23.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Columban
| Saint Columban | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | November 23 |
| Profession | Irish monk; founder of monasteries; missionary; rule-giver; writer; preacher |
| Rel. Affiliation | Celtic Church; Columban monasticism (his rule used alongside the Benedictine rule) |
| Patronage | Ireland; motorcyclists (declared by Pope John Paul II); exiles; Europe (patron of Europe declared by Pope John Paul II alongside Saints Benedict, Cyril, and Methodius) |
| Attributes | Abbot's staff; book (his Rule and Letters); bear (his taming of wild animals); Irish cross |
| Birthplace | Leinster, Ireland |
| Death Place | Bobbio, Piacenza Province, Emilia-Romagna, Italy |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes; died at his monastery of Bobbio |
| Primary Shrine | Basilica of San Colombano, Bobbio, Emilia-Romagna, Italy — his relics in the crypt |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial |
| Historic Class | November 23 |
Biography
Columban (Columbanus) was born around 543 in Leinster, Ireland. His early life is recorded in the biography written by the monk Jonas of Bobbio some years after his death. He was educated at the famous monastery of Comgall at Bangor on Belfast Lough — one of the great Irish monastic schools — and was formed in the rigorous Celtic tradition of scriptural study, penance, and the divine office.
Around 590 AD, at approximately the age of 50, he set out with twelve companions (echoing the twelve apostles of Celtic tradition) and crossed to Gaul (France). In the Vosges Mountains of Burgundy he founded three monasteries in quick succession: Annegray (in ruins of a Roman fort), Luxeuil (his principal foundation), and Fontaines. Luxeuil in particular became an extraordinary monastic center — at its height housing several hundred monks and sending missionaries throughout Europe.
Columban wrote a Monastic Rule (the Regula Monachorum) and a Rule for confessors (Regula Coenobialis), introducing the practice of private confession with tariffs of penance (a system that would transform the Western Church's understanding of penance). His rule was eventually supplanted by the Rule of Saint Benedict, but his influence shaped the Benedictine tradition.
He was also a fearless prophet. He rebuked the Frankish King Theodoric II for living with concubines rather than marrying, and when Queen Brunhilda tried to remove him, he refused to legitimize the king's illegitimate sons. He was eventually expelled from Gaul. He traveled through Neustria, across the Rhine into Alemanni territory, attempted to found a mission at Bregenz (now in Austria), where his companion Saint Gall remained and founded one of the great medieval abbeys. Columban pressed on to Italy, where the Lombard King Agilulf welcomed him. In 612 he founded the monastery of Bobbio near the Apennines — his final and most lasting Italian foundation. He died there on November 23, 615.
Columban's letters to popes are remarkable documents: frank, learned, and fearless. He defended the Celtic Easter calculation, protested interference in the affairs of his monasteries, and wrote with an intimacy toward the Bishop of Rome that reveals both his deep respect for the office and his willingness to rebuke its holder.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Leinster, Ireland
Death location: Bobbio, Piacenza Province, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Notable location: The great monastery he founded in the Vosges mountains (590 AD); became one of the most important monastic centers of early medieval Europe; trained hundreds of monks (Luxeuil-les-Bains, Haute-Saône, Grand Est, France)
Notable location: The monastery he founded near the Apennines (612 AD), his final foundation; became a major center of learning in Italy; his relics enshrined here (Bobbio, Piacenza Province, Italy)
Notable location: His first foundation in Gaul (c. 590 AD), in the ruins of a Roman fort; the first of his three Vosges monasteries (Annegray, Haute-Saône, France)
Notable location: Where he attempted to evangelize the Alemanni and was expelled; his companion Saint Gall remained and founded the great Abbey of Saint Gall (Bregenz, Vorarlberg, Austria)
Notable location:
Dynamic content
Parishes
No parishes dedicated to Saint Columban have been added to the database yet.
Media
| Media | Length | AuthorCreator |
|---|---|---|
| Nov.23 — The Untold Journey of Saint Columban: The Monk Who Tamed the Wild North | 15–30 minutes | Biographies of the Saints |
| Powerful Prayer to Saint Columban | Under 5 minutes | Joy of Heaven |
| Powerful Prayer to St. Columban | Under 5 minutes | Joy of Heaven |
| Prayer for Guidance and Strength : A Prayer to Saint Columban | Under 5 minutes | Joy of Heaven |
| Prayer to Saint Columban | Under 5 minutes | Joy of Heaven |
| Saint Columban : The Courageous Missionary and Father of Western Monasticism | Under 5 minutes | Joy of Heaven |
| Story of Saint Columban | Under 5 minutes | Joy of Heaven |
| The Story of Saint Columban | Under 5 minutes | Joy of Heaven |
| The Story of St. Columban || Feast Day : November 23 | Under 5 minutes | Joy of Heaven |
| The Firebrand of Ireland – St. Columban | Under 5 minutes | The Story of the Saints |
Shrines
Dynamic shrines
No results
No shrines where this saint is the primary saint.
Known shrines
- Basilica of San Colombano, Bobbio, Emilia-Romagna — his relics in the crypt; a pilgrimage site.
- Luxeuil-les-Bains, Haute-Saône, France — the site of his great monastery; the medieval abbey church survives.
Feast day
November 23
Veneration
Saint Columban is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church with a feast day on November 23 (Optional Memorial). He is a patron of Europe, declared by Pope John Paul II.
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.