Saint Gall
Saint Gall (born c. 550 AD in Ireland; died c. 646 AD near Lake Constance, Switzerland) was an Irish monk and missionary, one of the twelve companions of Saint Columban on his missionary journey through Gaul and the Germanic lands. When Columban departed for Italy, Gall remained behind due to illness and established a hermitage near Lake Constance that became the seed of the great Abbey of Saint Gall — one of the premier centers of learning in medieval Europe. He is Apostle of Switzerland and patron of the canton of St. Gallen. His feast day is October 16.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Gall
| Saint Gall | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | October 16 |
| Profession | Monk; hermit; missionary; founder (indirect, of Abbey of Saint Gall) |
| Rel. Affiliation | Irish monastic tradition; Columban community; Benedictine (abbey later adopted Rule of Saint Benedict) |
| Patronage | Canton of St. Gallen (Switzerland); birds; geese; chickens; Switzerland; Alamannia (southwestern Germany); healing from chills and fever |
| Attributes | Bear carrying wood (he reportedly befriended a bear and fed it bread — it carried wood for him); Irish monk's habit; fishing net or fish; pilgrim staff |
| Birthplace | Ireland |
| Death Place | Near Lake Constance, Switzerland (Arbon or Bregenz region) |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes; died as a hermit near Lake Constance c. 646 AD |
| Primary Shrine | Abbey of Saint Gall (Stiftskirche), St. Gallen, Switzerland — his relics; one of the most important medieval abbeys in Europe; UNESCO World Heritage Site |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Roman Calendar, October 16) |
| Historic Class | Feast (October 16) |
Biography
Gall was born in Ireland around 550 and received his monastic formation at the great school of Saint Columba (Columcille) at Bangor (some sources say under Comgall at Bangor or Columban's community). He was among the twelve Irish monks who crossed with Saint Columban to Gaul c. 590 to conduct the peregrinatio pro Christo — the Irish form of missionary exile.
With Columban, Gall evangelized in Burgundy, established the monasteries of Annegray and Luxeuil, and — when expelled by the Frankish court — moved east through Alsace, crossing the Rhine and arriving at Lake Constance around 612. At Bregenz (in modern Austria), they preached to the pagan Alemanni and reportedly threw pagan idols into Lake Constance.
When Columban decided to cross the Alps into Italy (where he would found Bobbio and die in 615), Gall fell gravely ill. He remained behind. Columban, who may have suspected malingering, pronounced a prohibition: Gall was not to celebrate Mass until Columban himself had died. On the day of Columban's death (November 23, 615), Gall is said to have received news of it by spiritual revelation and resumed saying Mass.
Gall established a hermitage on the Steinach River near modern St. Gallen. He lived as a hermit and priest, attracting disciples. He is said to have tamed a bear, which brought him firewood in exchange for bread — the bear appears in his iconography. He was invited to become Bishop of Constance and Bishop of Lausanne but refused both, preferring his hermitage.
He died around 646 AD. The monastery that grew from his hermitage — the Abbey of Saint Gall — became one of the greatest centers of medieval scholarship. Its scriptorium produced hundreds of manuscripts; its library, the Stiftsbibliothek, is one of the oldest and richest in the world and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Ireland
Death location: Near Lake Constance, Switzerland (Arbon or Bregenz region)
Notable location: Founded on the site of his hermitage; became one of the greatest monastic libraries and centers of learning in medieval Europe; his cell became the abbey; UNESCO World Heritage Site; his relics venerated here (Abbey of Saint Gall, St. Gallen, Switzerland)
Notable location: He and Columban preached here on Lake Constance and overthrew pagan idols into the lake; site of early evangelization work; he remained here when Columban continued to Italy (Bregenz, Vorarlberg, Austria)
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Dynamic content
Parishes
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| This map created from a Cargo query () |
| Parish | Diocese | City | AdministrativeSubdivision | Country | ParishWebsite |
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| Parish | Diocese | City | AdministrativeSubdivision | Country | ParishWebsite |
| St. Gall (Diocese of Reno) | Diocese of Reno | Gardnerville, NV | Nevada | United States | http://www.saintgall.org/ |
Media
| Media | Length | AuthorCreator |
|---|---|---|
| Saint of the Day: October 16th - Saint Gall, Abbot | 5–15 minutes | Butler's Lives of the Saints |
| Saint Gall, Abbot - October 16th | Under 5 minutes | Saint of the Day |
Shrines
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No shrines where this saint is the primary saint.
Known shrines
- Abbey of Saint Gall (Cathedral of St. Gallen), St. Gallen, Switzerland — his relics; UNESCO World Heritage Site; one of the premier medieval abbeys of Europe.
Feast day
October 16
Veneration
Saint Gall is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church on October 16 as an Optional Memorial. He is patron of the canton of St. Gallen and Apostle of Switzerland.
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.