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Saint David

Yesterday  Saint David's Day so I found out a little bit about him.


Saint David was a Welsh bishop of Menevia during the 6th century and he is the patron saint of Wales. His date of birth is unknown but reports suggest that he lived for over 100 years and died on a Tuesday 1 March (which is now the date of Saint David's Day) and it has been suggested that this was 589. He was buried at Saint David’s Cathedral in Pembrokeshire and his shrine here was a popular place of pilgrimage throughout the Mediaeval period and he was canonized by Pope Callixtus II in 1120.


 

In the late 11th century Rhygyfarch wrote the Buchedd Dewi which contains the traditional tales about Saint David which the author said was based on documents from the Cathedral archive.

Saint David was famous as a preacher and teacher and founded churches and monasteries in Wales, Brittany and Dumonia.  He rose to be a Bishop and presided over two synods.

The miracle that he is best known for occurred when he was preaching to a crowd and the ground rose up forming a small hill and a white dove settled on his shoulder (the dove became Saint David’s emblem whilst the leek is his, and Wales’, symbol).

David lived a simple life and practised asceticism.



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