Saint Davids is the smallest city in the UK and
is located in Pembrokshire in Wales and is the resting place of Saint David. It
was made a city in the 16th century but lost this status in 1888 only
to have its city status restored in 1994 as the request of the Queen.
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 (his last words are reported to have been, 'Be Joyful. Keep the Faith. Do the little things that you have heard and seen me do.').
In the sixth century David founded a monastery and church at Glyn Rhosyn (‘Rose
Vale’) and the order there was strict, alongside praying and celebrating mass
the monks cultivated the land and undertook crafts to feed themselves,
pilgrims, travelers and the needy.
The settlement that grew up around the monastery was known as Tyddewi (‘David’s
house’). When in 519 the archbishop of Caerleon was transferred to Mynyw the
area was re-named Saint Davids’ to honor David who managed the transfer.
During his life Saint David made several Pilgrimages including one to
Jerusalem.
He was buried at Saint David’s Cathedral in Pembrokeshire and his shrine
here was a popular place of pilgrimage throughout the Mediaeval period when a
shrine was constructed in the presbytery close to the High Altar and he was
canonized by Pope Callixtus II who stated that such was the importance of
Pilgrimage here that two visits to Saint Davids were equal to one to Rome and
three visits were equal to one to Jerusalem (I can find no mention of whether
Callixtus mentioned how many visits were equal to one to Santiago though). The
shrine was destroyed during the Reformation and pilgrimage became less popular
to this site.
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.
St Davids shrine
a scallop shell on the shrine
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 practiced asceticism. He is the Patron Saint of Wales, Vegetarians and Poets.
The present Cathedral stands on the same site as that built in the sixth century and was begun in 1881. It has a sloping floor and an oak ceiling in the Nave.
Services are held daily -
Apart from
Wednesday):
- 8.00am
Morning Prayer & Holy Communion
- 6.00pm
Evening Prayer or Choral Evensong
Wednesday
- 8.00am
Y Foreol Weddi & Cymun Bendigaid
- 10.00am
Holy Communion
- 6.00pm
Evening Prayer
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