Saints

Irish abbot. This 6th century saint is said to have been of royal blood and a native of Connaught. A famous teacher, poet, writer and preacher in his day, in around 530 St Dermot (Diarmiad) founded the great monastery of Inchcleraun (Clothran) on an island in Lough Ree. Wishing to found an oratory far from the day-to-day distractions of civilization, he selected the isolated island associated with... Read More

Bishop, monk and martyr. Born in Moscow in 1507, Theodore Kolyshov was a wealthy nobleman, who probably saw active military service in his youth. At the age of 30 he joined the monastery of Solovetsk on the White Sea, and took the name of Philip. He became abbot there in 1547. Saint Philip became a distinguished religious superior. He was also a fine engineer and devised a new system of drainage... Read More

Abbot. Born at Cappadocia in 423, Theodosius went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem as a young man, with dreams of becoming a hermit. For a time he lived in a monastery. Then he settled in the desert alone. But his teacher, an elderly monk called Longinus, noticed that he had other gifts and advised him to lead a more public life. In 479, near Bethlehem, Theodosius established what was to become the la... Read More