Saints

St Deiniol Bishop and monk. This sixth century saint is said to have come from the family of Coel Godebog, a Celtic chieftain from Strathclyde. He was called 'of the Bangors' because he founded the monasteries of Bangor Fawr, on the Menai straights and Bangor Iscoed, (Clwyd) on the River Dee. Bede said this was the most famous monastery of British Christianity. It had more than 2,000 monks. Many ... Read More

Irish Abbot and bishop. St Finnian is sometimes called Finbar. This sixth century saint is said to have been an Ulsterman, from the royal race of Dal Fiatach. He was educated at Dromore and then at Whithorn in Galloway. He was probably ordained in Rome, before returning to Ireland, bringing with him a manuscript of a Latin biblical text. Finnian founded a monastery at Dromin in Louth, and anothe... Read More

Layman. Guy was a farm labourer, born in Brabant around 950, who was made sacristan of the church at Laeken near Brussels. According to legend, he invested his small savings in a business which failed. After losing his home and his job he went on a seven-year long pilgrimage, wandering from shrine to shrine as far as Jerusalem. In 1020 he returned home exhausted and sick and died shortly afterwa... Read More