Saints

Archbishop. A patron saint of victims of injustice. William of York's early career in the church was very successful. As a young man in 1130, he was appointed treasurer of York and chaplain to King Steven. He was known as a kind and good-natured person. When the Archbishop of York died, the authorities chose William as his successor. From that time on things went badly wrong, as he became the i... Read More

Bishop, patron of Cambourne in Cornwall. Meriadoc, also known as Meriasek, was probably a Welshman who founded at least one church in Cornwall and several churches and monasteries in Brittany in the 4th century. He eventually became a bishop there. His feast is celebrated in several Breton dioceses to this day. The rare Cornish miracle play: Beunans Meriasek, tells his life story. St Meriadoc w... Read More

Irish monk, missionary and poet. Born at Gartan in Co Donegal, in 521, Columba was trained as a monk first by Finian of Moville and then by Finian of Clonard. He spent 15 years in Ireland preaching and founding monasteries - the greatest of these being Kells, Durrow and Derry. Then in 565 he left with twelve companions for the Scottish island of Iona. There he founded the community that was to b... Read More