Saint David of Wales: Patron of Poets and Wales
On March 1, the Church celebrates the feast of Saint David of Wales, the patron of the Welsh people and one of the most prominent British saints. He is commemorated as a sixth century missionary bishop and the founder of numerous monasteries, including his main abbey in southwestern Wales. David was a popular namesake for churches in Wales prior to the Anglican schism. More than fifty churches in Wales were named after him. His feast day continues to be an important religious and civic observance today. Although Pope Benedict XVI did not visit Wales during his 2010 trip to the U.K., he blessed a mosaic icon of its patron, and praised St. David as “one of the great saints of the sixth century, that golden age of saints and missionaries in these isles, and...thus a founder of the Christian culture which lies at the root of modern Europe.” Little is known of David’s life. However, we do know that he was born to Sant, a prince of Cardigan, and St. Non, the daughter of a chieft...