Saint Columba of Ireland

Dove of the Church

7 December 521 – 9 June 597

“Alone with none but thee, my God, I journey on my way.
What need I fear when thou art near, O king of night and day?
More safe am I within thy hand than if a host did round me stand.”
― St. Columba

Feastday: June 9

Patron of Derry, floods, bookbinders, poets, Ireland, Scotland

(Irish: Colm Cille, 'church dove')

Saint Columba was an Irish abbot and missionary credited with spreading Christianity in what is today Scotland at the start of the Hiberno-Scottish mission.

He founded the important abbey on Iona, which became a dominant religious and political institution in the region for centuries. He is the Patron Saint of Derry. He was highly regarded by both the Gaels of Dál Riata and the Picts, and is remembered today as a Christian saint and one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland.Columba studied under some of Ireland's most prominent church figures and founded several monasteries in the country.

Around 563 he and his twelve companions crossed to Dunaverty near Southend, Argyll in Kintyre before settling in Iona
in Scotland, then part of the Irish kingdom of Dál Riata, where they founded a new abbey as a base for spreading Christianity among the northern Pictish kingdoms who were pagan.

He remained active in Irish politics, though he spent most of the remainder of his life in Scotland. Three surviving early medieval Latin hymns may be attributed to him.
 

Legend 

One of the most beautiful legends of St. Columba involves his white horse. When he was very old and tired he made his way to visit his brother monks who were working in a field.

He was so weak that he could not walk but had to be carried in a cart. When he saw his brother monks he explained
that during the recent Easter celebration he had felt a great longing in his soul to go and be with Jesus. He understood
that he could go and be with his Lord if he wished but he decided to linger a little longer on this earth as he did not want
to grieve his brother monks during the Easter season.

At these words the monks were deeply grieved because they knew that Columba did not have much more time on
earth. He turned to the East and blessed the island and islanders who dwelt there as well as the monastery that he
had founded and nurtured.

As his death drew near St. Columba shared this secret with his companion Diarmid — it was soon to be his day of rest
this own Sabbath. He was tired from the toil of this life and his Lord had invited him to be with him. Columba understood that he would die around midnight following the footsteps of his fathers in the faith. At this Diarmid wept. Columba
tried to comfort him as well as he could.
 

painting by Tracey Christianson

Columba then headed back to his monastery one last time but he was so weary that he stopped to take a rest by
the side of the road. As he was sitting beside the road his white horse ran up to him and leaned his head against the
holy man's chest drenching his shirt with his tears which poured into his lap.

Diarmid rose to push the horse away from his beloved friend but Columba stopped him saying “Allow this lover of mine
to shed his tears on my chest. For this horse being an animal understood instinctively that I was going to be with my
Lord yet you as a man could not foretell this.”

At this St. Columba blessed the white horse that had faithfully served him for so many years and the grieving horse
continued on his way. St. Columba then returned to the monastery for his final Vespers (evening prayer) service.

Later that night when the bell tolled for the midnight service Columba returned to the monastery church but collapsed before the altar surrendering his soul to God. St. Columba died in 597 when he was seventy-seven years old. He is commemorated on June 9.

Written by Jenny Schroedel 

St. Columba Landing at Iona

Brangwyn, Frank, 1867–1956