Columba, Saint

Columba, Saint (521-597 AD), b. County Donegal, Ireland.

Columba is also known as Columcille meaning 'Dove of the Church' and Colm.

He was a member of a noble family but he left his rich home to study in a monastery.

He became a priest at the age of twenty and, after that, he founded monasteries in many different parts of Ireland. Then he made up his mind to take the word of God to pagans.

With twelve other monks he set out for Scotland and they founded a monastery on the tiny island of Iona. From there Columba made long journeys into the Highlands of Scotland preaching to the Picts, and he made King Brude of the Northern Picts a Christian.

The story of Columba's life was written by a monk named Adamnan about a century after his death. It contains many wonderful stories about the saint.

See Adomnan of Iona Life of St. Columba