Columba
6th‑century Gaelic Irish missionary monk, Christian saint, pioneer of Celtic Christianity in Scotland and “Apostle of the Picts”
Feast: 9 June (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Columba (Colum Cille, 'dove of the churches') was born at Garten in Donegal on 7 December 521, of royal descent from Niall of the Nine Hostages. He studied under St Finnian at Movilla, where his holiness first showed itself in miracles, and then at Clonard.
In his forty-fourth year he left Ireland with twelve companions in a wicker currach and landed at Iona on 12 May 563, where he founded his famous monastery. A scholar, poet and founder of many churches and monasteries, he died on 9 June 597. His name is dear to Scots and Irish alike.
The miracles
There was never a formal cause: he has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.
Why that counted as sanctity
The founder of Iona, dear to Ireland and Scotland alike.
Connected on this site
- Finnian of Clonard Saint Teacher
- Finnian of Moville Saint Teacher
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - St. Columba
- Wikidata Q236326 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Columba (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.