Herbert of Derwentwater
7th-century Christian saint
Feast: 20 March (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Herbert was a hermit on an island in Derwentwater and the friend and disciple of St Cuthbert, whom he visited each year for spiritual direction.
In 686 Cuthbert told him they would not meet again in this world. Herbert wept and begged that they might go to heaven together; Cuthbert prayed and said his wish was granted. After a long illness Herbert died on 20 March 687, the same day as St Cuthbert.
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
A hermit who shared St Cuthbert's friendship and his death day.
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - St. Herbert
- Wikidata Q3133532 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Herbert of Derwentwater (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.