History of the Order
St. Columbanus
Born on the border of Wexford and Carlow in 543AD Columban (as he was then known) spent his childhood in the South East of Ireland. He was renouned for his good looks, and much to the reported distress of his mother, instead of marriage he answered God’s call and opted to follow the religious life.
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Moving north he began his studies at the monastery of Cleenish on Lough Erne. Here he worked hard to become a Latin scholar and as was common practice adopted the latin version of his name (Columbanus). Some years later he moved from Fermanagh to Bangor to join the great monastery on the shores of Belfast Lough which had been founded by St Comgall. This monastery was renouned throughout Europe and was known as “the light of the world”. Columbanus remained in Bangor for many years studying under Comgall.
St Columbanus
543 AD
Early years
Columbanus (the Latinised form of Colmán, meaning little dove) was born in Leinster, Ireland in 543. After his conception, his mother was said to have had a vision of her child's "remarkable genius".
He was first educated under Abbot Sinell of Cluaninis, whose monastery was on an island of the River Erne, in modern County Fermanagh.[6] Under Sinell's instruction, Columbanus composed a commentary on the Psalms.
Columbanus then moved to Bangor Abbey where he studied to become a teacher of the Bible. He was well-educated in the areas of grammar, rhetoric, geometry, and the Holy Scriptures. Abbot Comgall taught him Greek and Latin. He stayed at Bangor until c. 590, when Comgall reluctantly gave him permission to travel to the continent.
591- 610 AD
His travels
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In 591AD at the age of 48 Columbanus left Bangor to spread the Gospel, sailing down Belfast Lough in an open boat with St Gall and other companions. He travelled through Britain and eventually made his way to continental Europe – setting in Annegray in France. Here he spent some 20 years – establishing his own monastery. Columbanus was a strict advocate of adherence to a frugal prayerful life and set his monastery apart from the rich and opulent courts of local kings and queens. His monastery soon became as centre for prayer and pilgrimage. Columbanus moved on to found further monasteries at Luxeuil and Fontaine.
2007-2010
University Name
Deciding to return home from the port of Nantes Columbanus was thwarted by a severe storm. Taking this as a sign that God wished him to continue his mission he returned to Prum in Germany and from there on to Bregenz in Austria on the shores of Lake Constance. The area around Bregenz retains much devotion to St Columbanus and has a town which was fittingly twinned with Bangor in October 1987.
From Bregenz Columbanus travelled to northern Italy. He settled in the small town of Bobbio outside of Milan. Here he restored the ancient church of St Peter. His work done, Columbanus passed away peacefully having in his own words “spread the good news throughout Europe”.
