St David
St David
Saint David is the patron saint of Wales. In Welsh, his name is Dewi. He is one of the most celebrated saints in Britain. David was born about 520AD in Pembrokeshire, Wales. There is very little known about his life but it is believed that David was the son of Sant, who was a leader of a clan (or tribe.) As a young man, David became a Christian priest and went to live on a remote island to study the Bible. He spent many years there alone, but when he left, he founded a monastery or religious house. Life at David’s monastery was very strict. The monks who lived there prayed often but also had to work very hard and were rarely allowed to speak. They ate only bread with vegetables and salt and they drank only water.
David founded many Christian churches throughout Wales before he died in about 600 in Mynyw. Today, Saint David’s Cathedral is the largest cathedral in Wales. It was founded at the site of David’s monastery and in the 1100s the Pope declared the site to be a place of pilgrimage and a shrine for pilgrims was built.
St David’s feast day is celebrated every year on 1st March.