Columbanus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids SaintColumbanus |
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Saint Columbanus, stained glass window, Bobbio Abbey crypt
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| Born | 543 Leinster, Kingdom of Meath |
| Died | 21 November 615 Bobium, Kingdom of the Lombards |
| Venerated in | Eastern Orthodox Church Roman Catholic Church |
| Feast | 23 November |
| Patronage | Motorcyclists |
Columbanus (Irish: Columbán; 543 – 23 November 615) was an Irish missionary. He is famous for starting many monasteries after 590. These were in the lands of the Franks (modern France) and Lombards (modern Italy). His most well-known monasteries are Luxeuil Abbey in France and Bobbio Abbey in Italy.
Columbanus taught a special Irish way of monastic life. He also taught about confessing sins privately to a priest. After confessing, people would do penances to make up for their sins. Columbanus is one of the first known writers from Ireland who wrote in Latin.
Contents
Who Was Saint Columbanus?
Most of what we know about Columbanus comes from his own writings. We also learn from a book called Vita Columbani (Life of Columbanus). This book was written by Jonas of Susa between 639 and 641. Jonas joined the Bobbio monastery after Columbanus died. But he talked to monks who had known Columbanus.
His Early Life and Education
Columbanus was born in Leinster, Ireland, in 543. His name Columbanus is Latin for Columbán, meaning "the white dove." It is said that his mother had a vision about his great talent before he was born.
He first studied under Abbot Sinell at Cluaninis. This monastery was on an island in the River Erne. While there, Columbanus wrote about the Psalms.
Later, Columbanus moved to Bangor Abbey. He learned to be a teacher of the Bible there. He was very good at grammar, public speaking, geometry, and the Holy Scriptures. Abbot Comgall taught him Greek and Latin. Columbanus stayed at Bangor until about 590. Then, Comgall allowed him to travel to Europe.
Traveling to Frankish Gaul (c. 590 – 610)
Columbanus sailed with twelve friends. They included Attala and Gallus. They crossed the English Channel and landed in Saint-Malo, France.
Then, Columbanus entered Burgundian France. King Guntram of Burgundy welcomed them. He gave them land at Anegray. There, they turned an old Roman fort into a school. Many students came quickly. So, they moved to Luxeuil and started another school at Fontaines. Columbanus was in charge of these schools. Their rules followed the Celtic traditions he knew.
As these communities grew, Columbanus wanted more quiet time. He often went to a cave seven miles away. He took one friend to send messages between him and the monks.
Disagreements with Frankish Leaders
In 603 CE, Columbanus and his followers had problems with Frankish bishops. They disagreed about the exact date of Easter. Columbanus celebrated Easter using the Celtic calendar. The Frankish bishops may have worried about his growing influence.
The bishops also did not like the special Irish haircut (tonsure) the monks wore. In 602, the bishops called Columbanus to a meeting. But he did not go. Instead, he sent a letter. In it, he told them to hold more meetings and focus on important religious matters.
When the bishops did not drop the issue, Columbanus wrote to Pope Gregory I. He asked the Pope for his support. None of his letters were answered, likely because the Pope died in 604.
Columbanus then wrote to the next Pope, Pope Boniface IV. He asked the Pope to approve his old traditions. This way, he and his monks could follow their ancestors' ways. Before the Pope replied, Columbanus left the area where the Frankish bishops had power. It seems the Easter issue ended after he moved to Italy.
Conflict with Queen Brunhilda
Columbanus also had a conflict with the royal family. After King Guntram died, his nephew Childebert II became king. Childebert's mother, Brunhilda of Austrasia, was a powerful queen. When Childebert II died, his lands were split between his two sons, Theuderic II and Theudebert II. Brunhilda, their grandmother, ruled for them.
Theuderic II often visited Columbanus. But Columbanus told him off for having a girlfriend instead of marrying. Brunhilda became his enemy. She worried she would lose power if Theuderic II married. Brunhilda turned the court and bishops against Columbanus. Theuderic II faced Columbanus at Luxeuil. He accused Columbanus of breaking "common customs" and not letting "all Christians" into the monastery. Columbanus insisted he could run the monastery without interference. He was put in prison at Besançon.
Columbanus escaped and went back to Luxeuil. The king and his grandmother sent soldiers to force him back to Ireland. They said only Irish monks could go with him.
Columbanus was taken to Nevers. Then he traveled by boat down the Loire river to the coast. At Tours, he visited the tomb of Martin of Tours. He sent a message to Theuderic II, saying that within three years, the king and his children would die. When he reached Nantes, he wrote a letter to his monks at Luxeuil. He told them to obey Attala, who stayed behind as the abbot.
Soon after the ship left Nantes, a big storm forced it back to shore. The captain believed Columbanus caused the storm. He refused to try transporting the monk again. Columbanus found safety with Chlothar II of Neustria at Soissons. Chlothar gave him an escort to King Theudebert II of Austrasia.
Journey Through the Alps (611-612)
Columbanus arrived at Theudebert II's court in Metz in 611. Monks from Luxeuil met him there. Theudebert II gave them land at Bregenz. They traveled up the Rhine river to the lands of the Suebi and Alemanni in the northern Alps. They wanted to teach the Gospel to these people. He followed the Rhine and its smaller rivers, the Aar and the Limmat. Then he went to Lake Zurich.
Columbanus chose Tuggen as his first community. But their work was not successful. He continued north-east through Arbon to Bregenz on Lake Constance. Here, he found a small church dedicated to Aurelia of Strasbourg. It had three brass statues of local gods. Columbanus told Gallus, who knew the local language, to preach to the people. Many people became Christians. The three statues were destroyed. Columbanus blessed the church and put Aurelia's relics under the altar. A monastery, Mehrerau Abbey, was built. The monks lived their regular life there. Columbanus stayed in Bregenz for about one year.
In spring 612, a war started between Austrasia and Burgundy. Theudebert II was badly defeated by Theuderic II. Austrasia became part of Burgundy. Columbanus was again in danger from Theuderic II. When Columbanus's students started being killed in the woods, he decided to cross the Alps into Lombardy.
Gallus stayed in this area until he died in 646. About seventy years later, the Abbey of Saint Gall was founded where Gallus's cell had been. The city of St. Gallen grew around the abbey.
Life in Lombardy (612-615)
Columbanus arrived in Milan in 612. He was welcomed by King Agilulf and Queen Theodelinda of the Lombards. He immediately began to argue against Arianism, a different Christian belief that was common in Italy. He wrote a book against Arianism, but it is now lost. In 614, King Agilulf gave Columbanus land for a school at an old church site in Bobbio.
The king asked Columbanus to write a letter to Pope Boniface IV. This letter was about a disagreement over some religious writings called the Three Chapters. These writings were thought to be linked to a heresy (a wrong belief). Pope Gregory I had allowed people in Lombardy to defend these writings. Columbanus agreed to write on behalf of the king. The letter was polite. It started with an apology from a "foolish Scot (Irishman)" writing for a Lombard king. He asked the Pope to prove his correct beliefs and to hold a council. Columbanus said his freedom to speak was normal for his country. He showed great respect for the Pope, calling him "his Lord and Father in Christ."
King Agilulf gave Columbanus land called Bobbio. It was between Milan and Genoa, near the Trebbia river. This place was in a valley of the Apennine Mountains. It was meant to be a base for converting the Lombard people. The area had a ruined church and empty lands. Columbanus wanted this quiet place. He was eager to teach the Lombards, but he also liked solitude for himself and his monks. Next to the small church, which was for Peter the Apostle, Columbanus built a monastery in 614. Bobbio Abbey followed the Rule of Saint Columbanus. For centuries, it was a strong center of correct Christian belief in northern Italy.
His Death
In his last year, Columbanus received messages from King Chlothar II. The king invited him to return to Burgundy. Columbanus did not go back. Instead, he asked the king to always protect his monks at Luxeuil Abbey. He prepared for death by going to his cave on the mountain. This cave overlooked the Trebbia river. People say he had a small chapel there dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Columbanus died at Bobbio on 21 November 615. He is buried there.
The Rule of Saint Columbanus
The Rule of Saint Columbanus was a set of rules for monks. It followed the customs of Bangor Abbey and other Irish monasteries. It was shorter than the Rule of Saint Benedict. Columbanus's Rule had ten chapters. These chapters covered topics like:
- Obedience
- Silence
- Food
- Poverty
- Humility
- Chastity
- Choir offices (prayers)
- Discretion (good judgment)
- Mortification (self-denial)
- Perfection
In the first chapter, Columbanus explained the main idea of his Rule: complete obedience. Monks had to obey their elders, just as "Christ obeyed the Father." This obedience also meant hard work. This helped monks control their desires and set an example of hard work. Even small rule breaks led to physical punishment or strict fasting. In the second chapter, Columbanus said that silence must be "carefully observed." He wrote that "righteousness comes from silence and peace."
In the fourth chapter, Columbanus talked about poverty. He said monks should be happy with "small possessions of utter need." He warned that "greed is a leprosy for monks." He also said that "being poor and not caring about riches are the first steps to being a perfect monk." The second step is getting rid of bad habits. The third is loving God perfectly and always thinking about divine things.
In the fifth chapter, Columbanus warned against showing off. He reminded monks of Jesus' words: "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God's sight." In the sixth chapter, Columbanus said that a monk's purity is judged by his thoughts. He asked, "What good is it if he is pure in body, but not pure in mind?"
In the seventh chapter, Columbanus started a service of constant prayer called laus perennis. This meant groups of monks would pray one after another, day and night. In the eighth chapter, Columbanus stressed the importance of good judgment for monks. This was to avoid "the downfall of some, who starting without good judgment... have been unable to complete a praiseworthy life." Monks were told to pray to God to "light up this path."
In the ninth chapter, Columbanus said that self-denial was very important for monks. They were told, "Do nothing without counsel." Monks were warned to "beware of proud independence." They should learn true humility by obeying without complaining. According to the Rule, self-denial had three parts: "not to disagree in mind, not to speak as one pleases with the tongue, not to go anywhere with complete freedom." This is like Jesus' words, "For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me." (John 6:38)
The tenth and final chapter set out punishments for offenses. These often involved physical discipline. This is where Columbanus's Rule was very different from Saint Benedict's.
Columbanus's Rule required monks to fast every day until 3 p.m. This was later made less strict. Monks ate a simple diet of beans, vegetables, flour mixed with water, and small bread loaves in the evenings.
Monks wore a simple tunic of undyed wool. Over it, they wore a cowl (a hooded cloak) of the same material. They spent a lot of time doing different kinds of manual labour. This was similar to other monasteries. The Rule of Saint Columbanus was approved in 627. But it was later replaced by the Rule of Saint Benedict. For some centuries, both rules were followed together in some larger monasteries.
Columbanus's Character and Impact
Columbanus was not perfect. People said he could be quick-tempered and stubborn. He was naturally eager, passionate, and brave. These traits made him powerful but also caused some mistakes. However, his good qualities were amazing. Like many saints, he loved animals. Stories say that birds would land on his shoulders. Squirrels would run down trees and snuggle in his clothes.
He strongly defended Irish traditions. But he always showed deep respect for the Pope as the highest authority. His influence in Europe came from the people he converted and the rules he wrote. Perhaps the success of Columba in Scotland inspired him. Columbanus's life became a model for missionaries in Europe. Other famous missionaries like Kilian and Boniface followed his example.
Amazing Stories (Miracles)
Here are some of the main miracles people said Columbanus performed:
- He found food for a sick monk and cured a kind woman.
- He was surrounded by wolves but was not hurt.
- He made a bear leave a cave by telling it to.
- He made a spring of water appear near his cave.
- He refilled the Luxeuil monastery's grain storage.
- He made bread and beer multiply for his community.
- He cured sick monks, who then got up to help with the harvest.
- He gave sight to a blind man in Orleans.
- He destroyed a cauldron of beer for a pagan festival with his breath.
- He tamed a bear and made it pull a plow.
Jonas also tells a story about a miracle in Bregenz during a severe famine.
Columbanus's Legacy
Historian Alexander O'Hara says Columbanus had a "very strong sense of Irish identity." He was the first Irish person to write about Irish identity. He is also the first Irish person whose writings we still have. So, he is very important for Irish history.
In 1950, a meeting celebrated 1,400 years since his birth in Luxeuil, France. Important people like Robert Schuman and the future Pope John XXIII attended. John A. Costello, an Irish leader, said that "All statesmen of today might well turn their thoughts to St Columban and his teaching. History records that it was by men like him that civilisation was saved in the 6th century."
Columbanus is also known as the first Irish person to have a biography written about him. An Italian monk named Jonas of Bobbio wrote it about twenty years after Columbanus died. Columbanus was also the first to use the phrase totius Europae (all of Europe) in a letter in 600 AD.
In Saint-Malo, France, there is a granite cross with Columbanus's name. People used to pray there for rain. The nearby village of Saint-Coulomb is named after him.
In France, the ruins of Columbanus's first monastery at Annegray are protected. A group bought the site in 1959. This group also owns and protects the cave that was Columbanus's cell. They also protect a holy well he created nearby. At Luxeuil-les-Bains, the Basilica of Saint Peter stands where Columbanus's first church was. A statue there shows him speaking out against King Theuderic II's life. This church used to be an abbey. It is now a seminary and has a bronze statue of Columbanus in its courtyard.
Bobbio Abbey in Italy became a famous center of learning. Luxeuil Abbey in France became a "nursery of saints and apostles." This monastery trained sixty-three apostles. They spread his rule and the Gospel to France, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. These followers of Columbanus are said to have founded over a hundred different monasteries. The area and town of St. Gallen show how successful one of his followers was.
Bobbio Abbey became so famous that it was as important as the monastery at Monte Cassino. St. Attala continued Columbanus's work at Bobbio. He spread Christianity and collected religious texts for the abbey's library. In Lombardy, several towns are named after the saint: San Colombano al Lambro in Milan, San Colombano Belmonte in Turin, and San Colombano Certénoli in Genoa.
The Missionary Society of Saint Columban, started in 1916, and the Missionary Sisters of St. Columban, started in 1924, are both dedicated to Columbanus.
Honoring Saint Columbanus (Veneration)
Columbanus's remains are kept in the crypt at Bobbio Abbey. Many miracles have been linked to his prayers. In 1482, his relics were placed in a new shrine under the crypt's altar. The sacristy at Bobbio has part of Columbanus's skull. It also has his knife, wooden cup, bell, and an old water vessel. This vessel once held holy relics and was said to be a gift from Pope Gregory I. Some say twelve of Columbanus's teeth were taken from his tomb in the 1400s, but they are now gone.
Columbanus is remembered in the Roman Martyrology on 23 November. This is his feast day in Ireland. The Benedictines celebrate his feast on 21 November. Columbanus is the patron saint of motorcyclists. In art, Columbanus is shown with a beard and a monastic cowl. He holds a book with an Irish satchel. He is sometimes shown with wolves around him. Sometimes he is shown taming a bear or with sunbeams over his head.
See also
In Spanish: Columbano de Luxeuil para niños
