St. Columba, along with Patrick and Brigid, is among the most revered saints in Ireland. He was born a prince of the Cinel Connall Clan and might have become the High King of Ireland had he not forsaken all to join the monastery. His Irish name, Collumcille or Collum Cille, means “dove of the church.”
Columba is the Celtic archetype peregrinati – wanderers or pilgrims—who travel with neither means nor destination to spread the gospel. A great scripture scholar, he founded many monasteries and spread Christianity in what today is known as Scotland. In fact, some historians name him as one of the founders of Scotland. His feast day is June 9th.
Legend has it that Columba was instrumental in securing a bloody victory for his clan at Cul Drevny. Following that battle he left Ireland forever as an extreme act of penance for the island of Iona. The monastery he established there became a dominant religious and political institution in the region for centuries and remains a center of Celtic spirituality to this day.
Columba’s pray characteristically calls upon a God who is present in every direction and within the natural elements:
Be thou a bright frame before me,
Be thou a guiding star above me,
Be thou a smooth path below me,
Be thou a kindly shepherd behind me,
Today, tonight and forever.