While there is a tradition that Iltud resided at St Michael’s Mount while passing through Cornwall, it may seem odd including a saint who is not commemorated in any Cornish church dedications or holy places. However, Iltud’s contribution to the southern axis of the Celtic mission is of the greatest importance. Indeed, Iltud stands alongside Columba and Aidan as the three most important saints of the Celtic Church in Britain. 

Iltud was most probably a Welsh nobleman’s son who joined King Arthur’s court as one of his warriors. In the Life of Cadog, it states that Iltud became a Christian when fifty of his soldiers were swallowed up in a bog. He left his wife (who then became a nun) to be one of St Cadog’s monks, probably leaving Wales to train under St Germanus of Auxerre at Cassian’s monastery near Marseilles. He then returned to Wales to establish a monastery at Caldey Island, but it is his next foundation for which he is chiefly to be celebrated and remembered. 

For it was at the monastery at Llaniltud Fawr in South Wales that Iltud trained important Celtic saints such as David and Gildas. So far as the Celtic Church in Cornwall in concerned, his most significant contribution was in training Paul Aurelian and Samson who established religious houses in Cornwall. In The Life of Samson it says that Illtud was  

“…of all the Britons the most accomplished in his knowledge of all the scriptures, both he Old and the New Testaments and in every branch of philosophy, poetry and rhetoric, grammar and arithmetic: and he was most wise and gifted with the power of foretelling future events.’” 

St Paul Aurelian (c490 – c590)

The Life of St Paul Aurelian was written in 884 at the monastery of Landévennec in Brittany by Wrmonoc (who also wrote The Life of St Winwaloe). Wrmonoc describes Paul as the son of a Welsh nobleman who studied under Iltud at Llaniltud Fawr before living as a hermit at Llandovery at the tender age of sixteen. He then founded a monastery nearby at Llandeusant where he was ordained a priest.  

His fame soon reached King Mark in Cornwall, who most probably ruled from Castle Dore hill fort near Fowey. Mark wished to strengthen the Christian faith among his people, and so asked Paul to come to Cornwall. Paul arrived with twelve priests before moving on to Brittany (apparently to avoid being made a bishop!). It seems Paul travelled to Brittany via Mount’s Bay as it was there that he met up with his sister Sidwell, establishing a nunnery for her at Paul near Newlyn. (The church there, as well as the village, is dedicated to him.) There is a unique Cornish cross in the churchyard wall, suggesting the site was formerly one of pagan worship. 

Paul landed in Brittany to found important monasteries on the Ile-de-Batz and at St Pol-de-Lyon. St Pol-de-Lyon Cathedral is still dedicated to Paul and has a series of beautiful modern stained glass windows depicting scenes from his life. It also has what is reputed to be his bell. He died at the ripe old age of 104. 

Almighty God, the light of the faithful and shepherd of souls, who brought your servant Paul Aurelian to Cornwall  to feed your sheep by his word and guide them by his example: give us grace to keep the faith which he taught and to follow in his footsteps; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

St Samson (c490 – c565) 

St Samson - medieval carving, Golant Church

We are fortunate in that we have a long and early life of Samson written by a Breton monk in the seventh century. Samson was born into a noble family and sent to Llaniltud Fawr to train under Iltud. Samson was ordained priest, and then went off to live at a daughter house on Caldey Island. He became abbot there, visited Ireland, and on his return was invited to become abbot of Llaniltud Fawr. He was consecrated a bishop before withdrawing in favour of a quieter life in a ruined fort on the banks of the Severn.  

Samson eventually felt called by God to travel to Cornwall. Landing at Padstow with a small group of relatives, he journeyed up the Camel estuary to the monastery of Docco, a place now called St Kew. The monks there had grown so lax that, not wishing for their failings to become obvious, they asked him not to stay there. So Samson moved further inland, encountering a group of pagans and their king at worship. At this point, a boy fell off his horse, apparently killed. Samson revived him, and besought the pagans to reaffirm their baptism (it seems they too had lapsed in the faith). Samson then carved a cross on a standing stone they had been using for worship in order to Christianise it. 

The king was so impressed, he asked Samson to deal with a serpent that had been terrorising his people (see entry for Golant in ‘Places for Pilgrimage’). Samson did as he requested, and was then asked by the grateful people to be their bishop. Samson, however, moved on to found a monastery, probably at Fowey, before leaving his father in charge and departing for Brittany. There he founded many important monasteries, the most famous being that at Dol. His signature has been found on church decrees signed in Paris in 553 and 557. 

O God, who sent your servant Samson to be a master builder of your church in Cornwall: raise up, we pray, holy and faithful servants and labourers to build on the foundation he laid in our land; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

St Petroc (died 564) 

The earliest life of Petroc was written most probably in the 11^th century by a Cornish monk living in Brittany. It states that Petroc was the son of a Welsh king who declined the throne on his father’s death. Petroc instead became a monk and, with sixty fellow noblemen, went to study in Ireland for twenty years.  

Petroc returned to Wales and sailed for Cornwall. Landing at Padstow, he encountered a hermit; on requesting a drink of water and being told to find it himself, he struck the ground three times with his staff and a spring appeared. A bishop nearby called Wethenoc was more hospitable and donated his cell to Petroc. Petroc and his followers lived there for thirty years before going on pilgrimage to Rome and the Holy Land.  

Petroc was then warned by an angel to return to Cornwall, where he drove away a huge serpent terrorising the local population. Petroc is also reputed to have healed a dragon later on which waited patiently outside his cell for days until he removed a splinter from its eye. Grateful for this small mercy, it left the area - it seems that for Celtic saints, not all situations involving dragons required that battle be joined and that they be slain!  

Petroc then chose to live a more solitary life, probably at Little Petherick near Padstow. It was here he saved a stag being hunted by a rich ruler called Constantine and his men by hiding it beneath his cloak, Constantine’s arm suddenly going lifeless and numb. The king and his men were duly converted to the faith, and his arm was miraculously restored. 

Near the end of his life Petroc moved further inland to a more solitary place where the busy market town of Bodmin is now to be found. There he met a hermit called Guron. who gave his cell over to Petroc. Guron then moved a day’s journey to the south to where the village of Gorran now stands. Petroc died at Treravel near Padstow, and was buried afterwards in Padstow. 

In 981 Padstow was laid waste by Vikings, and it was probably around this time that Petroc’s bones were moved to Bodmin. In 1478 William Worcester mentions seeing Petroc’s shrine in the church there, probably in the chancel. The shrine was suppressed in the Reformation, but the ornate Arabic reliquary was later found in the 18^th century, hidden in a room above the church porch, Petroc’s bones sadly missing. This reliquary and Guron’s holy well can now be seen at St Petroc’s Church, Bodmin. The reliquary was stolen in 1994, but later turned up in a field in Yorkshire, much to Cornwall’s relief. 

Almighty God, by whose grace Petroc, kindled with the fire of your love, became a burning and shining light in our nation: inflame us with the same spirit of discipline and love, that we may ever walk before you as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Winwaloe (also known as Gunwalloe and Guénolé) was born soon after his noble parents arrived in Brittany from Cornwall in the fifth century. The Anglo-Saxons had pushed the Celts down into Cornwall, which also received Celts fleeing an outbreak of the plague in Wales. There was just not enough fertile land to support the population, so many refugees left to start a new life in Brittany. To this day, the Cornish and Bretons still affectionately greet each other as cousins, our languages being very similar. 

When fifteen, Winwaloe went to St Budock’s monastery to be trained as a monk. When his training was completed, he left the monastery with eleven other monks to found a monastery on the Isle of Tibidy. However, the soil was so infertile and the winds so strong that they eventually decided to move to the mainland.  

A local king granted them land in the district of Cornouille, and Winwaloe founded the important monastery of Landévennec twelve miles southeast of Brest in 485. There is still a monastery there today, the Cornish society The Companions of St Guénolé being frequent visitors there on pilgrimage. Winwaloe’s grave and holy well can still be seen there. Winwaloe may have returned to his ancestral homeland at some point as there are two places on the Lizard associated with him – the churches at Landewednack and Gunwalloe. 

Winwaloe and his monks were renowned for leading the most austere of lives: the only food they consumed was barley bread with boiled roots, a little cheese and shellfish being allowed on Sundays; they slept under birch bark, their heads resting upon stones for pillows; Winwaloe’s habit was made of goatskins and he only ate two meals a week in Lent. In 818 his rule was superseded by the much less demanding Rule of St Benedict. It marked the end of a remarkable era of fortitude in faith and strength of spirit. 

Almighty God, you enlightened Brittany by the teaching of Winwaloe, a true and worthy son of Cornwall: enrich us evermore with your heavenly grace, and raise up faithful witnesses, who by their life and teaching may proclaim to all people the truth of your salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

St Non (5^th/6^th Century) 

Probably born of a noble family in Dyfed, Non became a nun at Maucan, near Whitesand Bay in Pembrokeshire. She was reputed to very beautiful, and had the misfortune to be raped by Prince Sant. She promptly fled to live among the standing stones on the cliffs behind Bryn y Garn. As the time of the birth of her child drew near, the local ruler determined to kill it, fearful of prophecies of what it might become and the power it might wield. However, a terrible storm arose such that all were confined to their dwellings at the appropriate time. Non then gave birth to St David, patron of Wales, near the raging sea and bathed in beams of brilliant light.  

After the death of Sant, Non left Wales for Cornwall at the invitation of her sister St Gwen. She most probably then lived at Altarnon (see ‘Places for Pilgrimage’) before leaving for Brittany where she is believed to have been buried at Dirinon in Finistere. There is also a tradition she was a Cornish princess who went to Wales, but this seems less likely. 

Heavenly Lord, you caused Non to give birth to David who was destined to lead the people of Wales out of darkness into light:  grant us grace that we too might overcome our feelings of unworthiness and shame, and go forth on our earthly pilgrimage in strength of faith and certainty of purpose wherever it may lead; we ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen. 

St Cuby (died 555) 

Cuby (known as Cybi in Wales) is unusual in that he went in the opposite direction to that usually taken by Celtic missionary monks and nuns. His aunt may have been St Non. 

The son of a Cornish military commander, probably King of Cornwall, Cuby left Cornwall at the age of 27 to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. On his way home, he became a disciple of St Hilary of Poitiers and was consecrated bishop. On his return to Cornwall, he found his father had died. He was then offered the monarchy, but he refused it in favour of leaving to evangelise Gwent in Wales. From there Cuby later crossed to Ireland and founded churches in Co Dublin before leaving for the island of Ynys Gybi, also known as Anglesey. Here he established an important monastery at Caergybi (Holyhead) before he died in 555. He is celebrated as one of the founders of Christian Wales. 

Cuby’s main church dedication in Cornwall is at Duloe, a few miles south of Liskeard and an ancient site of pagan worship. Cornwall’s smallest stone circle, made entirely of quartz stones, is just a few hundred metres away from the church which he must have founded on his return to Cornwall from Poitiers. In the church you will find a fine 6^th Century font that once stood by Cuby’s Holy Well (to be found a kilometre away on the road towards Looe). Inscribed with a mythical gryphon and a fish, it is quite possible it was used by Cuby himself. 

Almighty God, we thank you for the life and example of your servant Cuby, who left his homeland of Cornwall to bring the light of the Gospel to the people of Ireland and Wales: help us too to leave all we love behind us should it be your will; through him who gave his all for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.