Columban

Columban, also known as Columba the Younger, was an Irish monk and missionary who lived from roughly 540 to 615 AD. He is one of the most famous of the Irish monastic missionaries who traveled to continental Europe in the early Middle Ages. Columban was born in Leinster, Ireland, and received his education at the monastic school of Bangor.

Around the year 590, Columban, along with twelve companions, left Ireland to spread Christianity on the continent. Their missionary efforts focused on areas that were not yet fully Christianized or had lapsed from the faith. They founded several important monasteries, most notably Luxeuil in the Frankish kingdom of Burgundy and Bobbio in northern Italy. These monasteries became centers of learning and religious life, preserving and copying manuscripts, and influencing the development of monasticism in Europe.

Columban was known for his ascetic lifestyle and his strong adherence to Irish monastic customs. He often clashed with local bishops and rulers over differences in liturgical practices, such as the method of calculating Easter and the style of the tonsure. His writings, including sermons and letters, reveal a passionate preacher and a scholar deeply versed in scripture. His most famous work is the Penitential, which outlined rules for confession and penance. Columban's missionary zeal and his founding of significant monastic centers left a lasting impact on the Christianization and cultural development of Western Europe. He is venerated as a saint in both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.