What was Saint David known for?
He became renowned as a teacher and preacher, founding monastic settlements and churches in Wales, Dumnonia, and Brittany. St David’s Cathedral stands on the site of the monastery he founded in the Glyn Rhosyn valley of Pembrokeshire.
What did St David believe in?
Educated at a monastery, he became a missionary, spreading Christianity. Dewi was a renowned preacher, founding monastic settlements and churches in Wales, Brittany and south-west England.
Why do we celebrate St David Day?
Today is St David’s Day! St David is the patron saint of Wales and he is celebrated on the 1 March. To mark the day, Welsh people around the world wear one or both of Wales’s national emblems – a daffodil and a leek. Patron saints are chosen to be special protectors or guardians over all areas of life.
Did David slay a dragon?
There is a myth that David was asked by villagers to slay a dragon (as St George, Patron Saint of England, did) but refused and instead went to visit the dragon and learn of his own sad plight. Glastonbury Abbey is thought to have been founded by Saint David, too.
What did St David eat?
St David and his monks followed a simple, austere life. They ploughed the fields by hand, rather than using oxen, and refrained from eating meat or drinking beer. St David himself was reputed to have consumed only leeks and water – which is perhaps why the leek became a national symbol of Wales.
How do you celebrate St David’s Day?
Usually, St David’s Day is a day of parades, concerts and eisteddfodau (festivals of music, language and culture). Flags are flown. The national anthem is sung with extra fervour. Children go to school in traditional Welsh dress, and everyone (well, almost…)
How did Saint David serve God?
He was a prophet and a teacher, a man of prayer and a miracle worker. He was the heart of the monastic community he founded in what is now St Davids, and through his direct teaching, and the work of the monks he influenced, he shaped the spirituality of his time and place.
What did St David tell his monks?
But although he was a great preacher, the message by which St David is most remembered is not a flowery piece of preaching but a simple statement about simplicity. It comes from his last sermon… In his last sermon David told his monks to “do the little things, the small things you’ve seen me doing”.