he life of Saint Columbanus (or Columban) was more turbulent and his travels more far-flung than most of the other wandering missionary saints. Controversies punctuated his work and were the cause of him moving from one arena of activity to another. Fortunately, we have access to a biography of him written less than 30 years after his death by an Italian monk, Jonas, who was able to speak with his close associates.

He was born in Leinster, Ireland, in 540 and was given a good education. He was graced with a winning personality, attractiveness, wisdom and charisma, so much so that he was subjected to many fierce temptations against which he fought valiantly. It was partially to escape these distractions that he sought the road to holiness at Saint Comgall's famous monastery in Bangor, where he was ordained at age 32 and remained for many years.

In 591, when he was already 51 years old, he heard the pilgrim's call - it was his desire to leave his country and take the Gospel to Gaul, where the faith had declined. He found some of his Celtic countrymen who had fled the invasions of their homeland settled in what is now France, near the Swiss border. There he built a monastery and a church on the ruins of a pagan temple at Annegray - a custom of the early church.

Later he moved on to build another monastic community at Luxeuil, one of the two places most associated with his name. As was usual then, this foundation was to transform an uncultivated, wild area into an habitable settlement.

A third monastery was founded at Fontaine - these 3 plus Bobbio were the sources of the Columban monastic rule, inspiring his followers to found many other monasteries after him. Saint Columbanus' rule for his monks was typical of the Celtic tradition - very austere, with many penances, fasts and lengthy recitations of the Psalms (a favorite Celtic practice) - as many as 75 a day. Each day's food consisted of only one evening meal - porridge, bread, beans and vegetables. He also stressed the importance of private communion with God and a holy watchfulness, similar to the practices of Eastern Christianity. Eventually, after his death, his monasteries changed to the more lenient Rule of Saint Benedict.

A great controversy in the church at that time involved the dating of Easter. The Celtic churches had a date different from the churches of Rome and the continent. Saint Columbanus was involved in this controversy and drew upon himself the hostility of the local clerics.

At the same time, Saint Columbanus, like Saint John the Baptist, found himself at odds with the king, Theodoric II of Burgundy, publicly rebuking him for his immoral existence, and was driven out of the country in 610 with his Irish companions. The ship which was ordered to deport them back to Ireland was driven back to the shores of the Loire river by a great storm, an omen which caused the sailors to refuse to take him on board again and convinced Saint Columbanus that he was fated not to return.

By now this sturdy saint was 70 and again he started out seeking further harvests in which to labor, ending up in what is now Switzerland. He was not to remain there long, though, because the local people had reverted to paganism and were hostile to his presence. Saint Columbanus and his disciples fled over the Alps to Italy and finally settled on land given to him by King Agilulf of Lombardy in Bobbio, which has the greatest claim to him. He remained there in the monastery he founded until his death on November 23, 615. His feast day is November 21.

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