The patron saint of Wales is St. David (Dewi Sant in Welsh), a sixth-century monk and bishop who founded a monastery at Mynyw (Menevia), now the city of St Davids in Pembrokeshire, and who died around 589. His feast, St. David’s Day, is celebrated on March 1 with daffodils, leeks and Welsh flags. He is remembered for his austere life, his preaching and his last advice to his monks: be joyful, keep the faith, and do the little things. Below are his story, other Welsh saints, Scripture and prayers to St. David.
A short prayer to St. David, written for this page:
St. David, patron of Wales, you served God in great things and in little ones.
Pray for the people of Wales and for all who love her,
and help me to be joyful, to keep the faith and to do the little things well. Amen.
Who was St. David?
David was born in the early sixth century in southwest Wales; tradition says his mother was St. Non, and a ruined chapel and holy well on the cliffs near St Davids mark the place of his birth. He was educated in monasteries, ordained a priest, and founded several communities, the most famous at Glyn Rhosyn, the Vale of Roses, where St Davids Cathedral stands today.
His monks lived a very strict life: they plowed the fields themselves without oxen, ate bread and vegetables, and drank only water, which earned David the nickname “the Waterman.” According to his medieval biographer, Rhygyfarch, when David preached at the Synod of Brefi the ground rose beneath his feet so that all could see and hear him, and a white dove settled on his shoulder. He became bishop and was honored as the chief churchman of Wales.
He died, according to tradition, on March 1, around 589. The Welsh Life of St. David records his last sermon, in which he urged his followers to be joyful, to keep the faith, and to do the little things they had seen him do (“Gwnewch y pethau bychain”). He was canonized around 1120 by Pope Callixtus II, who declared that two pilgrimages to St Davids were worth one to Rome.
St. David’s Day
St. David’s Day (Dydd Gŵyl Dewi) is March 1. It is the national day of Wales, celebrated with Mass, parades, Welsh songs and the wearing of the daffodil or the leek, the national emblems. According to a legend, David told the Welsh to wear leeks in their caps in a battle against the Saxons so that they could tell friend from foe.
Other saints of Wales
- St. Winefride (Gwenffrewi), whose holy well at Holywell, in North Wales, has been a place of pilgrimage for more than a thousand years. Feast: November 3.
- St. Dwynwen, the Welsh patron of lovers, whose feast on January 25 is the Welsh Valentine’s Day.
- St. Melangell, the hermit of Pennant Melangell who sheltered a hare from a prince’s hounds, patron of hares and rabbits. See the patron saint of rabbits.
- St. Richard Gwyn, a schoolmaster martyred in 1584 for the Catholic faith, the first of the Welsh martyrs of the Reformation; he and five other Welsh martyrs were canonized in 1970.
Scripture: faithful in little things
Luke 16:10 (Douay-Rheims):
He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in that which is greater: and he that is unjust in that which is little, is unjust also in that which is greater.
Prayers to St. David
Written for this page.
For Wales
St. David, pray for Wales, its families, its churches and its young people.
May the land of song never forget the faith you taught,
and may its people be joyful, faithful and kind. Amen.
To do the little things
St. David, you told your monks to do the little things.
Help me to be faithful today in small duties, small kindnesses and small prayers,
and to trust that God sees them all. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the patron saint of Wales?
St. David (Dewi Sant), bishop of Menevia in the sixth century.
When is St. David’s Day?
March 1.
What did St. David say?
According to the Welsh Life of St. David, his last words to his followers urged them to be joyful, keep the faith and do the little things.
More patron saints
- Patron saints of countries
- St. Patrick prayer
- St. Andrew the Apostle
- St. Augustine of Canterbury
- St. Thomas Becket
- Patron saints
Texts and sources
- Luke 16:10 (Douay-Rheims).