St Piran Feast Day, Date of Birth, Country of Birth, Profession, Place of Work, Date of Death, Place of Death, Beatification Date, Canonization Date
He is also known as:
- Peran
- Pyran
- Perran
- Piranus
St Piran, Monk Profile |
|
Date of Birth | 4th Century |
---|---|
Country of Birth | Ireland of Europe |
Matrimony/Holy Orders | Not Married who became Saints |
Profession | Monk |
Place of Work | Cornwall |
Date of Death | 5 March 480 |
Place of Death | Perranzabuloe, Cornwall |
Feast Day | March 5 |
Beatification | Beatified by N/A |
Canonization | Canonized by Pre-Congregation |
Patron Saint of | Tin-miners Cornwall Tinner Miners Piran, Slovenia |
St Piran Biography
St Piran’s family origins are unknown. Though tradition says he came from Ireland. He spent his youth in south Wales where he established a church in Cardiff. St Piran receives religious schooling at the monastery of saint Cadog at Llancarfon, where he met Saint Finnian of Clonard.
The two went back together to Ireland where Finnian established six monasteries, including his most famous one at Clonard. St Piran lived there before Saint Edna on Aran Island.
He established his own community at Clonmacnoise, ” Ireland’s university”.
The Cornish legend says Piran was captured in his old age by pagan Irish. being jealous of his miraculous powers, mostly because of his ability to heal. They then tied a millstone around St Piran’s neck and then threw him off a cliff into the sea and this happened during a storm. As soon as Piran hit the water, the storm subsided and the millstone sprang to the surface like a cork.
St Piran Early Life
On piran’s stone raft, he sailed for Cornwall and landed at Perran Beach, built a small chapel on Penhale sands and made his first converts which happened to be a badger, a fox, and a bear. Piran lived there for years as a hermit, performing miracles for the locals.
St Piran established churches at Perran-Uthno and Perran-Arworthal, a chapel at Tingatel, and a holy-well called the “Venton-Barren” at Probus. Piran made trips to Brittany where he worked together with saint Cai.
The Arthurian tradition from Geoffrey of Monmouth says he was a clergyman to King Arthur, and Archbishop of York after Saint Samson was exiled by Saxon invasions. Although it is doubtful he ever took up his discern.
St Piran’s patronage of Cornwall derives from his popularity with the Cornish tin-miners. Legend says that Piran located Cornwall when he used a large black rock to construct a fireplace. He found that the heat made a trickle of clean white metal ooze fro the stone. Piran shared his findings with the locals, providing the Cornish with a profitable living. The people were so happy that they held a lavish feast where the wine flowed like water.
St Piran was fond of the peculiar triple, resulting in the Cornish phrase “As drunk as a Perraner”.
St Piran was fond of the peculiar triple, resulting in the Cornish phrase “As drunk as a Perraner”. The drip of white metal upon a black background remains as the White Cross of Saint Piran on the Cornish National flag.
St Piran’s Death and Relics
St Piran died on 5 March 480 of natural causes at his little hermitage near the beach. The relics of St Piran were a great draw to pilgrims but due to overflow by the sands, they were moved inland to the parish church of Perran-Zabula, built to house them.
Today’s St Piran Quote:
N/A
Follow @ReadingCatholic