Sunday, December 1, 2019

SAINT GWINEAR, SAINT PHIALA AND COMPANIONS

Gwinear, Phiala & Comp.
Feast day: March 23
Gwinear is also known as Fingar, Guigner, Gwinnear
Died 460.
This saint's vita was not written by Anselm, probably a Cornish canon, until about eight centuries after his death. There is evidence that the basics of the story are true. When Saint Patrick was evangelizing Ireland, he came to the court of King Clito and was treated with scorn. But the king's son Gwinear was more courteous than his father. Though not yet a Christian, he recognized Patrick's piety and rose to his feet to offer the saint his own seat.

Later, as he was hunting and at the same time meditating on Christianity, he was converted. Gwinear let his horse go free and began to live as a hermit. After King Clito's death, the saint returned home, but not to assume the throne. Instead he took 770 men and women (including his converted sister Piala) to spread the Christian faith in Wales and Brittany. At first they landed at the mouth of the Hayle River.

Among the celebrated miracles alleged to have been performed by the saint, one--at Puvigner in Brittany--indicates his reputation for loving animals. Short of water the saint struck the ground and created not one fountain but three: one for himself, the other two for his dog and his horse.

The saint and many of his followers died as martyrs. The Cornish tyrant Teudar had long hated the Christians. He kept a lake filled with reptiles in amongst which he threw those he disliked. It is said that Teudar came upon a band of Gwinear's Christian friends "from behind" and killed them.

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