Died c. 580.
Cadoc was the son of a robber, one of the lesser kings of Wales, who
with an armed band of 300 men had stolen the daughter of a neighbouring
chieftain for his wife. In this ugly episode 200 of his followers
perished, and out of this unpromising union was born Cadoc, the Welsh
saint, founder of the monastery of Llancarvan.
It is hardly credible that form so wild and barbarous a background
should have come such a gentle and enlightened prince, but fortunately
his erratic and impulsive father placed him in the care of an Irish monk
whose cow he had stolen and who had been bold enough to demand its
return. From this good man Cadoc learned the rudiments of Latin, and
after pursuing his studies in Ireland, preferred the life of a priest to
that of a prince.
Stories are told of how one day in his poverty, during a famine, when he
sat with his books in his cell, a white mouse ran suddenly on to the
table from a hole in the wall and put down a grain of corn. Cadoc
followed it and found in the cellar beneath him an old Celtic
subterranean granary stacked with grain. It is also said that once he
hid himself in a wood from an armed swineherd of an enemy tribe, and
there came a wild boar, white with age, who, disturbed by his presence,
made three fierce bounds in his direction and then disappeared. Cadoc
marked the spot with three tree branches, and it became the site of his
great church and abbey of Llancarvan. He himself took an active part in
its building, and it became a busy centre of industry, "The best of
patriots," he said, "is he who tills the soil."
When, on one occasion, a band of robbers came to pillage the monastery,
Cadoc and his monks went out to meet them with their harps, chanting as
they went, and the marauders were so surprised by their attitude and so
enchanted by the music that they withdrew.
But the best story is that of his parents' conversion. It was a happy
day when by the river they made public profession of their faith. The
robber king had found his Saviour, and father and son together recited
the Psalm: "The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble."
Cadoc later took refuge from the Anglo-Saxons in the Isle of Flatholmes,
and then in Brittany, where he established another monastery upon a
small island to which he built a stone bridge so that the children could
cross to his school. Finally he returned to Britain and, obeying his own
maxim: "Would you find glory? March to the grave," deliberately cut
himself off from the shelter of his own monastery of Llancarvan, and
lived among the Saxon settlements to console the native Christians who
had survived the massacres of the pagan invaders. This was at Weedon in
Northamptonshire, and there he met with a martyr's death. While
celebrating the Eucharist one day, the service was rudely disturbed by
Saxon horsemen, and Cadoc was slain as he served at the altar
(
Gill).
Troparion of St Cadoc
Tone 5
Having been raised to piety, O Hierarch Cadoc,
thou didst dedicate thy life to God,
serving Him in the monastic state.
As with joyful heart thou didst fulfil thy daily obedience,
caring for the earthly needs of countless paupers,
look now upon our spiritual poverty
and beseech Christ our God,
that He will grant us great mercy.
Kontakion of St Cadoc
Tone 5
We honour thee with hymns, O righteous Hierarch Cadoc,
for the pilgrimage of thy life was found pleasing to God,
Who in His goodness adorned thee with authority,
and as thou didst receive the crown of martyrdom,
whilst serving the Holy Mysteries,
pray for us that we also may be blessed to die in Christ.