St. Tudwal, Bishop
(also known as Tudwal, Tual, Tugdualus, Tudgualus)
30 November
also commemorated 1 December
Tugdual - pron. TOO-dwahl
Died c. 564. One of the Seven Patron Saints of Brittany. The Welsh monk
Tugdual was one of the sons of King Hoel I Mawr (the Great). He
travelled to Ireland from his father's home in Britain to learn the
scriptures before becoming a hermit on Ynys Tudwal (St.Tudwal's Isle
East) off the Lleyn Peninsula in North Wales. He later emigrated to Leon
in Brittany and settled at Lan Pabu with some seventy-two followers.
Here he established a large monastery under the patronage of his cousin,
King Deroch of Domnonee. From here, Tugdual travelled throughout
Brittany evangelising the local population. He founded the Monastery of
Val Trechor at Treguier and had the foresight to go to Paris and have
his land grants ratified by King Childebert of the Franks. The monarch
insisted that Tugdual be made Bishop of Treguier where he is still
venerated, especially around Leon. It was at Treguier that he died in
564. His shrine can still be seen in the Cathedral.
Three places in the Lleyn Peninsula (Cardigan Bay) in Carnarvonshire
perpetuate his memory. Saint Levan, founder of Killeven in Ireland,
wrote the life of Saint Tugdual after his travels in Brittany.
Saint Tudwal's Island East (Ynys Tudwal) has a ruined chapel, which is
mentioned in the tax rolls of 1291. His relics are claimed by Treguier,
Laval, and Chartres. This is believed to have been his original
hermitage
(Attwater2,
Benedictines,
Coulson,
Farmer). (He may identical
to a saint with a similar name on December 1; some calendars also show
his feast on December 2.) In art, Saint Tudwal is depicted as a bishop
holding a dragon with his stole.
Icon of Saint Tugdual
Life in French
Vie de saint Tugdual
Premier évêque de Tréguier. Fête le 30 novembre
Un des Sept Saints Fondateurs de Bretagne
http://www.basse-bretagne.org/saint/index.php?rep=s1&art=tugdual
Troparion of St Tudwal tone 1
Having left thy native Wales
thou didst serve God in Brittany, O Father Tudwal,
and both by thy zealous preaching and thy piety thou didst win
souls for Christ.
Wherefore we hasten to thee, O radiant Hierarch,
that thou wouldst intercede for us that our souls may be saved.
Lives kindly supplied by:
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Page last updated: 04 December 2016
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