St. David was a Fifth Century Catholic Bishop who is venerated as the National Patron Saint of Wales. His feast-day is kept on 1st March (his Novena is kept 20th February through 28th February — except during leap years, when it begins 21st February).
The Litany of St. David
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
St. David, *pray for us.
Apostle of Wales, *
Faithful pastor, *
Holy Bishop, *
Holy Confessor, *
Holy Abbot, *
Defender of the Faith, *
Shepherd of the Flock, *
Ardent preacher, *
Who taught us to be joyful, *
Who taught us to keep the faith, *
Worker of miracles, *
Whose birth was foretold by a mystic, *
Born of St. Non, *
Whose birth was marked by a storm, *
At whose birth God caused the sun to shine in the darkness, *
Pupil of Sts. Paulinus, Justinian, and Illtyd, *
Faithful pilgrim to the Land of
Jesus’ birth, *
Consecrated as Bishop in Jerusalem, *
Finder of relics, *
Healer of the sick, *
Founder of monasteries, *
Example of purity, *
Example of simplicity of life, *
Example of holiness, *
Teacher of abstinence, *
Who caused wells to spring up as a sign of God’s mercy, *
Who preached at Llanddewi Brevi, *
For whom God caused a hill to rise up, *
Over whom the Dove of the
Holy Spirit appeared, *
Devoted to the spread of the Gospel, *
Devoted to spiritual renewal, *
Who taught us to place our trust in God, *
Pray for us, O holy St. David:
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray.
O GOD, you gave your servant David the virtue of wisdom and the gift of eloquence, and made him an example of prayer and pastoral zeal; grant that, through his intercession, your Church may ever prosper and render you joyful praise. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Litany from the Metropolitan Cathedral Church of Saint David in the City & Archdiocese of Cardiff.
The life of St. David
The saint was born to St. Non at Menevia in Pembrokeshire. Imitating the example and customs of the Eastern Fathers, St. David established a monastery from which many monks were sent out to evangelize Wales, Ireland, Cornwall, and Bretagne. To him is attributed the foundation of ten monasteries, most notably that of Mynyw or Menevia in Dyfed, where the communities led very strict lives in accordance with the practices of the Egyptian hermits.
St. David was first venerated in South Wales, but his cult followed his monks to Ireland, Brittany, Cornwall and England, and his shrine at Mynyw (St David’s) became a place of pilgrimage in the 12th century, from which time he has been honoured as the patron of Wales.
Born around A.D. 500, St. David was a native of Wales, and he is traditionally believed to be the son of St. Non and the grandson of Ceredig ap Cunedda, king of Ceredigion. St. David became renowned as a teacher and preacher, founding monastic settlements and churches in Wales, Dumnonia, and Brittany. St David’s Cathedral stands on the site of the monastery he founded in the Glyn Rhosyn Valley of Pembrokeshire.
Around A.D. 550, he attended the Synod of Brefi, where his eloquence in opposing Pelagianism caused his fellow monks to elect him primate of the region. His best-known miracle is said to have taken place when he was preaching in the middle of a large crowd at the Synod of Brefi: the village of Llanddewi Brefi stands on the spot where the ground on which he stood is reputed to have risen up to form a small hill. A white dove, which became his emblem, was seen settling on his shoulder. As primate, St. David presided over the Synod of Caerleon, called the “Synod of Victory,” around A.D. 569.
Though the exact date of his death is not certain, tradition holds that it was on 1st March in A.D. 589 (which is the date now marked as Saint David’s Day). His last words to the faithful were:
“Arglwyddi, brodyr, a chwiorydd, Byddwch lawen a chadwch eich ffyd a’ch credd, a gwnewch y petheu bychain a glywsoch ac y welsoch gennyf i. A mwynhau a gerdaf y fford yd aeth an tadeu idi,”
Lords, brothers and sisters, Be joyful, and keep your faith and your creed, and do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about. And as for me, I will walk the path that our fathers have trod before us.
From this arises the well-known Welsh maxim, “Do ye the little things in life.” St. David was buried at the Cathedral Church named for him in the village which also bears his name, St. David’s, Pembrokeshire. His shrine was a popular place of pilgrimage until its destruction at the Reformation.
During the 10th and 11th centuries, the Cathedral was regularly raided by Vikings, who removed the shrine from the church and stripped off the precious metal adornments. In A.D. 1275, a new shrine was constructed, the ruined base of which remains to this day.
In A.D. 1920, Pope Benedict XV created the Church of St. David in Cardiff a metropolitan cathedral, with all Wales as suffragan. Through enemy action in A.D. 1941, the interior of the Cathedral was destroyed; but after its reopening in A.D. 1959, a new chapel was dedicated to the patron of Wales and its principal church.
The site of the saint’s burial in Pembrokeshire remains lost to the worship of the Catholic Church, but the current administration of the building constructed a shrine to the saint upon the foundations of the shrine that was destroyed there during the Reformation in A.D. 2012.
Hymns for St. David
O Great St. David
O Great Saint David, still we hear thee call us,
unto a life that knows no fear of death;
Yea, down the ages, will thy words enthral us,
strong happy words:’Be joyful, keep the faith.’
R. On Cambria’s sons stretch out thy hands in blessing;
for our dear land thy help we now implore.
Lead us to God, with humble hearts confessing
Jesus, Lord and King for evermore.
Christ was the centre rock of all thy teaching,
God’s holy will – the splendour of its theme.
His grace informed, his love inflamed thy preaching;
Christ’s sway on earth, the substance of thy dream. R.
In early childhood, choosing Jesus only,
thy fervour showed his yoke was light and sweet!
And thus for thee, life’s journey was not lonely,
the path made plain by prints of wounded feet. R.
O glorious saint, we wander in the dark;
with thee we seek our trusted guide in Rome.
Help him to steer on earth Saint Peter’s barque,
that we may safely reach our heavenly home. R.
Words: His Grace, The Most Rev. Francis E. Mostyn (1860-1939), 2nd Archbishop of Cardiff & 98th Successor of St. David
Tune: MOSTYN
Lord, Who In Thy Perfect Wisdom
Lord, who in Thy perfect wisdom
Times and seasons now arrange,
Working out Thy changeless purpose
In a world of ceaseless change;
Thou hast formed our ancient nation,
Giving saints up to our days,
To unfold in loving purpose,
For Thy glory and Thy praise.
Lord, we hold in veneration
All the Saints that Wales hath known,
Bishops, priests, confessors, martyrs
Standing now around Thy throne:
David, Dyfrig, Deiniol, Teilo:
All in heav’n with Thee prevail,
Who of old by prayer and labour,
Have made holy all of Wales.
Then when darkness came to Britain,
Brought by haughty King to shame
That Old Faith which Saints of Cymru
through the cent’ries did proclaim,
Rose again the martyrs’ witness,
Purpl’d Cardiff with their blood:
Priests call’d John Lloyd, Philip Evans,
Brought forth Thine own grace in flood.
“Mary’s Children” then they called us
For our love for she who bore
God’s own Son to save all nations,
Whose dear grace we now implore,
For Thy call doth ever go forth
To Thy folk who dwell in Wales,
Grant, O Lord, in Thy great mercy,
Stream of saints may ever swell.
Glory be to God the Father,
Glory be to Christ His Son,
Glory to the Holy Spirit,
With them Three but ever One;
Now, O Lord, we ask Thy blessing,
Saints of Wales, join in our prayer:
Draw us ever closer to Thee,
Keep us always in Thy care!
Words: v. 1, Timothy Rees, “Lord, in love and perfect wisdom” (alt.); vv. 2-4, a Brother of the Cardiff Oratory
Tune: HYFRDOL or BLAENWERN