St Mungo Patron Saint of Glasgow
St Mungo - Patron Saint of Glasgow
There are many versions of the life of St Kentigern, but the following is generally accepted.
Born in the early 6 th Century at Culross in Fife, he was the illegitimate son of Urien, Prince of Cumbria and Thenew (later known as Enoch), daughter of the King of Lothian. He trained as a priest at the monastery of St Serf at Culross where he was renamed Mungo, meaning 'dear friend'. Mungo finished his training around 550AD and visited the home of a dying holy man named Fergus, who died on the night that Mungo arrived. Mungo placed his body on a cart yoked to two wild bulls, commanding them to convey it to the place ordained by the Lord.
The bulls stopped at a place then known as Cathures where Fergus was buried. Mungo named the spot Glasgui which translates as 'dear green place'; and established a church on the site which is now occupied by Glasgow Cathedral.
Mungo died in 603AD, having lived an austere and holy life.
He was canonised and became the Patron Saint of Glasgow with a feast day on the 13 th January.