St. Columbkille Catholic Church
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Wilmington, Ohio
About Our Parish and Patron
Our parish, founded in 1866, is named after St. Columbkille. The more common form of his name is St. Columba.
We also find his name spelled Colm, Colum and Colmcille. He was probably born around 521 A.D. in Gartan,
Donegal, Ireland. He was born of royal descent. He studied in Moville and was ordained a deacon there. He also
studied at Leinster and Clonard. He was probably ordained a priest in Clonard. Beginning around 543 A.D. he
began preaching and founding monasteries all over Ireland, among them being Derry, Durrow and Kells.
A kinsman of St. Columbkille, Curan of Connaught, was killed by King Diarmaid's men after seeking sanctuary with
St. Columbkille. This caused a family feud between St. Columbkille's clan and King Diarmaid's men. The feud turned
into the Battle of Cuil Dremme and three thousand men were killed.
A synod at Telltown held St. Columbkille responsible for the deaths of these men and censured him. St. Columbkille
decided to leave Ireland and do penance for these deaths by converting a like number of pagans.
St. Columbkille went to Iona, which is off the coast of Scotland, in 563 A.D. accompanied by twelve relatives. On the
island of Iona he built a monastary that became the greatest monastery in Christendom. He spent his time
evangelizing the Picts of Scotland and eventually evangelized all of Pictland including the conversion of King Brude
at Inverness.
In 575 A.D. St. Columbkille attended the Synod of Drumceat in Meath, Ireland, and successfully fought to exempt
women from military service.
St. Columbkille's holiness, austerity and reputation for miracles attracted many visitors to the monastery in Iona. His
influence on Western Christianity was enormous. Because monks from Iona went all over Europe, the monastic rule
he developed was practiced widely on the continent until the Rule of St. Benedict became almost universal.
St. Columbkille's practices dominated the churches of Scotland, Ireland and Northumbria until, in time, the Roman
practices supplanted them. Although not on the liturgical calendar, St. Columbkille's Feast Day is June 9, the day
he died in 597 A.D. at the monastery in Iona.
Our parish, founded in 1866, is named after St. Columbkille. The more common form of his name is St. Columba.
We also find his name spelled Colm, Colum and Colmcille. He was probably born around 521 A.D. in Gartan,
Donegal, Ireland. He was born of royal descent. He studied in Moville and was ordained a deacon there. He also
studied at Leinster and Clonard. He was probably ordained a priest in Clonard. Beginning around 543 A.D. he
began preaching and founding monasteries all over Ireland, among them being Derry, Durrow and Kells.
A kinsman of St. Columbkille, Curan of Connaught, was killed by King Diarmaid's men after seeking sanctuary with
St. Columbkille. This caused a family feud between St. Columbkille's clan and King Diarmaid's men. The feud turned
into the Battle of Cuil Dremme and three thousand men were killed.
A synod at Telltown held St. Columbkille responsible for the deaths of these men and censured him. St. Columbkille
decided to leave Ireland and do penance for these deaths by converting a like number of pagans.
St. Columbkille went to Iona, which is off the coast of Scotland, in 563 A.D. accompanied by twelve relatives. On the
island of Iona he built a monastary that became the greatest monastery in Christendom. He spent his time
evangelizing the Picts of Scotland and eventually evangelized all of Pictland including the conversion of King Brude
at Inverness.
In 575 A.D. St. Columbkille attended the Synod of Drumceat in Meath, Ireland, and successfully fought to exempt
women from military service.
St. Columbkille's holiness, austerity and reputation for miracles attracted many visitors to the monastery in Iona. His
influence on Western Christianity was enormous. Because monks from Iona went all over Europe, the monastic rule
he developed was practiced widely on the continent until the Rule of St. Benedict became almost universal.
St. Columbkille's practices dominated the churches of Scotland, Ireland and Northumbria until, in time, the Roman
practices supplanted them. Although not on the liturgical calendar, St. Columbkille's Feast Day is June 9, the day
he died in 597 A.D. at the monastery in Iona.
© 2010 St. Columbkille Catholic Church, Wilmington, Ohio
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few." Matthew 9:37
Holy Name Chapel