Saint Padern of Vannes
On the fifteenth of April we celebrate another great Breton founding saint and sixth-century holy man, Saint Padern of Vannes. A missionary as well in Ceredigion and Ireland, Padern founded numerous churches throughout the Brythonic-speaking territories during the Age of Saints. He is remembered with fondness both in Wales and in Brittany. His Vita is one of the few earlier documents that mention King Arthur, though its sole mention of Arthur in connexion with Padern is not particularly laudatory.
Padern [also Padarn or Paternus] was a Breton of rather high birth: he was kin to Saint Cadfan, in whose company he travelled and whom he helped in his missionary efforts. He is also listed as a nephew to Hoel Mawr, King of Brittany, though he may have been born either in Brittany or in Wales. His father – whose names is given as Petran – separated amicably from his wife Guean, dedicated himself to the Church and left to found an anchorage in Ireland. Guean too left to take holy orders. It was not too long afterward that his son followed in their footsteps, by joining Saint Cadfan in 524. At that time Saint Padern was still a young man, but his hagiography notes that the ascetic rule he kept was that of a man in mature years.
He was sent with recommendations to the College of Saint Theodosius at Llantwit Major run by Saint Illtud Farchog. At this time he also met and befriended Saint Samson, who mentored and guided Padern in his pursuit of the hermit’s ascetic life. And after he left Saint Illtud’s College, he did indeed live a life of solitary prayer and war against the passions. But his time there was altogether brief: disciples began to seek him out and ask for guidance. His hagiography even states: ‘Not at his own request, but his cousins, seeing him hastening to the height of perfection, appointed him.’ Even the spiritual elders at Llantwit gave their blessing for Saint Padern to build a monastery in Ceredigion – this would be Llanbadarn Fawr, the modern St Padarn’s Church. He led a community of perhaps 120 monks (his hagiography gives him 847) while he was abbot there, over a period of twenty years. One of these, a certain Nimmanauc, was so distraught without his spiritual father with him that he crossed the English Channel afoot to Llanbadarn Fawr in order to be with Saint Padern.
During his tenure as abbot at Llanbadarn Fawr, he became renowned for his gentle humility and love, which encompassed all the people under his care and beyond, in both material and spiritual ways. Whatever he spoke, was spoken out of love for God and for people. He founded numerous churches throughout Ceredigion, and Llanbadarn became one of the most active centres of Welsh monasticism, alongside Mynyw and Llandaff. He steadfastly opposed the old pagan beliefs and used his office to bring the pagans to Christ.
He did manage to make a voyage to Ireland to visit his father Petran. The earthly father welcomed his son in the name of the heavenly Father and Son and Holy Spirit, and the two of them conversed at length on holy matters. Unfortunately, at that time Ireland was riven – as was not uncommon in those days – between two rival princes and their armies, and much devastation and grief were wrought by these two contenders. The bishops of Ireland sought out Padern to make peace, and they brought him bodily between the two armies which were arrayed against each other. They dared not make war while a holy man stood between them; and so they sent out heralds, from either side, to speak with the holy man in an attempt to get him to withdraw. Instead, the humble Padern greeted them with mild words and bade their kings come forth instead. His unassuming manner and gracious words, delivered in the name of the Holy Trinity, worked a minor wonder on that field in Ireland, as he managed thereby to broker a peace between the two sub-kings.
On another occasion, Maelgwn King of Gwynedd attempted to defame Saint Padern and ruin his monastery in the following way. They heaped up gravel and moss into sacks and bore them with great decorousness to Llanbadarn. Maelgwn bade his servants take them in to Saint Padern and inform him that he was leaving several superlatively dear treasures of his in the saint’s possession. Saint Padern accepted, and told Maelgwn that ‘they will be found even as they had been left’. Then Maelgwn sent his servants back to collect his ‘treasures’, and upon emptying the contents of the sacks accuse Saint Padern of stealing them and replacing them with the worthless matter. But Saint Padern’s reply was the same before his accusers as that he had left them with.
The matter was brought to trial, which meant trial by ordeal. Saint Padern was ordered by Maelgwn King to thrust his hand into a pot of boiling water at its hottest point. After he had done so, protesting his innocence, he withdrew his hand, the flesh of which came out perfectly sound and cool. His accusers, when put to the same test, were instantly scalded, and their hands came out red and blistered. After this test, Maelgwn himself was stricken blind, and his blindness was not healed until he bent his knee before Padern and asked his pardon. Maelgwn then gave Padern and his monastery a grant of land along the Afon Rheidol by way of repentance and restitution for his sin.
Padern was one of the three saints – the other two being Dewi Sant and Saint Teilo – who made pilgrimage to the Holy Land. When the three of them arrived, by the grace of God and by the strength which they lent to each other, they were greeted and welcomed hospitably by the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. Patriarch Peter was impressed with the holiness and the speech of these saints. He sent them back not only with his blessing, but with omophoria and the honours due to bishops. The omophorion bestowed upon Padern was richly woven and gilt, and was of a kingly beauty.
It is here that Arthur is mentioned in Padern’s tale. It is said that Arthur, taken by a devil of greed, desired Padern’s omophorion for himself. He first tried to cajole the saint and to buy it from him, but Padern had none of it. He then left the monastery in a rage, stamping the earth with his feet and threatening to raze Llanbadarn to get what he wanted. Hearing him fume thus, Padern said a prayer under his breath, and the ground opened up and swallowed Arthur up to his neck! Arthur begged Padern’s forgiveness for his wrath and threats, and by Padern’s prayers the earth released him again. After that Arthur left Llanbadarn well alone, and sought Padern’s blessing for his endeavours.
Saints Padern and Samson were very dear friends to each other, and when Samson was about to depart for Brittany, Padern was deeply vexed. Upon hearing that his friend wanted to speak with him one last time before he crossed the ocean, Saint Padern ran out of doors with only one shoe and did not stop, going only thus half-shod, until he had met with Samson. The two conversed together over many holy things, and once they were done Samson set sail. Padern himself was not long in following Samson to Brittany, and indeed he founded his famous monastery at Vannes – today the Église Saint-Patern de Vannes – during his faring there.
Here the hagiographies diverge. The Welsh hagiographies have it that he returned to Ceredigion and ended his days there, with his relics being translated to Ynys Enlli by the monks of that blessed isle, who being fellow-voyagers with Saint Cadfan numbered among the close friends of his youth. The Bretons hold that he reposed in the Lord in Vannes, and that his remains rest there. There are thus two locations that claim his relics – the one Welsh, the other Breton. It is, however, agreed that Saint Padern reposed on the fifteenth of April in the middle of the sixth century, around 550. It is equally agreed that Saint Padern’s holy influence is spread throughout both countries. Holy father Padern, gentle father of monks in Wales and Brittany, pray unto Christ our God that our souls may be saved!
Thou didst confirm the truth of the Gospel
By working many miracles, O glorious Father Padern.
Thou didst accompany St David to his consecration at Jerusalem
And return with him to Wales.
Pray to Christ our God that we may be found faithful
Throughout our earthly pilgrimage
And may receive His great mercy.
St Padarn’s Church, Llanbadarn Fawr, Ceredigion
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