The month of March includes two of the feasts of the most famous of Celtic saints, St. David of Wales (March 1) and St. Patrick of Ireland (March 17), the latter himself a native Britain whose culture today would be classified as Welsh.
To commemorate those saints, and other early Christian holy men and women of the lands around the Irish Sea, Archimandrite Deiniol of the Monastery of the Church of the Holy Protection, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales (Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Ecumenical Patriarchate) will speak this Thursday (March 7) at 7:30 p.m. at Bucknell University, in Lewisburg, PA.
Fr. Deiniol will speak on “Early Celtic Saints and Holy Wells: An Early St. Patrick’s Day Commemoration,” at the Refectory, Second Level of the Elaine Langone Student Center. His visit will be co-sponsored by the Bucknell Orthodox Christian Fellowship, the Catholic Campus Ministry, and the Protestant Chaplain’s Office.
A native Welsh speaker from Anglesey, Fr. Deiniol converted to Orthodoxy four decades ago, and after becoming a monk was ordained to the priesthood by Metropolitan Anthony Bloom of blessed memory. Since then his work has included highlighting the legacy of early Christian saints of the British Isles to an increasingly “post-Christian” society in Wales.
His talk will focus on holy wells as an introduction to the living traditions of early saints of lands around the Irish Sea, who often were viewed as extended family members of centuries-old cultures in enduring historic landscapes. Traditions of early saints from the region also influenced immigrant cultures in America and elsewhere, as well as current re-imaginings of “Celtic Christianity,” while pre-Schism Celtic saints are again being venerated by the Orthodox Church.
All are welcome to attend this talk, which is free.
For further information on this event, please contact the OCF faculty co-advisor, Prof. Alf Kentigern Siewers, at siewers7518@gmail.com
