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1400th Anniversary of the Death of Saint Columbanus di Bobbio Scott 1603 (2015) November 23 is celebrated as the Feast of Saint Columbanus of Bobbio, the Irish abbot and missionary. On November 19, 2015, Vatican City issued the stamp shown above to commemorate the 1400th anniversary of the death of the saint referred to as the "Father of Europe". The stamp was issued as a four-stamp minisheet, which is presented at the bottom of the article. Columbanus was born around 543 at Leinster in present-day Ireland. His early education was completed under the guidance of Abbot Sinell, whose monastery was located on the island in the Erne River. He then moved to Bangor Abbey, where he studied to become a teacher and completed studies in the areas of grammar, rhetoric, geometry, and the Holy Scriptures. He remained in Bangor until around 590, when he left for the mainland. Columbanus and his companions traveled extensively through Gaul, the Alps and Lombardy over the next 25 years, founding monasteries across the Frankish and Lombard kingdoms. The best-known are the Luxeuil Abbey in present-day France and the Bobbio Abbey in present-day Italy. Saint Columbanus died in Bobbio on November 21, 615, and is interred at the Bobbio Abbey. Here is a view of the Abbey of Saint Columbanus at Bobbio:  Abbazia di San Colombano, Bobbio, Piacenza, Italy Photo by Giorgio Galeotti From Wikimedia Commons, used under terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license Columbanus’s teachings were based on those developed while at the Bangor abbey: those of Irish monastic rule and penitential practices for those repenting of sins. They emphasized private confession to a priest, followed by penances levied by the priest in reparation for the sins. He developed The Rule of Saint Columbanus, consisting of ten chapters covering the subjects of obedience, silence, food, poverty, humility, chastity, choir offices, discretion, mortification, and perfection. The first chapter summarizes the bedrock of his Rule: obedience, absolute and unreserved. The stamp for Saint Columbanus features an image of the Saint taken from a stained glass window found at the Abbey. The minisheet of four stamps issued to honor Saint Columbanus contains an inscription featuring his famous prayer: Lord, uproot and remove from my soul all that the enemy has planted. Remove from my heart and my lips all iniquity, Give me the intelligence and the habit of doing good So that in works and truth I may serve only you. May I know how to fulfill the precepts of Christ and seek you, O God! Grant me memory, love and faith. May you accomplish your good works through me And give me that which You judge to be useful. Amen 
1400th Anniversary of the Death of Saint Columbanus di Bobbio Minisheet: Scott 1603M (2015) In addition to his feast day, each summer in Europe "Columbanus Day" is also celebrated to honor Saint Columbanus. Columbanus Day has become an annual event, with gatherings held across European and Irish towns linked to his historic travels. For 2026, the celebration marked its 27th anniversary and was held in Lodi, Italy. Earlier this year, Pope Leo XIV visited Lodi, and issued a letter in July to commemorate Columbanus Day. Next year's event is scheduled for Bangor and Belfast, Northern Ireland. Saint Columbanus is the patron saint of motorcyclists, a patronage declared in 2002, stemming from his reputation as a tireless traveler and pilgrim across the European continent. REFERENCES: |
