July Saints
Feast days of Scotland's July saints.
July 1st
St Palladius, 430AD
July 6th
At the restoration of the Scottish hierarchy in 1878, in his bull he noted: 'deacon of the Roman Church, is said to have preached the Faith of Christ there (in Scotland) in the fifth century." The history of this saint is difficult to pin down other than the certainty we have that he founded three Churches around Fordun and died in this north eastern district of Scotland. Some sources stated he was Egyptian and was sent by Pope Celestine to deal with Pelagianism in the British Churches, others that he was from Gaul and part of a Gallician mission. What does seem likely is that he was sent from Rome, first to Ireland where it was reported he had some difficulties and then either fleeing or giving up and made his way round the northern coast of Scotland landing near Fordun. He apparently ran into St Serf an ordained him the Roman way. He seems to have spent a lot of his time bringing the Christians already present amongst the Picts in line with Roman practices. Some sources say he was martyred in Scotland, others that he simply died. He is mentioned by Prosper of Aquitaine and St Patrick.
St Drostan, 6th Century
12th July
Banffshire Deacon, John Woodside takes us through the story of St Drostan.
St Thenew/Thenog
18th July
The information for our Saint comes from the life of St Kentigern by Jocelyn of Furness, a Cistercian monk of the 12th century who had been commissioned by Jocelyn of Glasgow, another Cistercian and Bishop of Glasgow who was very keen on Saints hagiographies. J. of Furness also wrote a life of St Patrick and St Waltheof (a previous Abbot of Melrose).
There is much legendary material surrounding her, but the key one is that she was the mother of St kentigern. Please read more on our page about St kentigern/Mungo here.