knowledge of mathematics , astronomy and medicine . He was born in 329 in Caesarea , Cappadocia , into a large family , 5 of his siblings became saints . He studied in Constantinople and Athens , where he met Gregory , the Theologian . He was baptised in 355 , travelled to the Near East to study the ascetics , and set up rules for monastic life following them . He was ordained in 364 and became Archbishop of Caesarea in 370 but continued to lead an ascetic life , founding almshouses and hospices . Because of his stance against Arianism he came into conflict with the emperor ’ s family , but was later reinstated as bishop . He died 1 Jan 379 , aged 49 .
13 January St Kentigern ( died 603 or 612 in Glasgow )
St Mungo is the commonly used name of Kentigern . He was the late 6 th century apostle of the Brittonic Kingdom of Strathclyde & founder and Patron Saint of Glasgow . His baptismal name is Welsh ( Cyndeym ) from cun = hound & tigerno = Lord , price , king . ‘ Mungo ’ is his pet name from Cymbric language ( Welsh ) “ my dear one ”. His Biography was written only ca 1195 by Jocelyn of Furness ‘ after an Irish document ’. According to this , his mother was the daughter of the Brythonic King Lleuddun ( Lothian ) who ruled in the ‘ Haddington region ’, probably the Kingdom of Gododdin in the Old Norse . His father was Owain , King of Rheged . Because the princess had been raped , she was abandoned in a coracle which drifted to Culross ( Fife ). There Mungo was born and brought up by St Serf . Aged 25 , Mungo became a missionary ‘ on the Clyde ’, where Christianity had first been introduced by St Ninian . He had a cell near the Molendinar Burn where he later built his church . Under King Morken he was compelled to flee to St David ’ s in Wales , where he founded the Cathedral at Llanelwy ( St Asaph ). Under King Riderch he could return and became Bishop . He first had his bishop ’ s seat at Hoddom in Dumfrieshire , evangelising Galloway before returning and building his church known as Clas-gu (‘ dear family ’.) He was visited by St Columba and exchanged ‘ pastoral staves ’. He is said to have died on Sunday 13 th January ‘ in his bath ’, which probably meant : during a baptismal service . He performed 4 miracles in his lifetime which are commemorated in the Glasgow arms . The Glasgow motto :
“ Let Glasgow flourish by the preaching of the word ” had been Mungo ’ s call .
( The story of his early life resembles the romance by Chretiens de Troyes , “ Ywain ” and probably has the same source )
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