Saint Hilary, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Saint Hilary of Poitiers was born in Poitiers in Gaul around the end of the third or beginning of the fourth century, to distinguished pagan parents. Well educated and fluent in Greek, he searched for truth in philosophy and Scripture until he embraced the Catholic faith; with his wife and his daughter, the future Saint Abra, he received baptism. Chosen bishop of Poitiers amid the turmoil of the Arian controversy, Hilary became a steadfast defender of the Nicene confession of Christ’s true divinity, earning the titles “Hammer of the Arians” and “Athanasius of the West.” His courage brought suffering: under Emperor Constantius II he was exiled to Phrygia, yet he continued to shepherd his flock through letters and wrote enduring works on the Trinity that strengthened the Church in the West. After returning home, he worked to heal confusion in Gaul, encouraged monastic life—supporting Saint Martin’s foundation at Ligugé—and continued to oppose Arian influence until his death around 367. He is honored as a Doctor of the Church. His feast day is January 13.

Saint Mungo, also known by his baptismal name Kentigern, was born at Culross in Fife, Scotland, in the late sixth century. His mother, the princess Teneu, had been cast out by her family and set adrift across the Firth of Forth; by God’s providence she reached Culross, where her child was safely born. Mungo was raised in holiness under Saint Serf, who gave him the affectionate name “Mungo,” meaning “my dear one.” At about twenty-five he began preaching along the River Clyde and founded a church beside the Molendinar Burn, on the site where Glasgow Cathedral now stands. His austere life and gentle zeal drew many to Christ, though opposition later drove him into exile for a time. After years of missionary work in Wales and the north, he was invited back by King Riderch Hael and resumed his pastoral care, also evangelizing from Hoddom in Galloway. Tradition remembers him for miracles that became signs of God’s mercy and truth, and he is venerated as the founder and patron of Glasgow. His feast day is January 13.