The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

Saint Rumbold of Mechelen was born, according to later tradition, in Ireland or Scotland, though his true homeland is uncertain. Legend remembers him as a missionary bishop, consecrated at Rome and sent to preach the Gospel in the Low Countries. Some accounts even call him a Bishop of Dublin and the son of a Scottish king, and place him among the circle of early evangelizers who labored in the Netherlands and Brabant, alongside figures such as Saint Willibrord and the hermit Saint Gummarus. Whatever the exact details of his life, the Church venerates Rumbold above all for his courageous witness to Christ. Near Mechelen he denounced two men for their evil ways, and for this he was attacked and martyred. His name became inseparably linked with the city: Mechelen honors him as its patron, and St. Rumbold’s Cathedral preserves a treasured shrine and relics traditionally attributed to him, keeping alive the memory of his zeal and sacrifice. His feast day is celebrated on June 24.