Saint Gall

Saint Gall (Gallus) was born around 550, traditionally said to be in Ireland, though some place his origins in the borderlands of Lorraine and Alemannia. As a young man he embraced the fervor of the Irish monastic tradition and became a disciple of Saint Columbanus, joining him at Luxeuil in Gaul. When Columbanus was exiled, Gall followed him into Alemannia, traveling up the Rhine to Bregenz. Struck by illness, he remained behind and was cared for at Arbon, then withdrew to the forests near Lake Constance to live as a hermit. There, his prayer and preaching drew companions, and a small community formed around his cell—an early seed of the great Abbey of Saint Gall that would later flourish as a center of worship, learning, and the preservation of sacred texts. Gall refused honors and authority, declining both the bishopric of Constance and leadership at Luxeuil, choosing humility and solitude instead. He died at Arbon around 645. He is invoked as patron of Biniagual, Moggio Udinese, Premadio, the Scuola degli Albanesi, Urbana, and the Church of Saint Gallus. His feast day is October 16.