St. Columbkille is Scotland’s most revered saint and, in Ireland, he is honored second only to St. Patrick. A missionary, St. Columbkille is credited with taking Christianity to Scotland. His memorial day is June 9. The correct pronunciation of Columbkille puts the accent on the first syllable. The pronunciation then becomes “column kill” 

Born of royal bloodlines in northern Ireland on December 5, 521, his proper name was Colum MacFehlin MacFergus. The name Colum means dove. As a young boy he spent much time in church and soon the suffix “cille,” the Gaelic word for Church, was added to his name. He was called “Colum-cille”—Dove of the Church. Well educated, he was a man of great faith who could have become a king but instead chose a life of service to God. After ordination, he worked among the poor in his native Ireland and was famous for his works of charity. When he was 42 years old, he was exiled from Ireland and sent to the territory known as Scotland with 12 companions. There he spent the next 34 years establishing churches and schools, and staffing them with many disciples who were attracted by his ardent penance, fervent prayer, sincere preaching, and deep confidence in God.

Columbkille spent much time copying the Scriptures and other manuscripts and writing poems. His great book, the Book of Kells, is a work of perfection with no peer in the world of ancient calligraphy. Columbkille died in 597 and is honored as the Patron of Scotland.

Why does the parish cross have a circle behind it?

During the early centuries of the church in Ireland and Scotland, the Celtic Cross, or sometimes called the Gaelic Cross, symbolized a solidly built Christian community. Today the symbol of St. Columbkille’s Church, a unique version of the Celtic Cross, symbolizes a strong Catholic Christian parish.

The Celtic Cross incorporates the Latin cross with a circle symbolic of eternity encompassing the crossbeams. The circle may have been added to the Latin cross because of the Byzantine influence in that part of the world during the early centuries of the Church. Today these crosses are seen throughout the Irish and Scottish countryside. They once served as a wayside or sanctuary for the traveler. Before printing was widespread, the crosses, intricately carved with illustrations about the Christian faith, were used to teach people about Jesus Christ and the mysteries of the Christian religion. A typical Celtic Cross is printed above.

The St. Columbkille Parish Council approved a unique design of the Celtic Cross as the official symbol of St. Columbkille Church on November 9, 1981.