17/06/2026
Saints of Britain and Ireland commemorated today: Venerable PETROC (Petrock, Pedrog, Perreux), Abbot in Cornwall (c. 594 AD). Born in Wales, he studied in Ireland and settled in Cornwall, where he was very active. He founded a monastery at a place called after him, Petrocstow (Padstow), and another at Bodmin where he reposed. The Gotha Life, written at Bodmin, identifies his father as king st. Glywys of Glywysing (Orme 2000, p. 215) and Petroc as a brother of st. Gwynllyw and uncle of st. Cadoc. He is said to have been the teacher of st. Kevin of Glendalough. He made a pilgrimage to Rome, and returning to Cornwall, the wind and tide brought him to Trebetherick. He founded a monastery and school at Lanwethinoc (the church of Wethinoc, an earlier holy man), at the mouth of the river Camel on the North Cornish Coast. It came to be called Petrocs-Stow (Petroc's Place), now Padstow. Petroc ministered throughout Dumnonia, which centred in Dewnans (Devon), and included Kernow (Cornwall), Somerset and Dorset. He also served in Brittany. St. Petroc founded churches in Little Petherick and in many parts of Britain, Wales and Brittany. He is said to have converted st. Constantine of Cornwall to Christianity by saving a deer Constantine was hunting. Constantine later established a hermitage at what is now called Constantine Bay. After thirty years, legend says that Petroc went on the pilgrimage to Rome by way of Brittany. With st. Piran and Archangel Michael, he is one of the patron saints of Cornwall. His most famous legend, "Petroc and the Fawn," involves sheltering a hunted deer from King Constantine of Cornwall; Petroc paralyzed the king with prayer until he agreed to convert to Christianity and abandon hunting. Other miracles: he was said to have a tame wolf that guarded his cell. Alongside Saints Samson and Wethinoc, he subdued a monstrous dragon or serpent terrorising Bodmin, binding it with his girdle and sending it into the sea. He struck a rock to produce fresh water for weary labourers and healed the sick through prayer. In one account, he restored life to a young man who had died.
Saints Croidan, Medan and Degan, three disciples of Saint Petroc in Cornwall (6th century).
Venerable Nennocha (Ninnoca, Nennoc, Gwengustle), a holy virgin from Britain who followed Saint Germanus to France, becoming an abbess in Brittany at Ploërmel or Pleumeur-Gautier (c. 467). She settled on the coast in the province of Cornouailles, Brittany. st. Nennoc was well received by the prince of the country, who allowed her to found a monastery, and afterwards made provision for its maintenance. She is said to have lived in this spot during thirty-eight years in all the rigorous practices of religious life, growing in sanctity till she was admitted to the joys of the heavenly paradise. The reputation of holiness which she left behind was not confined to Brittany, but spread into other lands; and we find that she is invoked in the ancient English Litanies attributed to the seventh century.
Saint Eadfrith of Lindisfarne (Edfrith), Bishop of Lindisfarne in England after Saint Edbert, he illuminated the Lindisfarne Gospels in honour of Saint Cuthbert (721 AD).
Saint Buriana, born in Ireland, she lived as an anchoress in Cornwall (6th century). She is said to have been the daughter of an Irish king and travelled to Cornwall from Ireland in a coracle as a missionary to convert the local people to Christianity. One legend tells how she cured the paralysed son of King Geraint of Dumnonia.
St. Breaca, a disciple of Saint Brigid who crossed from Ireland to Cornwall (c. 460) with several companions (5th-6th centuries).
May they intercede for us all 🙏🏼
