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Saint Gall

mural of Saint Gall; date unknown, artist unknown; the nave the Church of Saint Venantius, Pfärrenbach, Horgenzell, Germany; photographed in 2006 by Andreas Praefcke; swiped from Wikimedia Commons Also known as

Callo
Chelleh
Gaaech
Gallen
Gallo
Gallonus
Gallunus
Gallus
Gilianus

Memorial

16 October

Profile

Younger brother of Saint Deicola. Studied at Bangor Abbey under Saint Comgall of Bangor and Saint Columba. Bible scholar. Priest. One of the twelve who accompanied Saint Columbanus to France and helped found Luxeuil Abbey. He followed Columbanus into exile in 610 and then to Austrasia, where he preached with little success around Lake Zurich, and near Bregenz.

Illness forced Gall to leave Columbanus‘s party in 612, though some say the leader suspected Gall of malingering, and imposed a penance on him, which Gall faithfully observed, of not celebrating Mass during Columba‘s life. When he recovered, Gall lived as a hermit on the Steinach River, attracting disciples. Saint Gall Monastery occupied this site, becoming a center of literature, the arts, and music, though legend to the contrary, Saint Gall did not found it. Worked there with Saint Magnus of Füssen. Legend also says that one night during this period Gall ordered a bear to bring fire wood for his group of hermits – and it did.

Exorcist. Twice refused bishoprics offered by King Sigebert, whose betrothed he had freed of demons which fled from her in the form of blackbirds. Reportedly was the offered the abbacy of Luxeuil on the death of Saint Eustace but declined, and remained a hermit.