COLUMBANUS, kol-um-ba'nfis, mission ary and founder of a monastic order, that of the Columban monks, was born in Ireland about 543; died in his monastery of Bobbio, in the Apennines, Italy, 21 Nov. 615. The order founded by him was for a while hardly inferior to the order of Saint Benedict in number of monasteries or in the services it rendered to the Church. He was an alumnus of the great mon astery of Benchor or Bangor, in Ulster, and thence in his 45th year he went to France as a missioner, accompanied by 12 young disciples. In France he founded the monasteries of Lux euil, Arnegray and Fontenay, giving to the monks a rule identical with that of the Celtic monasteries of Ireland. He gave offense to the French bishops by the fashion of his ton sure and by his observance of Easter in ac cordance with the calculation of the Eastern churches. And his apostolic outspokenness in rebuking the vices of the Burgundian court, the king (Thierry II) and the queen mother (Brunehaut) led to his expulsion from that country. He now decided to cross the Alps and labor as a missionary in Italy. On his route thither he tarried a while among the Swiss, preaching the gospel on the shore of Lake Constance. One of his 12 companions, named Gallus, falling sick, was left behind when the missionary party resumed their travel: this Gallus afterward laid the founda tions in Switzerland of a monastic institute which later was called by his name, Saint Gall (Sankt Gallen) and which was one of the no table centres of monasticism in Europe. Co
lumbanus, in 612, founded the great monastery of Bobbio in the Apennines, giving to the monks of that house, which soon was recog nized as the mother-house of a multitude of abbeys and monasteries, a rule of great auster ity. The keynote of it is implicit, unquestion ing obedience in all things•to the abbot or su perior. It prescribes perpetual silence save where speech is absolutely necessary. 'The use of animal food of all sorts is interdicted. The monks are allowed one meal daily, taken at eventide, and it consists of vegetables and bread. The monks of his monasteries, called Columbans, came under the Benedictine rule in the 8th century and the Coliunban order was merged in the Benedictine. Colurnbanus was a man of learning, acquainted not only with the Latin language current in his time, but with the classic Latin authors, as also with the He brew and Greek languages. He left a few writings, all in Latin; they have all been pub lished more than once. They comprise his Monastic Rule (Regula Ccenobialis) ; a few poems of considerable merit; 16 brief sermons and several letters of value for ecclesiastical history. A town in Lombardy, San Colomb ano, perpetuates the memory of this Celtic mis sionary to Italy.