Cadfan of Tywyn

Holy Venerable Cadfan of Tywyn, born in Brittany, was in the 6th century a founder and abbot at Tywyn and on Bardsey Island in Gwynedd in Wales. He reposed around 590. He is a saint of the undivided Church.

Most of the information comes from an ode by the poet Llywelyn the Bard of the 12th century. According to it he sailed from Brittany to Tywyn with twelve other saints; he is said to have been the son of a Breton nobleman, a cousin of Saint Derfel, accompanied by the children of Ithel Hael: Baglan, Flewyn, Gredifael, Tanwg, Twrog, Tegai, Trillo and others. He built a church at Llangadfan in northern Powys and then moved on to Bardsey; King Einion Frenin of Llŷn is said to have given him the island, around 516, and he served as its abbot until 542. At Tywyn he established a clas, traditionally the first in Wales, which became wealthy and the mother church of the cantref of Meirionnydd.

He is commemorated on 1 November, the liturgical date in the Orthodox calendar (the same day number on the old and new calendars).