Padarn of Wales

Saint Padarn was a British abbot-⁠bishop of the early sixth century, founder of Saint Padarn's church in Ceredigion in Wales, and counted among the seven founding saints of Brittany. The Church remembers him on 15 April. His Life also mentions King Arthur independently of Geoffrey of Monmouth.

The main source, the Life of Saint Paternus, says he was Armorican by race, born to Petran and Guean, who dedicated themselves to Christ, and his father left Letavia, that is Brittany, for Ireland. Some scholars hold that his Breton origin can no longer be maintained and regard him as Welsh, later confused with Breton saints of the same name. Around 524 he went to Ireland to join his father, and joined a company of monks led by his cousin Saint Cadvan, who were travelling toward Britain. Among them were other cousins, who made him the fourth leader of the band. He studied at Illtud's school. He founded a monastery at Llanbadarn Fawr near Aberystwyth, which became the seat of a new diocese, with himself as first bishop, then left it in the charge of a trusted steward and went to Ireland. His presence is said to have been enough to calm the armies of the kings of two provinces.

On his return King Maelgwn Gwynedd tried to take some of the monastery's property, but two of his heralds, put to trial by boiling water, were defeated. The king himself was first cursed and then cured of sickness and blindness when he came on bended knee to ask forgiveness and give lands to Padarn's community. The Life relates that Padarn went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem with Saint David and Saint Teilo to be ordained bishops by the patriarch, that they received the gift of tongues and that the patriarch gave him a crozier and a finely woven tunic. On their return they divided Britain into three bishoprics. Padarn then returned to Letavia, where his fame filled the region and where he made peace with Bishop Samson at Vannes, founding a monastery there and becoming the seventh bishop of Armorica.

The best known episode is that in which King Arthur tries to steal his tunic and afterwards becomes a Christian. It is too late to be reliable and was probably meant to raise the saint's prestige. The author also seems to confuse him with Padarn Redcoat, whose coat was one of the Thirteen Treasures of Britain. Russian sources say he died at Vannes on 15 April 510 or 550. He is not to be confused with Paternus of Avranches. Padarn appears to be the same person as the first bishop of Braga, according to some scholars.