Colum, Colman, Palumba, or Columba (in Spanish the form Columbano is used, coming from the Latinized Columbanus), shares his name with another Irish monk also honored as a saint. But this Columban is the best representative of Irish monastic culture and of the extraordinary missionary work carried out by the monks of Ireland.
He was formed in the monastery of Bangor under the guidance of Abbot Comgall. From there, he went on mission to Britain, Burgundy—where he founded a monastery at Luxeuil, which soon became a major center of religious and cultural influence—then into the Frankish kingdom, Switzerland, the Lombard plains, and the Apennines.
Columban followed the methods of Saint Patrick, aiming first to win over rulers and involve them in the missionary effort. Some criticized him for holding too tightly to Irish customs in the mission lands, which often brought him into conflict with the local clergy. Even so, his work, always with a strong monastic character, became a real alternative to the Rule of Saint Benedict.
Columban’s temperament was certainly strict—something to be understood in light of his time and the still rough setting of central Europe. His penitential books are proof of this. Yet he was also a missionary monk full of charity and apostolic zeal. He had a deep appreciation as well for classical culture.
