Saints and Holy People

Find out about their lives and how they changed the world

Saint Richarius (d. 645)

Saint Richarius (d. 645)

Feast day: April 26




Saint Richarius was born a pagan but converted to Christianity after boarding two Irish missionaries who were in hiding from non-Christian townsfolk. After his conversion, Richarius was ordained a priest and traveled across the country spreading the Good News of Jesus.

He founded an abbey at Centula and was known for his extremely focused contemplation and prayer. Richarius worked in earnest to ransom captives and help the poor. Saint Richarius decided to leave the work that he was doing to more fully devote his life to prayer as a hermit, where he spent the remainder of his days. 

(Image by Paul Hermans, Wikimedia Commons)