Saint Austol ( cy, Austel; la, Austolus) was a 6th-century Cornish holy man who lived much of his life in

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...

. He was a friend of Saint Méen, who founded the Saint-Méen Abbey in Brittany. Méen is said to have been his godfather. The

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

and

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

of St Austell in

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

is named in his honour. He is regarded as a saint and is honoured with a Breton feast day on 28 June and a Cornish feast day on the Thursday of

Whitsun Whitsun (also Whitsunday or Whit Sunday) is the name used in Britain, and other countries among Anglicans and Methodists, for the Christian High Holy Day of Pentecost. It is the seventh Sunday after Easter, which commemorates the descent of the ...

. According to tradition, Austol died within a week after the death of Méen. Before

the Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

, the parishes of St Austell and St Mewan celebrated together because of the friendship between the two saints.Ellis, P. B. (1992) ''The Cornish Saints''. Penryn: Tor Mark Press, p. 5

References

Sources

*Attwater, Donald & John, Catherine Rachel (1993) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Saints''. 3rd edition. New York: Penguin Books . * Doble, G. H. (1970) ''The Saints of Cornwall'': part 5. Truro: Dean and Chapter; pp. 35–58 {{DEFAULTSORT:Austol 5th-century births 6th-century deaths Medieval Breton saints 6th-century Christian saints Medieval Cornish saints 6th-century Breton people