St Davids Cathedral
St Davids Cathedral is found in the small city of St Davids in Pembrokeshire. Pilgrims travel to visit the Cathedral of the Patron Saint of Wales – Dewi Sant, or Saint David.
St David was believed to be a special person from the time he was born. It is believed that when he was baptised, the blind monk who was holding him miraculously regained his sight.
David spent his early life being taught by monks, and decided to set up his own monastery when he was older. His monastery was very strict. All of the monks there had to work very hard. They were only allowed to drink water, and were not allowed to eat meat. They were made to spend very long hours each day praying, and were told they should only speak when it was absolutely necessary.
Legend has it that St David was once speaking to a large group of people who were having difficulty hearing him. It is believed that the ground rose beneath him and a dove landed on his shoulder. Everyone could now hear him clearly.
When St David died, his remains were kept at St Davids Cathedral. In the 12th century, Pope Calixtus II declared it a place of pilgrimage. Christians believed the closer they could get to a saint, the closer they would be to God. It became a popular place of pilgrimage.
In 1538, Bishop Barlow stripped St Davids shrine of its jewels and confiscated the An object or part of the body belonging an important religious person, which is kept after their death. of St David and St Justinian. During the Protestant The 16th century religious revolution that led to the establishment of the Protestant churches. in the 16th century, St Davids shrine was badly damaged. The destruction of the shrine during the reformation caused a steep decline in the number of pilgrimages to the Cathedral.