St David, or Dewi, is the patron saint of Wales. The arrival of his feast day – 1 March – always gives a sense, at least in the United Kingdom, that Spring is now definitely on the way. But it is also a useful reminder to non-Welsh of the importance of Wales to the United Kingdom, its prosperity and identity.
The First Minister’s St David’s Day Message highlights the attractions of Wales to the outsider, including its natural and cultural beauties. It also notes Wales’s contribution to pioneering research in areas like medical research, engineering and supercomputing. Welsh coal and industrial muscle help power Britain’s development in the 18th and 19th centuries. Its knowledge skills are doing the same in the 21st.
It is surprising to learn that St David is the only Welsh saint to have been canonised in the Western Church. In the 12th century, two pilgrimages to St David’s were worth one to Rome. But Welshmen have always been great travellers. The records of the English and Welsh hospice in Rome show many Welsh visitors. The Welsh-speaking communities in Argentina attest to Welsh travellers crossing continents. My own Welsh connections also had careers that would be considered normal in 2012: my Welsh great grandmother spent many years in Shanghai and Hong Kong; her son, my great uncle, served in what is now Pakistan with the Welsh Regiment.
The St David mosaic in Westminster Cathedral, dedicated by Pope Benedict during his 2010 visit, is a tangible reminder of the recognition given in the Holy See to the importance of Christianity as an integral part of Welsh history and development. Happy St David’s Day to you all!