Director of Identity 

Feast of St Virgil

On Sunday November 27 we will celebrate the feast of our patron, St Virgil.

St Virgil originated from a noble family in Ireland in the eighth century, and in 745, he left his home, intending to visit the Holy Land; but ended up instead in France, and later Bavaria where he was made Abbot of St Peter's Abbey and later Bishop of Salzburg.

St Virgil was one of the most learned men in Europe, nicknamed ‘The Geometer’ for his expertise in geometry, he was a builder and architect and an amazing writer, praised as a poet and regarded as one of the most important literary figures of his time, renowned for his advice and wisdom. In his lifetime he helped make Salzburg into an important centre of art and culture and founded monastic workshops which produced masterpieces in metalwork, carpentry, sculpture, paintings, and mosaics. St Virgil was also a classical scholar and scientist. This meant that he had mastered Greek and Roman scholarship, mathematics, and astronomy. His doctrine that the earth is a sphere was derived from the teaching of ancient geographers, and his belief in the existence of people and cultures beyond Europe was challenging for the religious establishment and leaders of his time. However, he was able to combine his deep faith with his scientific knowledge and was an incredibly respected leader and educator whose curiosity, awe and wonder became a foundation for others to follow, not just in his lifetime but also today for the young men of the College in nipaluna/Hobart named in his honour.