Today, the 1st of March is the feast of St David, patron saint of Wales. On 18 September 2010, when Pope Benedict XVI had celebrated Holy Mass in Westminster Cathedral, he blessed this new mosaic icon of St David that had been newly-installed in the cathedral. The Welsh artist Ifor Davies had designed the icon, and it shows the saint standing on the mound at Llandewi Brefi where he preached against the Pelagian heresy at the Synod of Brefi. On that occasion c.545 the ground had risen to form a mound so that he could be heard better by those at the back, and a dove alighted on his shoulder as a sign of divine blessing; this is his best-known miracle.
Incidentally, yesterday the Holy Father became the 6th-oldest Roman Pontiff in recorded history. At 84 years, 10 months, 2 weeks, and 1 day he has surpassed the age attained by his predecessor, Bl. John Paul II. As such, the video clip below seems an especially apt way of commemorating both St David's day and this milestone. Ad multos annos!
