Samson of Dol
Welsh saint who settled down in Brittany (c. C.E.485 — c. 565)
Feast: 18 July (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Samson, of noble Welsh parents, was dedicated to God as a baby and raised by St Illtyd at Llantwit Major. Ordained by St Dubricius, he lived in greater austerity, became an abbot and went for a time to Ireland.
Consecrated bishop, he sailed to Brittany, built a monastery near Dol and was named its bishop by King Childebert. He died there aged eighty-five, probably in 565.
The miracles
There was never a formal cause: he has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.
Why that counted as sanctity
A Welsh monk-bishop who founded the Church of Dol.
Connected on this site
- Dubricius Saint Teacher
- Illtud Saint Teacher“At its height, it had over a thousand pupils and schooled many of the great saints of the age, such as David, Samson of Dol, and the historian Gildas.” — Wikipedia
- Saint Branwalader Saint Pupil
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - St. Samson
- Wikidata Q1269091 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Samson of Dol (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.