It has been said most truly that Ireland never sent a greater son to do God’s work in foreign lands than Columbanus.  The fruit of his labors remained; and for centuries after his death his influence was widely felt throughout Europe, especially in France and Italy.  His zeal for the interests of God was unbounded, and this was the secret of his immense power.  Some of his writings have come down to us, and comprise his Rule for Monks, his Penitential, sixteen short sermons, six letters, and several poems, all in Latin.  His letters are of much value as evidence of Ireland’s ancient belief in papal supremacy.

Switzerland:  Gall, Columbanus’s disciple, remained in Switzerland.  In a fertile valley, lying between two rivers and surrounded by hills, he laid the beginnings of the great abbey which afterwards bore his name and became one of the most famous monasteries in Christendom.  St. Gall spent thirty years of his life in Helvetia, occupying himself in teaching, preaching, and prayer.  He succeeded where others had failed, and that which was denied to Columbanus was reserved for Gall, his disciple, and the latter is entitled the Apostle of Alemannia.

Other districts had their Irish missionaries and apostles.  Not far from St. Gall, at Seckingen, near Basle, St. Fridolin was a pioneer in the work of evangelization.

Towards the close of the seventh century St. Kilian, an Irishman, with his companions, Totnan and Colman, arrived in Franconia.  He was martyred in Wuertzburg, where he is honored as patron and apostle.

Sigisbert, another Irish follower of St. Columbanus, spread the faith among the half-pagan people of eastern Helvetia, and founded the monastery of Dissentis in Rhaetia.

St. Ursanne, a little town on the boundaries of Switzerland, took its origin from another disciple of St. Columbanus.

Other apostles and founders:  Desire for solitary life drew St. Fiacre to a hermitage near Meaux, where he transformed wooded glades into gardens to provide vegetables for poor people.  This charity has earned for Fiacre the title of patron saint of gardeners.

St. Fursey, the illustrious apostle of East Anglia, crossed over to France, where he travelled and preached continuously.  He built a monastery at Lagny-sur-Marne, and was about to return to East Anglia when he died at Mezerolles, near Doullens.  St. Gobham followed his master’s example, and like him evangelized and founded monasteries.  St. Etto (Ze) acted in like manner.  St. Foillan and St. Ultan, brothers of St. Fursey, became apostles in southern Brabant.

The monastery of Honau, on an island near Strasburg, and that of Altomuenster, in Bavaria, owe their foundation to the Irish monks Tuban and Alto, respectively.

Not far from Luxeuil was the Abbey of Lure, another great Irish foundation, due to Deicolus (Desle, Dichuill), a brother of St. Gall and a disciple of St. Columbanus.  So important was this house considered in later times that its abbot was numbered among the princes of the Holy Roman Empire.