Petroc or Petrock<!--sic--> (; ; ; ) was a British prince and Christian saint.

Probably born in South Wales, he primarily ministered to the Britons of Devon (Dewnens) and Cornwall (Kernow) then forming the kingdom of Dumnonia where he is associated with a monastery at Padstow, which is named after him (Pedroc-stowe, or 'Petrock's Place'). Padstow appears to have been his earliest major cult centre, but Bodmin became the major centre for his veneration when his relics were moved to the monastery there in the later ninth century. Bodmin monastery became one of the wealthiest Cornish foundations by the eleventh century. There is a second ancient dedication to him nearby at Little Petherick or "Saint Petroc Minor".

In Devon ancient dedications total a probable seventeen (plus Timberscombe just over the border in Somerset), mostly coastal and including one within the old Roman walls of Exeter as well as the villages of Petrockstowe and Newton St Petroc. In Wales his name is commemorated at St Petrox near Pembroke, Ferwig near Cardigan and Llanbedrog on the Llŷn Peninsula. He also became a popular saint in Brittany by the end of the tenth century.

Life

Detail of stained glass window at Bodmin showing St Petroc|left|thumb|125px

The earliest Life of Petroc states that he was a younger son of an unnamed Welsh chieftain: the twelfth century version known as the Gotha Life, written at Bodmin, identifies that king as Glywys of Glywysing (Orme 2000, p.&nbsp;215) and Petroc as a brother of Gwynllyw and uncle of Cadoc.

He studied in Ireland, where later he is said to have been the teacher of Kevin of Glendalough.

Petroc ministered throughout Dumnonia, which centred in Dewnans (Devon), and included Kernow (Cornwall), Somerset and Dorset. He also served in Brittany.

Petroc founded churches in Little Petherick and in many parts of Britain, Wales and Brittany. He is said to have converted Constantine of Cornwall to Christianity by saving a deer Constantine was hunting.

Veneration

thumb|The Bodmin casket which once contained the saint's relics

With Piran and Michael, he is one of the patron saints of Cornwall. He was described by Thomas Fuller as "the captain of Cornish saints".

Humility is a virtue strongly associated with Petroc. One of the pervasive stories about this describes his return from the pilgrimage to Rome and Jerusalem. As he set foot home in Britain under a heavy rain, he confidently told his companions that it would clear up by morning. Instead, the downpour lasted for many days and Petroc, ashamed of his presumptuousness, is said to have left on another pilgrimage, this one of penance. A list in the Leofric missal and another manuscript list in Exeter Cathedral record that the cathedral possessed relics of the saint. It is likely that they had been presented by King Athelstan.

Petroc is remembered in the Church of England with a commemoration on 4 June.

Legacy

thumb|right|150px|The flag of Devon is dedicated to Saint Petroc

  • Saint-Perreux in Brittany is named for him.
  • The Flag of Devon is dedicated to Saint Petroc. Designed by Ryan Sealey, it was the winner of a competition organised by the BBC in 2003. It has been used by residents and, since October 2006, by Devon County Council.
  • St Petrock's (Exeter) is a charity working with people who are homeless and vulnerably housed in Devon.
  • The St. Petroc's Society is a charity working to address homelessness in Cornwall.
  • St Petroc's Orthodox Monastery in Tasmania, which used the Sarum Rite, was named after him from 1992 until its closure in 2012.
  • The 2008 merger of North Devon College and East Devon College led to them being re-branded under the name Petroc College in 2009.

See also

  • Martyrology of Tallaght
  • :Category:Churches dedicated to St Petroc

Further reading

References

Sources

  • Doble, G. H. (1938) Saint Petrock, a Cornish Saint; 3rd ed. [Wendron: the author]
  • Doble, G. H. (1965) The Saints of Cornwall: part 4. Truro: Dean and Chapter; pp.&nbsp;132–166
  • Jankulak, Karen (2000) The Medieval Cult of St. Petroc Boydell Press (19 Oct 2000)
  • Orme, Nicholas (2000) The Saints of Cornwall Oxford: U. P. (6 Jan 2000)
  • Stacey, Robin Chapman, review of Karen Jankulak. "The Medieval Cult of St. Petroc" Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies, Vol. 34, No. 1 (Spring, 2002), pp.&nbsp;180–181
  • St Petroc: the hagiographical sources
  • "St. Petroc March", Coldstream Guards