Kentigern, more widely known by the affectionate name Mungo, was a sixth-century missionary and the first bishop of the Britons of Strathclyde in what is now southwestern Scotland. He is venerated as the apostle and patron of Glasgow, the city that grew up around the church he established on the River Clyde. The Eastern Orthodox Church commemorates him on January 14; Western tradition keeps his feast on January 13.
According to tradition, his mother was Theneva (also rendered Thaney or Teneu), a daughter of King Lleuddun, who is herself venerated in connection with Glasgow. From childhood Kentigern was raised and taught by St. Serf, a missionary among the Picts, who is said to have given him the pet-name Mungo, understood to mean 'dear one' or 'beloved.' He adopted a severe ascetic discipline early, and in the tradition of Celtic monasticism gave himself to constant prayer, strict fasting, and extreme poverty, living in a small cell.
Kentigern preached the Gospel on the Clyde at Cathures, the site of modern Glasgow, where he founded his church and was consecrated first bishop of the Strathclyde Britons. An anti-Christian reaction drove him into exile, during which he traveled to Wales and stayed with St. David; tradition credits him with founding the monastery at Llanelwy, later known as St Asaph, where he is said to have appointed St. Asaph as bishop in his place. Invited back by the Christian king Riderch Hael, he returned to continue his labors among the Britons. He is said to have died on January 13, and his remains are traditionally held to rest in Glasgow Cathedral.
