St Illtyd, taught by St Cadoc, may have been a hermit at Llanilltyd Fawr (Llanwit Major) near Llandaff in south Wales before building his monastery and school. The Life of St Samson describes Illtud as ‘the most learned of all the Britons in the knowledge of Scripture, both the Old Testament and the New Testament, and in every branch of philosophy – poetry and rhetoric, grammar and arithmetic; and he was most sagacious and gifted with the power of foretelling events.’ "…The students were divided into 24 groups, each responsible for one hour’s worship in the day, so that prayer and praise ascended continually to God. Tradition says that there were only three centres in early Britain which practised this unceasing praise’ and one of them was Llantwit Major. He taught St David and St Samson and others, as well as working in Brittany. He was thus another key person in the early church in Wales. There is a cross called St Illtyd’s cross with an inscription: ‘Samson erected this cross for his soul, and for the soul of Illtu, (which is a Latin form of Illtyd, Samson being the successor to Illtyd) for Samson the king, Samuel and Ebisar’.
The Life of St Illtyd was written in 12C and contains many miracles
Troparion Tone 4
O Illtyd the wise and most learned of men
you trained many disciples to be holy and Christ-like.
Such men and women are needed as never before.
Pray continue your intercession for us all
