Palladius (bishop of Ireland)

Saint Palladius
Bishop
Born	Early 5th century
Died	457-461
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church Anglican Communion
Patronage	Leinster, Kincardineshire

Palladius (fl. 408–431; died c. 457/461 AD) was the first Bishop of the Christians of Ireland, preceding Saint Patrick; the two were perhaps conflated in many later Irish traditions.

The Palladii were thought to be amongst the most noble families of Gaul, and several of them held high ranks in the Church of Gaul. Palladius was the son of Exuperantius of Poitiers, of whom the contemporary pagan poet Rutilius Claudius Namatianus wrote: "Even now his father Exuperantius trains the Armoric sea-board to love the recovery of peace; he re-establishes the laws, brings freedom back and suffers not the inhabitants to be their servants' slaves." Exuperantius was apparently praefectus praetorio Galliarum ("Praetorian prefect of the Gallic provinces") when he was killed in an army mutiny at Arles in 424.

Prosper of Aquitaine describes Palladius as a deacon. Some writers regard Palladius as deacon of St. Germanus, but it may be more probable that he held the (higher) rank of Deacon of Rome, as it is unlikely that a deacon of Auxerre would exercise the influence in Rome that many have assigned to Palladius. It is in accordance with St. Prosper's usage to indicate the Roman deacon by the simple title "diaconus."

Palladius was married and had a young daughter. He is described as a friend and younger kinsman by Namatianus. In Rome, he kissed his family goodbye in the manner of the Apostles, and lived as an ascetic in Sicily around 408/409, giving his daughter to a convent on that island. He seems to have been ordained as a priest around 415. He lived in Rome between 418–429, and appears to be the "Deacon Palladius", responsible for urging Pope Celestine I to send the bishop Germanus to Britain, where he guided "the Britons back to the Catholic faith."

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