Catald of Taranto (also Cataldus, Cathaluds, Cathaldus, Cat(t)aldo, Cathal; fl. 7th century) was an Irish monk.
Biography

Cataldus was born in Munster and became the disciple and successor of
Carthage
Carthage was an ancient city in Northern Africa, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classic ...
in the famous School of
Lismore, County Waterford
Lismore () is a historic town in County Waterford, in the province of Munster, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Originally associated with Mo Chutu of Lismore, Saint Mochuda of Lismore, who founded Lismore Abbey in the 6th century, the town develop ...
. He is believed to have been consecrated a bishop in Ireland. His apparent desire for a life of solitude saw him venture off to
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
on a pilgrimage.

On his return home his ship was wrecked off the Italian coast, near the city of
Taranto
Taranto (; ; previously called Tarent in English) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Taranto, serving as an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base.
Founded by Spartans ...
. The people here appear to have encouraged the monk to accept the government of their church. Some of the miracles claimed through Catald's intercession include protecting the city against the
plague and floods that, apparently, had occurred in neighbouring areas.
When his coffin was opened in the eleventh century, it contained a gold cross left at the time of his burial. The relics of the saint were then encased and preserved in the high altar of the cathedral.
Legacy
His feast day is 10 May.
Saint Cathal was the
patron
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...
of the
Sicilian Normans.
San Cataldo is the
patron saint
A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...
of
Supino
Supino is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Frosinone in the Italian region Lazio, located about southeast of Rome and about west of Frosinone.
Supino borders the following municipalities: Carpineto Romano, Ferentino, Frosinone, Giu ...
, located in the province of
Frosinone
Frosinone (; local dialect: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italian region of Lazio, administrative seat of the province of Frosinone. It is about southeast of Rome, close to the Rome-Naples A1 Motorway. The city is the main city of th ...
and the region of
Lazio
Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...
, as well as
Corato
Corato (Bari dialect, Barese: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Italy. It is located in the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, in southeastern Italy. Founded by the Italo-Normans, Normans, it became subject to Alfonso V of Aragon, Alfonso V, king of A ...
, located in the
Metropolitan City of Bari
The Metropolitan City of Bari () is a metropolitan city in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Bari. It replaced the province of Bari and includes the city of Bari and some forty other ''comuni'' (: ''comune''). It was first c ...
and the region of
Puglia
Apulia ( ), also known by its Italian language, Italian name Puglia (), is a Regions of Italy, region of Italy, located in the Southern Italy, southern peninsular section of the country, bordering the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Strait of Ot ...
.
The
Cattedrale di San Cataldo is the archiepiscopal see of the Archdiocese of Taranto. The
Chiesa di San Cataldo
The Church of San Cataldo (or Saint Cathal's Church) is a Catholic church located at Piazza Bellini, in central Palermo, Sicily, Italy. Erected in 1154 as a notable example of the Arab-Norman architecture which flourished in Sicily under Norma ...
in
Palermo
Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...
, Sicily is a World Heritage site. The
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...
in
Montenero Sabino
Montenero Sabino is a (municipality) in the Province of Rieti in the Italian region of Latium, located about northeast of Rome and about southwest of Rieti
Rieti (; , Sabino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, with a populat ...
, province of Rieti, in the region of the Lazio, is dedicated to San Cataldo.
Antiche Strutture
entry in website of Comune of Montenero Sabino.
The Italian towns of San Cataldo (there is such a town in Sicily
Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
, and a modern sea resort in the Apulia
Apulia ( ), also known by its Italian language, Italian name Puglia (), is a Regions of Italy, region of Italy, located in the Southern Italy, southern peninsular section of the country, bordering the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Strait of Ot ...
n Province of Lecce
The province of Lecce (; Salentino: ) is a province in the Apulia region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Lecce. The province is called the "Heel of Italy". Located on the Salento peninsula, it is the second most-populous province in Ap ...
) are named in his honour.
See also
* Saint Gall
Gall (; 550 645) according to hagiographic tradition was a disciple and one of the traditional twelve companions of Columbanus on his mission from Ireland to the continent. However, he may have originally come from the border region betwe ...
* Columbanus
Saint Columbanus (; 543 – 23 November 615) was an Irish missionary notable for founding a number of monasteries after 590 in the Frankish and Lombard kingdoms, most notably Luxeuil Abbey in present-day France and Bobbio Abbey in presen ...
* Petrus de Ibernia
Petrus de Ibernia, also known as Peter of Ireland, was a 13th-century writer and lecturer who is believed to have taught logic and natural philosophy to Thomas Aquinas.
Peter of Ireland is mentioned by the Aquinas' biographers Wilhelm of Tocco and ...
* James of Ireland
* List of Catholic saints
This is an incomplete list of humans and angels whom the Catholic Church has Canonization, canonized as saints. According to Catholic theology, all saints enjoy the beatific vision. Many of the saints listed here are found in the General Roman C ...
References
External links
"Saint Catald"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Catald
Medieval Italian saints
Italian Roman Catholic saints
7th-century Christian saints
Medieval Irish saints
Colombanian saints
7th-century archbishops
7th-century Irish bishops
Irish expatriates in Italy
People from County Waterford
685 deaths