Saint of the Day – 9 April – Saint Madrun of Wales (Died early 6th Century) Widow, Mother, Queen of Gwent in Wales, Missionary with her son St Ceidio to Cornwall after the death of her husband. Born in c440 and died on 8 April in the early part of the 6th Century. Patronages – of the Towns of Minster andTintagel, Cornwall and Trawsfynydd in Wales. [The Patron Saint of the Parish of Madrun in Cornwall, however, is not our Madrun but the male Cornish Saint Madron whoe died in c545 (Maddern)]. Also known as – Madryn, Marcelliana, Materiana, Mertheriana, Merthiana,
Modrun. Additional Memorials – 9 June (Trawsfynydd, Wales) and 19 October on some calendars.
According to Welsh genealogies, Madrun was the daughter of King Vortimer and wife of Ynyr Gwent, chieftain of East Monmouthshire.
Besides the fact that she bore her husband four children, all that is known about her with any certainty, is that she welcomed St Tathan (Tathaeus) an Irish Missionary.
Legend has it that while on pilgrimage, she received a dream in which she was told to build a convent where she slept; the Church there has survived. Madrun accompanied her son, St Ceidio as Misionnaries to Cornwall and assisted him in evangelising the region, hence the 2 patronages in Cornwall.
She is considered the Patron Saint of Trwfynydd in Merionethshire where her Feast Day is celebrated on 9 June. However, there exists some confusion with a St Materiana who emmoved to Cornwall in c450, although the two seem to be one person.
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