St. Laurence O'Toole
Archbishop of Dublin and Peacemaker
Feast Day: November 14
Biography
St. Laurence O'Toole (1128–1180), in Irish Lorcán Ua Tuathail, was born in 1128 near Castledermot, County Kildare, the son of a Leinster chieftain. At about the age of ten he was given as a hostage to Dermot MacMurrough, king of Leinster, and was harshly treated for two years before being released into the care of the monks of Glendalough. He entered the monastery there, and at about twenty-five he was elected abbot. He was known for his care of the poor, especially during a severe famine. In 1162 he was chosen archbishop of Dublin, the first Irishman to hold the see. He brought the canons of Christ Church Cathedral under a rule of Augustinian canons regular, lived simply among them, and was generous to the poor and to abandoned children. After the Anglo-Norman invasion began in 1169, he worked repeatedly as a mediator between the Irish kings, the Norman lords, and King Henry II of England, and he helped negotiate the Treaty of Windsor in 1175. In 1179 he attended the Third Lateran Council in Rome, where Pope Alexander III named him papal legate for Ireland. Traveling to Normandy to meet Henry II on behalf of his people, he fell ill and died at Eu on November 14, 1180. He was canonized by Pope Honorius III in 1225.
Patronages
Symbols
Prayer
St. Laurence O'Toole, you knew hardship as a child, yet you grew into a gentle shepherd and a builder of peace. Pray for Ireland and for all nations divided by conflict. Help me to be a peacemaker in my family and community, to care for the poor and the forgotten, and to serve God faithfully to the end. Amen.
Asking for Intercession
Catholics ask saints to pray with us and for us, as we ask friends on earth. St. Laurence O'Toole, who lives in God's presence, intercedes before His throne. Speak from your heart: “St. Laurence O'Toole, please pray for me…” You may also pray the prayer above or include this intention in your Rosary.