St Garmon (St Germanus)

St Garmon (Germanus) Bishop of Auxerre

Germanus was the bishop of Auxerre in Britten. He was sent to Wales in 429AD at the request of the Celtic Church. At the time there was a heresy called Pelagianism. Pelagius put forward a belief that every man has to save himself by his own actions and that is salvation was not dependent on the grace of God alone. This is a heresy and Germanus was sent to explain this. There are many places within North Wales where churches are dedicated to him and also in Cornwall suggesting a success of his mission.

At one particular church, St Garmons Church, Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, (what3words: newsprint.litters.gosh) in mid Wales, there is a mound where Garmon originally preached and it has been called ‘Twmpath Garmon’ or ‘Garmon’s Mound’ ever since, even being marked as such on OS maps.