Wreath-laying ceremony celebrates one of Waterford's most important people
Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr Seamus Ryan, at the statue of Luke Wadding OFM in Waterford city
A wreath-laying ceremony was hosted yesterday at the statue of Luke Wadding OFM.
The ceremony was to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of St. Isidore’s College, Rome, which was founded by Waterford-born Franciscan Wadding in 1625.
The ceremony, led by Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. Séamus Ryan, recognised Wadding as one of Ireland’s most influential theologians and historians.
Born in Waterford in 1588, Wadding was a scholar of international renown.
A Franciscan priest, theologian, and historian, he founded St. Isidore’s College as a centre for Irish Franciscan learning in Rome.
It remains a cornerstone of Irish religious and cultural heritage to this day.
It was also Wadding who first proposed that March 17 be observed as a feast day in honour of St. Patrick, Speaking on the commemoration yesterday, Mayor Ryan said:
“Luke Wadding’s life and legacy reach far beyond his work in theology. He shaped how Ireland remembers itself, how we celebrate faith, scholarship, and culture.
“It is fitting that Waterford, his birthplace, should pause to honour him on this historic anniversary.” Representatives from local heritage, academic, and faith communities joined the Mayor for the wreath-laying event at the Luke Wadding statue on Greyfriars, Waterford.
The Waterford City and County Council event coincided with a similar remembrance at the college in Rome.
