Blessed Columba Marmion (1858-1923)

Son of an Irish father and a French mother, Joseph Marmion entered the seminary in Dublin and finished his studies in Rome, where he was ordained in 1881. After several years as a parish priest in Dublin, he joined the Benedictines in 1886 and took the name Columba. He helped found the abbey of Mont César at Leuven, Belgium, where he served as prior, spiritual director, and professor of theology and philosophy. He edited several publications, including Revue Bénédictine. In 1909, he was elected Abbot of Maradsous. During his time as abbot, Maredsous, famous for its beer and cheese, became a focal point for spiritual thinking in Europe. Dom Columba worked for the union of Anglican Benedictine houses with Rome, and helped a house of Anglican monks who converted to Catholicism. After the war, a group of the brothers were sent to the Monastery of the Dormitian in Jerusalem, which had been left nearly deserted when the British expelled German monks. Amidst it all, Columba continued to preach retreats, guide the lost, and write. Many of his books are still in print. He was beatified in 2000.

(From Saints.sqpn.com)