400th Anniversary of St. Isidore’s College, Rome Honouring Luke Wadding OFM
Waterford City & County Council hosted a wreath-laying ceremony today, at the statue of Luke Wadding OFM, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of St. Isidore’s College, Rome, established by the distinguished Waterford-born Franciscan in 1625.
The ceremony, led by Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. Séamus Ryan, honoured one of Ireland’s most influential theologians and historians, whose life and legacy continue to be of interest four centuries on.
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.
Wadding’s achievements extended beyond academia. His work in the Vatican and among the Irish diaspora ensured that St. Patrick’s Day became recognised as a day of devotion and celebration. It was Wadding who first proposed that 17 March be observed as a feast day in honour of Ireland’s patron saint, an observance that evolved, over time, into the global celebration of Irish identity known today.
Speaking on the commemoration, 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 event coincided with a similar remembrance at the college in Rome.
