Saint encounters widespread conflict (6)
I believe the answer is:
strife
'conflict' is the definition.
(strife is a kind of conflict)
'saint encounters widespread' is the wordplay.
'saint' becomes 'st' (abbreviation).
'encounters' says to put letters next to each other.
'widespread' becomes 'rife' (rife can mean widespread or universal).
'st'+'rife'='STRIFE'
(Other definitions for strife that I've seen before include "A Cockney's wife is his trouble and .....(60" , "Lack of harmony" , "Conflict, quarrelling" , "Discord and friction" , "Bitter disagreement" .)