Monthly Archives: August 2024

Posted in Irish church history

St. Aidan of Lindisfarne; Apostle of Northern England – 31st August

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Saint Aidan, also known as Aidan of Lindisfarne and the Apostle of Northumbria, was an Irish saint, who lived from about 590 until 31 August 651. He first became a monk who had studied under St. Senan, at Iniscathay at the Shannon River estuary on the Clare coast. Aidan then became a monk at the monastery that St. Colum Cille had founded on the island of Iona. Aidan would later establish his own monastery on the North Sea tidal island of Lindisfarne, known as Lindisfarne Priory. In time the Abbot became known as the apostle of Northumbria.

When the Romans withdrew from Great Britain, the Anglo-Saxons became strong, and paganism returned. The Northumbrian warrior-leader Aethelfrith was killed in battle (616AD) and his children fled into exile to Scotland. Here they met the Irish monks of Iona and accepted the Christian faith. Oswald, the second son of Aethelfrith, grew up in Iona from the age of twelve and he was determined to re-gain the throne of Northumbria and to Christianize his subjects there. In 633 he fought a successful battle and established himself as king of Northumbria at Bamburgh Castle. In 634 he invited Irish monks from Iona to help him convert his subjects to Christianity. The good English king Oswald even learned how to speak in Irish through his contacts with the Irish.

The Christian mission was handed from one religious to another, from Cormán to Aidan, who then chose with the King’s blessing, the island of Lindisfarne for his new monastic base. St. Bede praised the rule of St. Aidan, and of his Irish monks in the ministry. Aidan then set out, with his disciples, to walk the length and breadth of Northumbria. In this way he converted the Northumbrians though personal piety and the power of his example. He bears the title “Beacon of the North.”

King Oswald died in 642, and Aidan then worked closely with Oswald’s successor, Oswine of Deira to continue the apostolic mission. Twelve days before Aidan’s death, the royal Bamburgh Castle had come under incendiary attack. Aidan saw the smoke from the fires from his monastery and knelt in prayer. The wind immediately changed and the smoke miraculously blew back in the faces of the attackers, who withdrew as a result. For this reason, Aidan is known as the patron saint of firefighters.

St. Aidan died at Bamborough, the town of the King’s seat of power. He died there the last day of August, 651, and his remains were borne to Lindisfarne. His memory is celebrated in the Church on the 31st of August.

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Saint Fiacre of Breuil; the hackney herbalist saint – 30th August

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Much of the information here is taken from the website https://www.omniumsanctorumhiberniae.com/

St. Fiacre was born around the year 590. He was from a noble family in Connaught. Charity was a strong characteristic in his life. One day, a poor pauper came by seeking an alms. Fiachra was already exhausted from his precedent alms giving, and having nothing left he bestowed his rich mantle to the poor man. 

Fiacre later decided to live the religious life, placing himself under the care of St. Cuanna, a saint famed for learning and sanctity, at his monastery at Kilcoona, along the shore of Loch Orbsen. Fiacre was ordained priest, and wished to live the contemplative life. He departed from the school of St. Cuanna, and established his first hermitage on the banks of the Nore near Kilkenny, to live an austere life. This hermitage became later known as Kill-Fiachra, or Kilfera. Now Fiacre became an accomplished with the use of herbs, a recognised a healer, and saintly man, who caused followers to flock to him. But he desired greater solitude, so leaving Kilkenny, Fiacre sought refuge in France, at Meaux.

In France, He approached Bishop Faro, of the diocese of Meaux. He expressed his desire to live a life of solitude. St. Faro gave him a site at Breuil, present day Brie which was once upon a time a tract of land called Broilus (Latin for a small wood). This forest land was considered uninhabitable, and infested with ‘sorcerers’ and barbarians. At Breuil, St. Fiacre received as much land as he could furrow in one day. He ploughed the soil using the point of his spade, and with divine help he would uproot trees, briers and weeds. Fiacre went on to render his land arable, creating a lofty sized garden with vegetables, fruit, flowers and medical herbs.

He was a great ascetic, a man of prayer, fasting, and manual labour as a gardener.  His food consisted of roots and wild herbs. As a herbalist, St. Fiacre had a medicine that would become known as “Saint Fiacre’s figs” in the Middle Ages. His medicine had a reputation for healing haemorrhoids. St. Fiacre erected an oratory to venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary, and a hospice to take in strangers, and a private cell to retire in prayer. Fiacre did this with the help of his growing number of disciple, and this apostolic work helped with the maintenance of pilgrims to the monastery. His original preparation work was again initiated with the help of his spade and divine support of uprooting trees. Seeing this miracle of the spade, an busy body woman called ‘La Becnaude’ rushed to the diocese of Meaux, denouncing Fiacre as a sorcerer to bishop Faro. She returned to Breuil with orders from the diocese to stop all operations straight away. This caused Fiacre much grief, as he sank with sadness into the jacked rocks in the trench. These rocks melted forming a comforting chair for Fiacre. The bishop on arrival seeing and understanding such miracle of the stone chair in a trench, took Fiacre’s side. A decree that all women should be banished from the monastic grounds was established by the abbot Fiacre. One noble lady would try her luck and infringe this decree, but she suffered sudden a violent illness. Physicians called her illness ”Fiacre’s Malady”. This decree of prohibition of women lasted until 1760 when it was dissolved. Fiacre died on 18 August, 670 A. D.

Today there is veneration to St. Fiacre’s relics at Meaux Cathedral. Visitors to his shrine included Anne, of Austria, Bossuet, and Vincent de Paul. St. Fiachra is today venerated as patron at Brie, and one of the chief patrons of the diocese of Meaux; He is venerated in France as patron of gardeners and of the Fiacre-drivers, the French hackney cab dubbed since early times for the use of pilgrims travelling to the Brie shrine. 

His memory is celebrated by the church on the 30th of August

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St. Eoghan of Ardstraw, in Co. Tyrone – 23rd August

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St. Éoghan of Ardstraw, is commonly known as Eugene in English, Eugenius in Latin, or sometimes referred to as Tir Eoghain which is the Irish for Tyrone, a county in Ulster. Éoghan was an important figure in Irish Christianity from the 6th century. His life was marked by a series of remarkable events that shaped his future as a monk, as abbot and bishop.

Hagiologist Colgan, wrote the unpublished Acts of St. Eugene. His work called the ‘’Acts of St. Eugenius of Ardsrata’’, are currently found in the Burgundian Library at Bruxelles. Historians have since edited and published from the original draft, such as Carolus de Smedt and Joseph de Backer.

Éoghan is a descendent of Laeghaire Lore, son to Ugaine Mór, whom the Leinster people are also descended. Éoghan’s father was Cainnech of Leinster and his mother was Muindecha, descendent of the region of Mugdarnia, Co. Down. Éoghan was uncle to St. Kevin of Glendalough. As a youth, Éoghan received his education with Tighernach, in a school at Clones.

Éoghan, Tighernach and another school friend Corpre, were taken hostage to Britain by pirates. By the grace of God, a man called Neunyo, (Mancenus), from the Rosnat monastery (or Candida Casa, in Scotland) procured their liberation from the King of Britain. The three lads received their tutelage under St. Ninian. But later again Éoghan, with companions, found themselves taken hostage and this time they were brought to British Amorica in Brittany. They became slaves under a Gallic King, as mill workers.

They loved reading and would skive from their work duties to read more. One day, the king’s steward caught them on the hop studying, as the milling wheel suspended operations without reason. The steward lorded it over them to resume work at the mill. Finding themselves alone again the three students begged Almighty God, for some respite so they could study. In response, the Angels of God appeared, and these angels worked the mill-wheel, so it revolved, giving the captive slaves time to study. When the miracle was made known to the king, the noble man sent the three captives back to the Rosnat monastery as free men. Restored to his tutor and master, Éoghan studied some more years in the monastery.

After a long period, St. Ninnian felt drawn to sail for Ireland, with Tighernach and Éoghan. There Éoghan went on to establish the monastery of Kilnamanagh (church of the monks) in Co. Wicklow. Éoghan gave his life to sanctity, mortification and prayer. For fifteen years He was Abbot of excellent repute. At Kilnamangh, he influenced the mind of his nephew, Coemghen or Kevin of Glendalough.
Éoghan set out on an evangelical mission to the north of Ireland. His monks at Kilnamanagh were encouraged to excel into their diverse capacities as Abbots, priors, and ministers. Éoghan, later established a monastery at Ardstraw, along the shores of Lough Derg. He built this monastery close to the junction of confluent streams in the Mourne region, near Lifford on the river Foyle… The ancient name Ard-straha means the height by the bank of the river…

In Ardstraw monastery, Éoghan led a saintly life, distinguished by his miracles and a spirit of prophecy. Towards the end of Éoghan’s life, a grave infirmity grew on him day by day. Recognising his time was near, he called his monks around, and he received the last rites, with pious resignation. His monks present, then separated into two choirs, and standing, with alternate chanting of the psalms. During the celebration of the Divine Office, Angels received the soul of Éoghan, who went home to his eternal reward.

The memory St. Éoghan is celebrated by the church in Ireland on the 23rd August.

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The Knock Eucharistic & Marian international Shrine – mid to late August

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Pope Francis recently elevated Knock shrine to international status on 19th March 2021, as attested on the Vatican Website. The shrine focus is on the statues at the parish church gable wall, in Knock, Co. Mayo. These statues reflect a Eucharistic apparition that happened in 1879. We had the Blessed Mother the Ever Virgin Mary appear, with St. Joseph her spouse, together with St. John the Evangelist with his animated preaching appearance, alongside the Lamb of God on the alter glorified.

We recount below one of the central figures behind promoting pilgrims at Knock Shrine; Dame Judy Coyne. We recall to memory, what was written in her book, ”Providence my Guide”. Judy was the youngest of eleven children, born in Claremorris in 1905. She was married in 1924 to Justice Liam Coyne, a judge from Castlebar. In 1929 they both attended a 50th anniversary of the Eucharistic apparition at Knock in Mayo. They were saddened by the fact the shrine did not receive much attention. It seemed like forgotten apparition history, in such a short space of time. The last remaining witnesses where elderly, and it would not be long before no one will be able to recount what they saw.

Judy and Liam, would set out in the 1930s to revive national interest in the shrine. They spent a lifetime working to promote and develop the facilities at Knock. Their initiative was galvanised, after a pilgrimage in Lourdes in 1934. It was at Lourdes, the couple started to consider how they could replicate & elevate the profile of the yet unofficial Knock Shrine. In 1935 they founded Knock Shrine Society, which consisted in handmaid volunteers to help pilgrims during their visit to the sanctuary site. They also promoted literature and helped erect shrine facilities. They ensured any claims of miracles had prior certification of illness from a reputable doctor. Liam & Judy Coyne also considered having the apparition represented by statues at the parish gable wall in Knock. Drawings were drafted according to the clear memory of the chief remaining eye witness to the apparition. From this chief witness, Mary O’Connell, was garnered a post card depiction of the apparition. Mary died in 1937.

Following the untimely death of Judy’s husband in 1953, the project continued under Judy’s guidance. It was not until 1960, before Archbishop Walsh permitted Judy Coyne to plan the erection of statues at the gable wall of the church. With financial support from U.S. Irish emigrants originally from the West, Judy went to Rome to have statues sculpted. The esteemed Roman sculptor, Professor Lorenzi Ferri, was commisioned. He loved the eucharist, and worked hard, showing Mrs. Coyne on two separate occasions, some clay models. But Judy thought them inadequate, and stood her ground. They did not portray Our Lady’s rapt expression during the apparition as described by the late Mrs. O’Connell. The Professor Ferri became a little exasperated, he began to doubt he could finish the job to her satisfaction. He suffered sudden illness and was admitted to hospital and the sculpture work ceased. Judy now wondered how many months would she be in Rome as she was well over her planned time frame visit. She feared that she might be returning home without any progress. This troubled Irish lady was then invited by the Srs she was residing with in Rome, to go on a pilgrim trip, to a known sanctuary, connected with Padre Pio. There, Judy Coyne prayed fervently during Mass that the statues would be completed. Some days later she visited Professor’s Ferri’s studio, and was astonished to find the statues completed in white Carrara marble and that of Our Lady looking exactly as Judy wanted it. Professor Ferri explained how during the time Mrs Coyne was on pilgrimage, he felt this energy, and urge to leave his bed and finish the statues. He achieved the sculpturing in three hours. This was a complete miracle.

It took many more years before the statues were erected at the apparition gable wall of the church. This was due to a dockers strike in Dublin, as well as misunderstanding regarding interpretations of some documents on statues from Vatican Council II. Finally, Pope John Paul II blessed the statues at the Apparition Chapel on his visit to Knock Shrine in September 1979. Judy Coyne was honoured by the Vatican with the Dame of the Order of St Sylvester award in 1997.

Dame Judy Coyne passed away in 2002 aged 97. She is a testament that abundant good fruits come with long service, perseverance and endurance. But most of all, her trust in the providence of God. Pope Francis elevation of Knock shrine means that we now celebrated Knock Shrine a little later in August. Our Lady of Knock is still celebrated nationally in Ireland on the 17th August, being a custom held for so long.

Lady of Knock song – International version
Message to patrons of Knock shrine from the Vatican March 19th 2021
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St. Fachtna of Ross, monastic school and pilgrim centre – 13th August

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We have taken material taken from the eighteenth-century writer Mervyn Archdall’s classic text Monasticon Hibernicum which has been updated edition by the Catholic Bishop of Ossory, the Rt. Rev. P.F. Moran c/o the website: Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae.

The genealogy of St. Fachtna according to the ”Sanctilogium Genealogicum” is given thus… Fachtna, the son of Maonaigh, the son of Cairill, the son of Fiachna, descendents from Lughad, son of Ith,”. In the Irish documents, Fachtna receives the title of Mac Mongach, i.e., “the hairy child,” for at birth his head was covered with hair.

St. Fachtna or Lachtna (Fachnan in English), lived in the sixth century. He received lessons from St. Ita and he became a disciple of St. Finbarr at the school of Loch-Eirche. He became an  abbot of the Molana monastery, outside Youghal. As bishop, Fachtna founded his monastery at Ross, believed to be established in the late 500s. In Latin documents Fachtna receives the epithet “Fachtna facundus” (St. Fachtna the eloquent). His school became famous attracting a large body of students and religious. St. Brendan, paid a visit to Ross and gave some lessons to the students. So so many people came to the monastery, it became known as Ross-ailithir (Ross of the pilgrims).

St. Fachtna, lost his sight due to an accident as he was advancing in years. The Life of St. Mochaemog narrates the advice of St. Ita, to St. Fachtna. She told him to go to the parents of Mochaemog, through whose merits his sight will be returned. He received his sight again thanks to St. Mochoemog, who was still in his mother’s womb, and then Fachtna prophesised on the future unborn saint to be.

St. Fachtna habitually retired for silent recollection and private prayer to a secluded place, not far from his monastery. One day, he forgot his scroll of prayers at this secluded place. The rains came throughout the night. Thanks to divine intervention, the angels made a small chapel over the scroll, so the prayers remained dry and intact. This ancient oratory has its remnant traced on the spot today.  

After St. Fachnan twenty-seven successive bishops from his people ruled the See of Ross, as narrated in the Book of Lecan :

” Seven and twenty bishops nobly

Occupied Ross of the truly fertile lands

From Fachtna the melodious, the renowned,

To the well-ordered Episcopate of Dongalach.”

The death of St. Fachtna is considered around 590. His memory is celebrated on the 13th of August.

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St. Attracta, the nun who received a veil from heaven – 12th August

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Traditions associated with Saint Attracta are many. We have accounts of her life taken from Canon O’Hanlon’s Lives of the Irish Saints, Volume 8:

Saint Attracta, lived in the Fifth or Sixth Century. Talan is said to be her father and Her brother was St. Coeman. This family are from the Ulster region. Attracta had a strong spiritual side to her from an early age, living a pious and austere life. From childhood, she was most fervent in prayer, she was consistent with alms giving, and she treated her body harshly.

When Attracta reached the age of puberty, her father was desirous to find her a suitor for marriage. Being very attractive, she was sought in marriage by a handful of possible suitors. But she felt the vocation to pursue a religious life. To escape her parent’s importunities, Attracta left her paternal home. She took with her a maiden, called Mitain, and a male servant called Mochain. They headed towards Gregraighe, in the region of Lugnia, or Leney. They arrived in St. Patrick’s presence, and Attracta expressed her desire to consecrate herself entirely to God.

This reception is recounted by the author of St. Patrick’s Tripartite Life. This book narrates that Attracta, was consecrated by St. Patrick, with a miraculous tale. During the act of consecrating some virgins, the last being Attracta, a veil descended down from Heaven on St. Patrick’s breast. Patrick received this single veil with such devotion, and presented it to Attracta, whom he had just consecrated. However Attracta became reluctant, and resisted saying:

“Since this good and perfect gift has descended from the Father of Light, I do not consider it intended for me, a sinner yet, in my opinion, you who have received should… present this veil to my companion, who is more holy than I am.”

Impressed by Attracta’s humility, St. Patrick placed the veil upon her head, insisting that the consecrated virgin should wear it, until the Lord calls her home to spend eternity with Her heavenly Spouse. Attracta eventually yielded to Patrick’s insistence, and wore that veil, until the day she passed away.

St. Patrick soon founded a convent near the formerly named Lough Techet, presently called Lough Gara in the Co. Sligo region. St. Patrick appointed St. Attracta to govern the convent as Abbess. It is believed that he left at this convent, a chalice for the celebration of Mass by visiting priests. This location where the convent was founded was later given the designation of Kill Athracta (church of Attracta), or Killaraght.

A historian called Colgan says of Attracta, that she took the vow of perpetual chastity, and resolved, on cultivating the virtue of hospitality. Her centre of hospitality would therefore be located near a series of cross roads, in order to facilitate a greater potential numbers of pilgrims who might be passing by. Attracta established a type of hospital, for poor travellers or strangers.

This holy virgin was called to the joys of Heaven, after the performance of numerous miracles and the exercise of many virtues. On the 12th August, the feast of St. Attracta is celebrated as a double of the Minor Rite, in the Diocese of Achonry, by permission of his late Holiness Pius IX., granted on the 28th of July, 1864. Attracta is patroness of Killaraght parish, in Co. of Sligo.

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St. Nathy of the fields of Achonry – 9th August

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St. Nathy enjoys the highest reputation for virtue and sanctity, of all the notable Irish saints. He is given the greatest accolades, as most holy (sanctissimus) as of exquisite sanctity, (sanctimonice spectatissimce) as of consummate perfection. He is patron of the diocese of Achonry along with St. Attracta.

Nathy lived in the sixth century, and “His master,” says historian Colgan, “was St. Finian of Clonard.” (Vita S. Fechini). The principle event in the life of Nathy, is the establishment of a monastery on the fields of Achonry. It was a joint initiative between St. Nathy and Saint Finian. Towards the end of Finian’s life, this missionary paid a visit to Connaught, to evangelise the inhabitants there. When Finian reached Leyney, he met Nathy, a priest of great virtue and perfection; a priest capable to govern an ecclesiastical community. So Finian resolved to make good use of his super virtuous new friend Nathy.

Finian then went looking for a suitable site for to establish a monastery for Nathy. He desired a pleasant picturesque place. Finian found such place at the fertiles fields of Achonry, along the foot of Mucklety, near the beautiful lake of Templehouse. His next task was to procure the land, which was easier said than done. The owner of the land was called Caenfahola, (Caput lupi, or Wolfhead). We have an account of the transaction history, taken from the written works of the old life of Finian;

“After this Finian proceeded to a place where a holy priest named Nathy lived, and here an angel appeared to him and said: ‘You shall found a church on whatever spot the man of God shall select as a convenient and pleasant site. And when they had reached the chosen spot, the prince of the territory, that is, of Leyney, whose name was Caenfahola, approached them in a rage, for the purpose of driving them from the place; but the man of God, seeking to convert this hardened sinner to the faith by a striking miracle, made the sign of the cross on a great rock that lay hard by, and broke it into three parts. This spectacle astonished and softened the savage prince; and being now changed from a wolf into a lamb, he humbly made over to Finian the scene of the miracle, which is called in the Irish language, Achadchonaire, and in which the man of God established the aforesaid priest of the name of Nathy.”

With that pleasant land now procured, the monastery was established and it became an esteemed school of piety and learning. St. Nathy taught several eminent persons; for example, Saint Kenan and Saint Fechin. The later followed his relative, Nathy, into the monastery, at the dawn of it’s foundation. The two relative saints were close friends. Fechin eventually left Achonry, to found the great monastery of Fore.

It is believed that Nathy lived to a very advanced age. We take this on the basis of circumstantial evidence. For example, he may have been around thirty years old in 552, at the year Saint Finian of Clonard’s is believed to have died. Nathy was still alive when Saint Fechin founded the abbey of Fore. Nathy, we consider to have reached the age of around ninety years when he passed away. These considerations are taken from Terence O’ Rorke, History, antiquities, and present state of the parishes of Ballysadare and Kilvarnet, in the county of Sligo (Dublin, 1878), 411-24. St. Nathy was buried within the monastery, before his body was translocated to the cathedral of Achonry, which was dedicated to him.

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