Tag Archives: Cloyne diocese

Posted in Irish church history

St. Colman the Munster bard turned priest and Saint – 25th November

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Image source: Cloyne Parish | East Cork, Ireland

Material source distilled from Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae

Saint Colman was originally a pagan called Mac Lenine, who was later to convert and become the founder of a monastery. Mac Lenine was of royal descent and he was born around the early 500’s A.D.

Mac Lenine, was brought up as a heathen, and adopted the profession of bard. He became attached to the court of the King of Cashel, in Tipperary. Mac Lenine was musically employed with duties as a historian and poet. His job was to record the deeds of the king, good, bad or indifferent. He registered the genealogies and privileges of noble families, together with the bounds and limits of their lands and territories. Mac Lenine was engaged in such activities for about the forty-eighth year of his life. It was at the request of St. Ita, the Mary of Munster, that St. Brendan, went to meet Mac Lenine, and insist that he become a Christian ” God has called thee to salvation, and thou shalt be as an innocent dove in the sight of God.” The seeds of conversion were sown…

Around 550 A.D. a royal dispute for the throne of Cashel took place between Aodh-dubh and Aodh-caomh.  Saint Brendan of Clonfert and Mac Lenine intervened. A compromise was reached in which Aodh-caomh was acknowledged as king of Cashel and the first Christian king of that kingdom. As it happened around the same timeframe, a stolen relics of Saint Ailbe (live rock) of Emly of great value, was discovered by the historian Mac Lenine. From that providential find, and at the behest of St. Brendan, he became a Christian and took the name of Colman.

St. Brendan says that this Colman, son of Lenin, was distinguished amongst the saints by his life and learning. St. Colman was endowed with extraordinary poetic skill, being dubbed by his contemporaries as the “Royal Bard of Munster”. Several of his Irish poems are still extant, notably a metrical panegyric on St. Brendan. A historian type figure, Colgan, attributes to Colman a metrical life of St. Senan.

Colman was granted land in East Cork and with this, he became first Abbot of his newly established monastery at Cloyne in 560 A.D. Colman laboured for more than forty years on his extensive monastic estate. He became bishop and Cloyne became a great centre of ecclesiastical power. This monastic centre was later to be re-established as the seat of the diocese of Cloyne after the synods of Rath Breasail and the synod of Kells. Today the old cathedral is now in the hands of the Church of Ireland, and is in need of repair. The current seat of the Catholic diocese is now based in Cobh, near Cork city.

We conclude now as we think of the many people in Ireland today who like our former Mac Lenine, are well educated, but may lack knowledge of the one true God. We therefore ask Saint Colman to intercede for these poor souls to come to know and revere Jesus as their personal saviour and King. We ask Our lady to direct our steps in finding the lost sheep for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

We remember St. Colman of Cloyne on the 25th November

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Posted in Irish church history

Blessed Thaddeus McCarthy, the bishop bedevilled by misfortunes – 25th October

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Thaddeus McCarthy was a bishop twice over, yet he never got the opportunity to properly govern his entrusted flock. Thaddeus was born into Irish nobility at Innishannon, Cork in 1455. He studied in France, and later served in a tribunal in Rome. He was appointed a bishop at only 27, an age that required a special dispensation from the pope. Unfortunately, this appointment proved a big blunder, as the diocese still had its former bishop, whom was presumed dead. Bishop McCarthy travelled back to Ireland with his official papal appointment papers, only to find bishop O’Driscoll still alive and governing the diocese. This did not go down well for either men. There was already bad blood between the McCarthy and the O’Driscoll families, and the existing bishop O’Driscoll took great offence to McCarthy’s claim as bishop. It was a big disappointment for Thaddeus McCarthy, and an embarrassment for Rome. O’Driscoll accused McCarthy of being an imposter, and Rome recognised a mistake had been made. McCarthy’s appointment was rescinded.

After eight years in limbo, and personal suffering which included later excommunication, Pope Innocent VIII finally brought McCarthy back to the fold. He gave McCarthy a second appointment as Bishop, this time of the diocese of Cloyne, in Cork. Justice having been finally secured, McCarthy travelled back to his new diocese, only to discover that a real imposter by the name of Fitzgerald had usurped his office. McCarthy tried to take possession of his cathedral, but was impeded by armed men who barred the entrance. McCarthy had to walk from town to town in his diocese, with proof of papal papers declaring him the real bishop. His own family wanted to help with arms, but Thaddeus refused their offer, as it seemed absurd to take up his seat through the use of violence. This caused a rift between him and the his own family.

McCarthy went back to Rome. This time he secured authorization for military support, as he sought to take possession of his diocese. However, on his homecoming to Ireland, he travelled as a pilgrim disguised as a pauper. The Bishop McCarthy was now 37 years old, and worn out from years of fighting to do what God had called him to do, and serve the diocese. Thaddeus died a pilgrim near Turin and was to be buried in a pauper’s grave, save for a supernatural act. A light emanated from his dead body… The local bishop was called, and he testified that he had dreamed of a bishop ascending into heaven. On examination of the body, they discovered his bishop’s ring. The result was that they buried him in the cathedral of Ivrea, near Turin.  Many miracles have been associated with him ever since.

Blessed Thaddeus McCarthy never governed his diocese, nor ordained any priest. However, he did give his life for God, and is today known as the “White Martyr of Munster”, as he ultimately won him a pauper’s death crowned with glory. He is the model for those who may be discouraged by lack of success. It’s better to be faithful than to be successful. He has a recognised status of being Blessed by way of Cultus Confirmation; 26 August 1895 by Pope Leo XIII.

Bishop Thaddeus McCarthy died on 25th October in 1492.  

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