Tag Archives: Irish Saints

Posted in Irish church history

Bridget is Mary of the Gaels, and no fairy of the Gaels – 1st February

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The growing trend of promoting Brigid as a goddess who later adopted Christianity does not hold water. The goddess status is a popularised belief without any real foundation. To claim Bridget was once a goddess, is to align her with fallen angels, who are unclean spirits and fairies. Jesus came to drive out unclean spirits, who are the implacable enemy of God.

So lets take a look at the real St. Bridget. Who was she?

Bridget is the virtuous woman and saint, born of human stock and generated from Christian parents. Ancient sources tell us that Brigid belonged to the early age of Christianity in Ireland as St. Patrick himself baptised St. Brigid. She is known as Mary of the Gaels. Her parents were Catholics of noble birth. Brigid was born at Faughart, Dundalk formerly of the province of Ulster. She lived 80 years, a life of virtue from the cradle to the grave. The name Brigid means virtuous in Irish. She travelled by chariot, establishing religious houses in Ireland, gaining thirteen thousand nuns under her rule.

She founded a monastery in Kildare, which means church of oak. The ancient Leabhar Breac mentions the building of this monastery at the time of St. Brigid. At this monastery the religious wrote some things of note about their founder’s life. These various testimonies were later compiled and fully published one hundred years after Brigid passed from this world. Her biography ‘’The Life of St. Brigid’’ was written by Cogitosus and here are some points of interest on St. Brigid:

1) She milked one cow three times a day to feed three abbots. 2) She replaced a king’s lost fox with another one, who miraculously knew the same tricks as that fox that was lost. 3) Brigid found a secret store of honey under the floor boards just in time to give to a beggar who was came knocking at her door. 4) A leper came to Brigid’s door looking for beer, but Brigid had no beer to offer him. So she got some water and called down God’s blessing on the water. With her faith in Jesus Christ, the water became changed into a fine beverage.

St. Brigid was so virtuous, its easy to see how she recieved the venerated title of Mary of the Gaels. In the 8th century her feast day was celebrated in Luxemburg. Her feast day is recorded in the Calendar of St. Willibrord. Her relics are Venerated in the abbey of San Maurice in Switzerland. Also, Bridewell in London is named after Brigid, for Bride is the anglicised form of Brigid.

The story of St. Brigid’s Cross

Brigid was attending to a dying pagan noble, who was falling in and out of sleep. Brigid at one point took some rushes from the ground and began to weave them into a Cross. The noble man was curious, and in his feeble condition wanted to know what she was making? He somehow felt better in the presence of this strange Cross. Brigid used the Cross to explain Christianity and the salvific power of Christ, so that men could reach salvation. This noble pagan was open to hearing more, and he became baptised before he died.

St. Brigid foretold St. Patrick of St. Colmcille who would convert the Gaels in the north west of Ireland. These three saints are now buried together in Downpatrick in Ulster.

St. Brigid is Mary of the Gaels, and no fairy of the Gaels. Her feast day is celebrated on the 1st February, she is a national patron saint of Ireland

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St. Aiden of Ferns, known as Maedóc the disciple of St. David – 30th January

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St. Aidan is one of the 25 Irish Saints recognised in 19 June 1902 by the universal church via a process of cultus confirmation. This saint helps us to glimpse the close relationship that existed between the Gaels and the Welsh.

Aidan was born c558 on Inisbrefny, in Cavan. He was baptised Aedan. His parents Sedua and Eithne, from the noble families of the O’Neils and O’Briens, later called him Mo-Aidh-og, which means “My little Hugh” or its like saying my little Aed. His Irish name became Maodhóg or in old Irish Maedóc which he is now commonly known as. Maedóc was held hostage as a child by Aedh Ainmire, High-King of Ireland to ensure his family’s loyalty. He was later released, and he directed his life towards the religious, following his childhood inclinations.

Maedóc studied for several years in Wales under St. David at Menevia in Pembrokeshire. David is patron saint of Wales. Maedóc was listed in the Welsh triads as one of David’s three most faithful disciples. To give you a few stories recounted about St. Maedóc during his time in Wales, we have 1) by accident he broke a jug of ale destined for his fellow monks over a meal; but making the sign of the cross over the broken jug, it became repaired and thus he was able to serve his monks. 2) At another time in Wales, a yoke given to Maedóc by David’s steward which was not sufficient in size to fit around the necks of his oxen. Maedóc miraculously accommodated them which permitted him to travel with material to Llanddewi Velfrey.

Maedóc later returned to Ireland. At the same time, there was a victory at Dunbolg, Co. Wicklow, in 598, in which the High King Aedh was slain by Prince Brandrub of Leinster. In thanksgiving the prince gifted Maedóc lands in Wexford, for his prayers attributed to the victory. Aedh was a pagan king, and did not do himself any favours. Prince Brandub belonged to the dynasty of Uí Chennselaig, whose domain was the territory of Ferns. Maedóc’s monastic foundation was became known as Fearna-nor-Maedhog

St. Maedóc died on 31st January 632 on Lough Melvin’s shore, Co. Leitrim. His relics are held inside the tomb at the cathedral crypt in Ferns. St. Edan’s Cathedral in Ferns remains the seat of Church of Ireland diocese.

At the synod of Ráith Bressail in 1111, Ferns became one of five episcopal sees in Leinster. The diocese of Ferns is equivalent to the earlier kingdom of Uí Chennselaig over the territory of Ferns.


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Fursey, the Irish Saint who conquered East Anglia for Christ while pouring many blessings on France – 16th January

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Fursey was of noble Irish birth, born around 575. He embraced religious life at the monastery of St. Meldan on the island of Inchquinn on the Lough Corrib, Co. Galway in the West of Ireland. Fursey was an avid learner of spiritual writings and the practice of virtue from his youth.

Bede recounts in his Ecclesiastical History of the English nation, that St. Fursey went to East Anglia in 633 on a mission with at least four pilgrim companions, two brothers St Foillan and St Ultan, as well as two other priests. King Sigbert II of East Anglian, received these pilgrims very well and gave them a tract of land for a monastery at Burgh Castle (Cnobbersburg), near present day Yarmouth. The King had many years earlier found himself exiled into Gaul, in France by his step father King Redwald. This was providential, as in Gaul, Sigbert became a Christian under the guidance of St. Columbanus and his monks who where on their peregrinus pro Christo. Sigbert returned to East Anglia in 631 and ascended the throne a new man. Now Fursey and company founded and stayed at their newly founded monastery in East Anglia, for around twelve years. They followed the Celtic liturgical tradition, which was an unusual occurrence in England.

Later King Anna, succeeded King Sigbert II, and St. Fursey was afforded further support, in evangelising East Anglia. He established double communities for monks and nuns, which was particularly customary in southern and western Ireland. St. Fursey adorned his monastery with a precious bell, and bestowed another bell with monks at the monastery of Lismore in Ireland’s co. Waterford.

The two other pilgrim priest that travelled with Fursey to England are Dicul and Maeldubh. Now Dicul evangelised the South Saxons. He founded a monastery at Bosham, near Chichester, with a small group of monks. This band of brothers held onto to their Celtic liturgical traditions deep in the  Romanized territory. Maeldubh founded a monastery at Malmsbury in Wessex.

Bede says of Fursey:

‘’There came out of Ireland a holy man called Fursa (Fursey), renowned both for his words and actions, and remarkable for his singular virtues, being desirous to live like a stranger for our Lord, wherever an opportunity should offer… he saw the angels chanting in heaven, and a vision of hell in which he saw four fires – the fire of falsehood, the fire of covetousness, the fire of discord and the fire of iniquity.’’

Sigbert was killed as an oblation to the Lord, in a battle against Penda of Mercia, in which King Anna succeeded him. After about 12 years in East Anglia, Fursey and some monks departed to the Frankish kingdom of Neustria. St. Foillan was left in charge of the Norfolk monastery, while St. Ultan travelled with St. Fursey to Gaul. They met a French king, Clovis II ( 636-657) and he authorised Fursey to establish a monastery near Paris at Lagny-sur-Marne in the region of Neustria (648). Fursey was given protection by Echinoald, Mayor of the palace of Clovis II.

St. Fursey was on another pilgrimage, this time to Rome, and stopped at the church of Mont-des-Cygnes in Mezerolles, dedicated to the apostles Peter & Paul. In this church Fursey deposited the sacred relics of St. Patrick as well as St. Meldan. After his trip to Rome, he stayed awhile at Pérrone. He then wanted to go to East Anglia. On his way there, he stopped again at Mezerolles, staying a short time there, feeling ill, he soon died. His body reposed for a time in that same church of Mont-des-Cygnes. His body was later translated to Péronne, where we get the name Perrona Scottorum (Péronne of the Irish). For this was the place offered to him by King Clovis through his mayor, Echinoald. Fursey’s tomb at Perrona Scottorum became an important pilgrim shrine and the monastery became a centre for the Irish. Ultan the brother of Fursey became the first abbot of this centre. St. Fursey’s body was interred two times to be placed in a tomb more fitting to his legacy, and his body was found to be incorrupt.

St. Fursey died around 650 A.D. and is remembered on the 16th January

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St. Ita the rediscovered Irish Princess – 15th January

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St. Ita is one of the Déise people, of the Waterford based Irish citizens. Her original name was Deirdre, and she was of noble stock, growing up along the river Suir in Waterford. Many aspects of her life parallel closely with St. Philomena from Greece. For example, her father desired an arranged marriage for her with a young nobleman. Like Philomena, Deirdre from an early age desired to have Christ as her spouse and serve him alone. Like Philomena, Deirdre’s beauty won the hearts of many men including kings seeking her hand in marriage, and like Philomena, she always remained faithful to Christ.

Deirdre’s Story differs though in that she is inspired by a dream where angles gift her with three stones, that symbolise each Divine Person within the Holy Trinity. From such a dream, she understood that she was to receive many talents and gifts from the Holy Trinity. Deirdre was thus considered naturally gifted; helping in the affairs of her clan, and breeding horses. She also picked up on herbal medicine from her community, and applied it to the sick.

Deirdre took the name of Ita which in Irish is pronounced Íde (Eydeh). Many towns in Ireland can trace their names back to Íde. For example, Ita established a foundation at Chluana Credal, now called called Killeedy in Limerick. Now Cill in Irish means church, and Killeedy means church of Íde. another example is where Ita made another foundation nearby at Kilmeedy. The name means Church of my Íde, which is a term of endearment. There is also Kilmeadan which is taken from the Irish form Cill Mhíodáin which means church of my little Íde. Kilmeadan is a townland along the river Suir in co. Waterford near where Ita was raised. In North Dublin there is a town called Malahide, called from it’s original Irish name form Mullach Íde, which means Hilltop of Íde. Now Ita had a sister too called Ína and we can trace the place name Killiney in South Dublin to Ína.

Christian Influence

We find memory of Ita in poetry; for example, Alcuin attributed to Íde the title of “the foster mother of the saints of Ireland”. Oengus attributed to her as ‘’the white sun of the women of Munster’’ in a poem written in Irish: ‘’in grían bán ban Muman, Íte Chluana Credal’’

Ita gave formation to a community of nuns, and established a school for boys, teaching them on “faith in God with purity of heart; simplicity of life with religion; generosity with love”. She learnt to build a ship, and later rebuked St. Brendan for not seeking her advice on building sea worthy vessels, after he returned from his Atlantic crossing to America.

Ita was a big player in converting the Druids (Draoi – pronounced Dree) to the Catholic faith. She received a sword from heaven, and she would wield it at members of the Draoi. They were strong in numbers particularly in Malahide and nearby Swords. Ita wielded this divine sword, and without touching anyone, her opponents would fall to the ground dying. This became her opportunity to preach the Good News of salvation, and the fallen draoi would forever accept the offer, and thereby quickly regain health.

St. Ita died around the year 570. We celebrate her memory on the 15th January, and this day is regarded as the last day of Christmas particularly in Limerick where she is established her monasteries.

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St. Flannan the baker saint and patron of Killaloe – 18th December

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St Flannan is patron of Killaloe (Cill Dalua) diocese which extends between areas of Co. Clare and Co.  Tipperary, as well as areas of Co. Offaly, Co. Laois, and Co. Limerick. The name Flannan is a diminutive of flann which means ruddy.

The Killaloe monastic connection

St Lua (554-609) is considered the founding abbot of the Killaloe monastic centre. He was from Ardagh, in Limerick. Lua (Lughaidh) was to studied in Clonard and later in Bangor for the religious life and was ordained a priest. This came about after an encounter of St. Comgall. His name became more familiarly known under the affectionate name of Molua. He later returned home and he was to found a few monasteries, as well as at Killaloe, at Friars’ Island near Ardnacrusha. Killaloe means the church of Lua.

St Flannan succeeds St Molua at Killaloe monastery

St Flannan was the son of Turlough, King of Thomond, and also Molua’s nephew. In his younger days Flannan studied under St. Blathmet who was well versed in Sacred Scripture.

Interestingly, in Ireland’s royal history, kings and queens would keep a biographer and an account of family and political life. There is an account given that Flannan studied to “till, sow, harvest, grind, winnow, and bake for the monks.” Tradition will add to this, that one day, while baking continuously for long and extended hours, his left hand became transfigured. There was enough light to enable him to continue baking right through the night. Molua, learnt of this incident, and felt it was opportune for him to consider retiring with the view that Flannan could be the new abbot.

Travels to Rome
Flannan was a hospitable man and his people in Thomond were in accord that he should be consecrated. On a trip to Rome, he received consecration from Pope John IV (640-2).

How Killaloe became a significant diocese from its monastic beginnings

Killaloe owes its existence as a diocese thanks to the vision of Brian Ború high King of Ireland. Brian wished to have a church independent of Norman influence. Between 1002 and 1014, the Irish High King had a palace in Killaloe on the grounds of the present-day Catholic church. On the other hand, Lanfranc, the Archbishop of Canterbury, desired to extend Norman influence over Irish ecclesiastical affairs. But when Lanfranc died in 1089, Canterbury’s foothold on Irish ecclesial affairs waned, particularly on the diocese of Killaloe which enjoyed the patronage of the Dalcassian Kings. Muirchertach Mor O’Briain was by now King of the Dal gCais.

After the Synod of Rathbreasail in 1111 in which king Muirchertach was present, Killaloe became formally recognised as a major diocese. At the synod of Kells in 1152, Killaloe as a diocese shrunk, as Roscrea monastery founded by St. Crónán, as well Scattery island monastic centre founded by St. Senan became small diocese. Today the Killaloe diocese has absorbed them both.

We celebrate the noble St. Flannan on the 18th December

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Saint Finnian of Clonard, the maestro of Irish disciples and the ascetic father – 12th December

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St. Finnian (‘Fionáin’ in Irish), was an early monastic saint. He lived from about 470 to 549.

St. Finnian of Clonard is considered the maestro of the Irish saints; notable students include Colmcille of Iona, Ciarán of Clonmacnois and St, Canice (Kenneth). His monastic foundation at Clonard (Cluain Eraird in Irish) was very influential as a centre of theological learning, before the invasion of the Vikings and before the synods of Cashel, Rathbreasail and Kells, that changed the monastery centre into a diocese.

Finnian was born at Myshal in Carlow, at the foot of Mount Leinster. His father, called Rudraigh, was a noble  Ulsterman. His Leinster mother was called Telach. While she was pregnant, she had a vivid dream of a bright flying flame that drew very near to her, entering one moment in her mouth, before flying away gloriously, to all the corners of Ireland Ireland, attracting a huge flock of birds that followed. Telach told Rudraigh of the vivid dream, and he predicted that Finnian would become an influential professor and mentor. Finnian later became one of the greatest fathers of the Irish monasticism.

The boy was educated first by Bishop Fortchernn of Trim, a disciple of St. Patrick. Finnian proceeded to Wales to grow in virtue and study spirituality under the great saints of Wales; his teachers included great fathers such as St. David, St. Gildas the Wise, and, especially, St. Cadoc. Finnian spent thirty years in Wales according to the Salamanca MS. He also studied for awhile in the French monastic centre of St. Martin in Tours in Gaul. Here Finnian learned the life of ascetic austerity for spiritual gain.

Finnian returned to Ireland, first to Aghowle near Shillelagh in County Wicklow, where King Oengus of Leinster gave him a site to build a church. He traversed Ireland, preaching, teaching, and founding churches, as far south as Skellig Michael islands, eight miles off the coast of Co. Kerry. He went north eastwards to Dunmanogue on the river Barrow, in Co. Kildare. He stopped by the town of Kildare, visiting at St Brigid’s monastery. St. Finnian was esteemed by St. Brigid, who gifted him with a gold ring on his departure.

By the year 520 Finnian arrived at Clonard, (Erard’s Meadow in English). He was led to this place by an angel. Clonard, which is situated on the River Boyne in present day Co. Meath. It was between the former royal province of Meath and the province of Leinster. Here Finnian received a large tract of land and built monastic site, entering into a life devoted to study, mortification, and prayer. He had a big following of monks. They include the “twelve apostles of Ireland”,

Finnian had a strong theological reputation and the Clonard monastery became a centre of Biblical studies, becoming the largest and the most important in Ireland. He became the first abbot and organized life according to the Welsh monastic model. This form of monasticism was based on the traditions of the holy fathers of the East. This may explain somewhat how the Celtic liturgical observance came to Ireland. St. Patrick having permission from the Pope to evangelise Ireland, brought with him the roman rite, and later through the influence of St. Finnian, the Celtic observance may have come the norm.

”The Penitential” compiled by St. Finnian, roots out sin and bad habits while cultivating virtue. Under the influence of Welsh saints and, originally, St. John Cassian in France, Finnian compiled the first known Irish Penitentiary, which later influenced St. Columbanus in his written works. St. Finnian himself slept on the bare earthen floor in his cell without anything for a pillow, to prop his head. One of his disciples recounts that the venerable abbot became emaciated from a prolonged and extreme ascetic life. So much so, his ribs could easily be seen protruding the lining of his tunic.

The site of the former monastic centre of St. Finnian is located in the grounds of the Church of Ireland at Clonard. St. Finnian is said to have died in the great plague of 549-550. He is celebrated on 12th December in the Catholic liturgy.

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St. Virgil, the Irish abbot and cosmologist in Germany – 27th November

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St. Fergal of Salzburg (his Latin name = “Virgilius”)

He was an eighth-century Irishman, an accomplished learner who rocked the boat, particularly with his contemporary, Saint Boniface. Both of these saints evangelised the Germanic people. St Fergal (or Virgil, or Feargal) moved from Ireland to France and then onto Bavaria in Germany. Fergal was abbot of Aghaboe, in Co. Laoise, Ireland. He was a descendant of Niall of the Nine Hostages. He had mastered mathematics to the point of being considered a Geometer.

“Peregrini pro Christo“

In 743 he sojourned the Continent and became a voluntary exile for love of Jesus. In France met Prince Pippin the Short. The prince took to the learned monk and kept him in his palace for two years. Virgil had companions; Dobda, an Irish Bishop, and Sidonius. In Bavaria, Virgil founded the monastery of Chiemsee at the invitation of Duke Odilo. Virgil (Fergal) became abbot of St. Peter’s at Salzburg.

The Sparring match with St. Boniface

St. Boniface had already organized the Bavarian Church. He had created four dioceses in Bavaria. A synod at Ratisbon in 740, made official such reform. Boniface was a perfectionist, and took no prisoners if the clergy were seen to be of disedification to the faithful. For example, one unlettered priest under Virgil’s care, (out of ignorance) baptised in a Latin formula mixing up the words, translated from ‘’in the name of the Father, and of the Son…’’, to ‘’in the name of the Fatherland, and of the daughter’’. In Latin, the error is not extremely obvious, but Boniface, was scrupulous, declared the baptism invalid, and sought a rebaptism. From this incident, a sparring match began between the two saints. For the Germans, there is no plan B… for the Irish, there no Big Deal!

Virgil was more down to earth and understanding of the human error. He saw that the unlearned priest pronounced the baptism formula in Latin incorrectly, but without bad intentions. Virgil then sought a verdict on the matter from the Pontiff, who ruled in Virgil’s favour. Pope Zachary saw that there was no intention to deform the formula, but was due to a human pronunciation error. The pope wrote to Boniface explaining his decision on I July, 746. No error nor heresy was behind the words pronounced but it being the result of difficulty of proper pronunciation. Boniface submitted, but a frothy relationship developed between him and Virgil. It’s all good, as iron sharpens iron.

When a Bishop of Salzburg in Bavaria died, Duke Odilo self appointed Virgil to succeed him without recourse to the pope, nor Boniface. Virgil deferred his episcopal consecration, and his friend Dobdagrec looked after the administration for the time being. Boniface however, contested Virgil’s position, but Virgil replied that he held it with the sanction of Pope Zachary. The pontiff denied doing this… It seems that Vigil was misled by Duke Odilo, into believing that the matter had been arranged with the Holy See.

Boniface lodged a complaint against Virgil in Rome because of his uncanonical position in Salzburg. He lodge another complaint as he felt Virgil was turning Duke Odilo against him. Boniface complained also that Virgil was a teacher of heresy in cosmology.

To understand the context, the earth, anciently believed to be a flat surface. but it was to become known as a globe. This was already known to the educated Greeks and Romans. In the eighth century many analphabetic people believed the earth was flat. Being a great scholar, Virgil, believe the earth to be a globe. In his lectures to the monks of St. Peter’s, in his conversations with his friends, he spoke of things that in no way be a matter of faith. But Virgil may have theorised on another separate human race, and this caused him problems. Pope Zachary wrote to Duke Odilo, requesting him to send Virgil to Rome to be examined. A war that broke out between the Franks and the Bavarians after the death of Duke Odilo in the summer of 748 and ended in the defeat of the latter. This probably made the holding of a synod impossible. At any event, Virgil’s subsequent career precludes the possibility of his having been deposed from his office or subjected to any ecclesiastical penalty.

Episcopy

At Salzburg, Virgil received episcopal consecration on 15 June, 767. He ruled his diocese with wisdom and energy. He began the erection of a cathedral church, completed in 774 and dedicated to St. Rupert, the Apostle of Bavaria, Virgil took an active part in the ecclesiastical life of Bavaria. In 774 he was present at a synod at Dingolfing in Bavaria. The acts of the synod show how zealously the bishops insisted on strict observance of Sunday, on discipline in the monasteries, for example. It was at this synod, that the bishops and abbots of Bavaria formed a confraternity, of prayer.

Apostle of the Slavs

Virgil turned his attention to the pagan nations settled on the borders of his territory.  These people were the Slavs, and with difficulty, Virgil with help from his missionaries won them over to Christianity.

Virgil’s book of life.

Virgil gave up his speculations in cosmography. Instead, he took a lively interest in the preservation of the historical traditions of the Bavarian Church. He gathered the materials for a life of St. Rupert, patron of the diocese of Salzburg. Another important historical document is the Salzburg Liber Vitae (Book of Life). This work began after the death of Virgil, and It contains the names of all persons, clerical and lay, living and dead, who were in spiritual communion with the monks of St. Peter’s monastery in Salzburg.

Among the thousand names entered on the lists are those of all the Abbots of Iona (Hy) from 597, the year of the death of St. Columkille, to 767. Among the living potentates we find the name of the Pictish King Cinadhon.

On 5 April, 1167, the Cathedral of St. Rupert in Salzburg was destroyed by fire. In 1181 some restoration workmen, discovered Virgil’s tomb with an image of the saint bearing the inscription:

‘’Virgilius templum construxit scemate pulchro’’.

He was canonized by Gregory IX in 1233. His feast is celebrated on the 27th of November.

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

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Saint Colman was originally called Mac Lenine, and was to become the founder of a monastery and he is patron of the See of Cloyne. According to the Book of Leinster, Mac Lenine was a descendant of Mogh Nuadha, King of Munster. Colman was born around the early 500’s A.D.

Mac Lenine, was brought up as a heathen, adopted the profession of bard. He became attached to the court of the King of Cashel, in Tipperary. Mac Lenine was employed as a bard with duties as a historian as well as a poet. His job was to record the deeds of the king, good and bad, to register the genealogies and privileges of noble families, together with the bounds and limits of their lands and territories. Mac Lenine was engaged in these activities for about the forty-eighth year of his life.

In 570 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 Mac Lenine, and at the behest of St. Brendan, he became a Christian and took the name of Colman of whom later became the saint and patron of the diocese of Cloyne.

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

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.

We conclude now as we think of the many people in Ireland today who like 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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St. Columban, the Irish Saint who saved Europe – 23rd November

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The holy Abbot Columban, was a widely known Irish monk in mainland Europe in the early Middle Ages. He is Europe’s missionary Saint, with experience in France, Switzerland and Italy. He coined the phrase ”totius Europae” with relation to Europe’s Christian identity. This phrase he penned in one of his epistles to Pope Gregory the Great around 600 A.D.

Columban was born in 543 A.D, and was home schooled in the liberal arts. He later went to boarding school under the stewardship of Abbot Sinell in Cleenish which is in the old Tyrkennedy country in present day Fermanagh in Ireland’s mid Ulster. Under the abbot, Columban studied scripture, before going on to enter into the monastic life in Bangor under abbot Comgall. Bangor was an ecclesial centre in the north of Ireland, and was known for prayer, study and an ascetic life. It was at Bangor, where Columban was ordained a priest. He would later bring christianity back to mainland Europe, at a time when the Roman empire had collapsed. This was a difficult and dark time in Europe, with pagan worship on the rise.

Columban was to become a missionary while on ”Peregrinatio Pro Christo”. Around the year 590 A.D, he left Bangor with twelve companions, and set out for the Breton coast of France. The Breton coast is present day Brittany or ”Bretagne” where St. Patrick would have grown up. “Bretagne” was the land that was historically known as British Armorica. Patrick was Roman British… but in the present day, Britany is a reclaimed French province. The Roman empire in Patrick’s days still held sway in Western Europe, when he was born in 386 A.D. Now however in 590 A.D. the King of the Franks of Austrasia granted to Columban and the monks some uncultivated land at the old Roman fortress of Annegray which now lay in ruins. Within a few months the monks managed to cultivate the land, and convert the ruins into a hermitage. From Annegray their re-evangelization of Europe began to take root. Living in great austerity, they managed to build up the monastery, attracting pilgrims and those looking to do penitence. They cultivated the land and they cultivated the souls of those seeking spiritual nourishment. They built another monastery nearby at Luxeuil. It became an Irish cultural monastic centre. They also build a monastery at Fontaine.

After about twenty years at Luxeuil, Columban wrote his Columban monastic rule: ”Regula Monachorum”. In another writing called ”De poenitentiarum misura taxanda”, Columban introduced Confession and private penance to France and beyond. This involved a type of tariffed penance, whereby there was a proportion of penance according to the gravity of the sin. Columban practice the Celtic Easter practice in France which became disputed at the Synod at Chalon-sur-Saône in 603. Columban played it down at the Synod, seeking to address more serious ecclesial matters. Columban had already requested support of his practice of the Celtic Easter observation, in his epistles to Pope Gregory the Great.

It was when Columban reprimanded King Theodoric of France for adultery, that he found himself and his monks exiled from France in 610. They were put on a ship destined to cross the English Channel, but the winds kept pushing their ship to the French coast. So the ship sailed up the coast and entered the Rhine river. Columban and his companions ended up near Zurich in Switzerland for quite a number of years. It was at Bregenze where St. Gall and St. Columban parted company after many years on mission together, evangelizing the Alemanni, near Lake Constance. St. Gall was Columban’s right hand man, but preferred to stay in Switzerland instead of continuing on the ”Peregrinatio pro Christo” to Italy.

Having arrived in Italy, Columban and his companions met with a warm welcome at the Lombard Royal Court despite the considerable difficulties in Italy. The Arian heresy was prevalent, and northern Italy was in schism with Rome. At around 613 A.D. the King of the Lombards granted a plot of land in Bobbio, in the Trebbia Valley to Columban, who founded a new monastery and a reputable cultural centre. Here Columban lived out the remainder of his days.

Columban and his monks cultivated the land wherever they went and from there they cultivated the souls of those seeking spiritual nourishment. Thus Columban and his companions saved Europe. He died on 23rd November 615 and he is remembered by the church on this day.

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Posted in Irish church history

All Ireland Feast Day Champions: An Eclectic team of Irish Saints – 6th November

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The Feast of All Irish Saints was instituted in 1921, by Pope Benedict XV. It was a huge privilege already to have twenty five new Irish saints recognised by Rome in 1902, albeit via an informal procedure. Therefore, the oft misplaced idea, that Ireland has saints only by hearsay tradition does not really hold. We shall explain, while first listing off our canonized saints…

Examples formally canonised Irish Saints are

  1. Saint Malachy
  2. Saint Lawrence O’Toole
  3. Saint Oliver Plunkett
  4. Saint Charles of Mount Argus

An Irish monk, Fergal, also known as St. Virgil of Salzburg, is an 8th-century missionary scholar who was also formally canonized in 1233 by Pope Gregory IX. Formally canonised saints are when there is a solemn public affair in publicising the recognition of someone as a saint. Now Pope St. John Paul Magno canonised many saints in this way, after a careful and rigorous process of authenticity and verification.

Examples of informally canonised Irish Saints via the process of what is called Cultus Confirmation:

1) Assicus from Elphin
2) Carthach the Elder from Lismore
3) Colman from Cloyne
4) Colman from Dromore
5) Colman from Kilmacduagh
6) Conleth from Kildare
7) Déclán from Ardmore
8) Aidan from Ferns
9) Éogan from Ardstraw
10) Fachanan from Kilfenora
11) Felim from Kilmore
12) Finbarr from Cork
13) Flannán mac Toirrdelbaig from Killaloe
14) Jarlath from Tuam
15) Ciarán from Clonmacnois
16) Laserian from Leighlin
17) Mac Nisse from Connor
18) Macartan from Clogher
19) Muiredach from Killala
20) Nathy from Achonry
21) Oran from Iona
22) Kevin from Glendalough
23) Comgall from Bangor
24) Finnian from Clonard
25) Albert from Cashel (8th cent.)

All twenty five saints were recognised in 19 June 1902 by the universal church. They are our all Ireland champion saints.

Cultus confirmation is also called equipollent (equivalent) canonization, which consists in decreeing an Office and Mass by the pope in honour of the saint, (Benedict XIV, l, c., xliii, no 14). The Congregation for the Causes of Saints (CCS), instituted in 1969, has the competence to consider such an honour. Ordinarily someone whose cultus has been confirmed is considered “Blessed”. In some cases, the decree grants the title as “Saint”.

The rules instituted by Pope Benedict XIV, on the conditions for an equipollent canonization:
1) Existence of an ancient cultus of the person: namely evidence of an immemorial public veneration (cultus ab immemorabili tempore) of the person at least one hundred years before the publication of the decree.
2) Reliable and constant attestation to the virtues or martyrdom of the person by credible historians.
3) Uninterrupted fame of the person as a miracle worker: the claimed saint maintains a reputation for performing miracles that have continued without exception of the centuries.
These criteria ensure only claimed saints of authentic merit veneration and canonisation.

Finally there are those who are saints of the ”pre-congregation canonization” type; being proclaimed a saint by popular devotion and recognised as such by a local bishop. St. Mel of Ardagh is an example of this category.

So there you have it, we have many recognised saints. What a great privilege it is to be part of the land of saints and scholars. We celebrate all Irish Saints day on the 6th November.

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