Tag Archives: Irish Saints

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St. Ciarán of Saighir – the austere abbot and premier Irish born saint – 5th March

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St. Ciarán of Saighir, alongside Ailbhe, Iban, and Declan were the four pre-patrician Irish Saints. That is, they were evangelising in Ireland before St. Patrick began his Irish mission. St. Ciarán of Saighir is also one of the twelve Irish apostles who studied under St. Finnan of Clonard. He is also known as St. Ciarán the Elder, and he is considered “the first-born of the Irish saints”. Ciarán’s father was Luaigne, a noble in Ossory. Ciarán’s mother was Liadan whom was from Cork. During her pregnancy, she had a dream of a star falling from the sky and resting on her. It was a prelude for her child to be, as Ciarán was to be specially gifted. Ciarán grew up bright & holy being loved by all. He was fond of animals, but most of all he treasured God. Ciarán met St. Patrick in Rome, and he was to become Patrick’s precursor in Ireland. In effect he was a type of John the Baptist figure. St. Patrick gave him a bell to help him on his Irish mission as when the bell sounded, it would mark the spot where God desired the foundation of a great spiritual centre. This eventually happened at Saighir.

Initially at Saighir, by a water spring, Ciarán built a hermitage of wattle, thin branches and mud plaster. The roof was thatched with grass and leaves. In his early days at his hermitage in the woods, injured wild animals such as wolves, deer and the like, would seek Ciarán’s help, having no fear for their lives in his presence. They in turn would help him too. Often doing tasks, difficult for a mere man. In this way Ciarán of Saighir is similar to St. Kevin of Glendalough. 

His strict diet was herbs and barley bread, with a drink of only water. Ciarán imitated the spiritual life of the Desert Fathers, and modelled himself on St. John the Baptist, wearing animal skins and sleeping on the ground. He had angels minister to him from childhood. He lived a life of prayer, fasting and abstinence.

With this austere life style, he attracted a following of disciples. He became the first Abbot at his large monastery at Saighir beside this hermitage in present day Co. Offaly. The monastery became a centre of learning and preaching. His mother Liadan, with other holy women, came to live nearby in a convent.

One day St. Patrick visited St. Ciarán’s monastery with a few of his men. Ciarán was not expecting such a visit, and food was scarce at the monastery. This pre-patrician saint, prayed to God to provide, and his supplies of food multiplied miraculously, for he knew a great patron for Ireland had arrived.

On his deathbed, Ciarán predicted to his monks that in the future, the faith in Ireland would be distorted and the monasteries supressed. This was fulfilled with the advent of the Anglo-Norman invasion and at the protestant Reformation. The monastery at Saighir became the seat of the Diocese of Ossory for several centuries. Today the monastic ruins can be visited in the village of Clareen, in Co. Offaly. The water there has miraculous medicinal properties as Local residents say that the water that gathers around the cross cures warts.

Ciarán of Saighir reposed in the Lord around 530 A.D. The church celebrates Ciarán the elder on the 5th of March.

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Bridget is Mary of the Gaels, and no goddess nor 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. Perhaps people see her as a goddess for the miracles she performed in her day. But there again we can consider St. Peter in the book of Acts 10:24-26, when he suffered a similar fate…It recounts: ”The following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting anxiously for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. So when Peter came in, Cornelius met him, fell at his feet, and worshiped him. But Peter helped him up, saying, “Stand up. I too am a mere mortal”.

Lets take a look at 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, the place name which means church of oak. The ancient book called ”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 Brigid’s life. These various testimonies were later compiled and fully published one hundred years after she 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 Brigid’s Cross. She used her 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 goddess or 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. Her original name was Deirdre, and she was of noble stock, growing up along the river Suir in Waterford. Her father desired an arranged marriage for her with a young nobleman. But Deirdre from an early age desired to have Christ as her spouse and serve him alone. Deirdre’s growing beauty won the hearts of many men including kings seeking her hand in marriage. Nonetheless, she always remained faithful to Christ.

Deirdre was inspired by a dream where angels gifted 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. She had the six virtues of Irish womanhood; wisdom, purity, beauty, musician, sweet speech, and needle craft.

St. Declan of Ardmore conferred the veil upon her, and Deirdre took the name of Ita which in Irish is pronounced Íde (Eydeh), meaning thirst for divine love. Ita went to Limerick and established a foundation at Chluana Credal, now called called Killeedy. This foundation was a foster school where Ita became spiritual foster mum to many noble students; for example of St. Brendan the navigator.

Many towns in Ireland can trace their names back to Íde. For example, ”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.

Along way off, 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 her former student St. Brendan for not seeking her advice on building sea worthy vessels, after he returned from his Atlantic crossing to what some scholars believe was as far as America.

Ita was a big player in converting the Druids (Draoi – pronounced Dree) to the Catholic faith. She a sword which seemed to have divine power from heaven, and she would wield it at members of the Draoi. 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 ruddy cheeked baker saint and patron of Killaloe – 18th December

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Image source Free Pik

Material distilled from library Ireland and Catholic Ireland and Clare Library

St Flannan is patron of Killaloe (Cill Dalua) diocese which extends over a great distance between 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

The Killaloe monastic diocesan centre was the enterprise of St Lua (554-609) who is considered the founding abbot and bishop. St. Lua was from Ardagh, in Limerick. He studied in Clonard and later in Bangor for the religious life before he was ordained a priest. Lua became more affectionately known as Molua. He later returned home where he founded a some monasteries, as well as his most prominent at Killaloe, a name which 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 St. Molua’s nephew. Throughout 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.” In his youth Flannan learned theology under scripture scholar Saint Blathmet, before going under the tutelage of his uncle Molua in Killaloe.

Tradition says, that one day at Killaloe, while baking continuously for an period of 36 hours, Flannan’s left hand became transfigured. There was enough light to enable him to continue baking right through the night. The reigning abbot Molua learnt of this incident, and felt it was his opportune time to consider retiring, with the view that Flannan could be the new abbot. The noble people of Thomond were in accord that Flannan should be consecrated. In Rome, he received consecration from Pope John IV (640-2). St. Molua would retire to the monastic centre of Lismore in Waterford and King Turlough who began his reign in 625, would also retired in his old age to Lismore to become a monk.

Flannan as Abbot of Killaloe, enjoyed a golden era when “the fields waved with the richest crops, the sea poured almost on the shore an abundance of large whales and every kind of smaller fish, and the apple trees drooped under the weight of the fruit, woods abounded in acorns and hazel-nuts”. It was a ruddy chef’s dream.

Later in life, Flannan felt his time approaching… So he assembled his closest together, telling them of the importance of observing natural and human justice. Flannan encouraged peace among the people of the provinces. He blessed his relatives and then he passed away.

We celebrate the noble St. Flannan, abbot and chef 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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Image source from Fine Art America

Information distilled from material sources such as Catholic Ireland and Omnium Sanctorum Hibernium as well as a prophetic story taken from Orthodox Christians…

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, and from here sprang the twelve Irish disciples; after St. Patrick, they were recognised as the Fathers and Founders of the Irish Church.

Finnian was born at Myshal in Carlow at the foot of Mount Leinster and about 14 minutes drive from Bunclody, in Wexford. Finnian’s father was Finloch of the Rory clann, and his 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 her husband of the vivid dream, and he predicted that Finnian would become an influential professor and mentor. Finnian grew up to become one of the greatest fathers of the Irish monasticism.

The young Finnian was educated first by Bishop Fortchernn of Trim, a disciple of St. Patrick. From there, the boy 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. These Welsh saints influenced the Celtic Church in Ireland in that they are said to have given a monastic flavour to the Second Order of the Irish Saints, disciples of Finnian. This form of monasticism resembled some of the traditions of the holy fathers of the Eastern church. 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 in France Finnian learned the life of ascetic austerity for spiritual gain.

Then Finnian returned to Ireland, to Aghowle near Shillelagh in County Wicklow, where King Oengus of Leinster gave him a site to build a church. In Irish this place name is Achadh Abhla ; i.e., “Field of the Apple-Tree,”. From there Finnian 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. 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). This place was to be his most prominent religious site. He was led to thereby an angel. Clonard is situated on the River Boyne in present day Co. Meath, Ireland’s former royal province. Here Finnian received a large tract of land and built his monastic site, where he entered into a life devoted to study, mortification, and prayer.

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. ”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. St. Finnian is said to have died in the great plague of 549-550.

The site of the former monastic centre of St. Finnian is located in the grounds of the Church of Ireland at Clonard. He is celebrated on 12th December in the Catholic liturgy.

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St. Fergal, the Irish abbot and cosmologist; bishop of Salzburg in Germany – 27th November

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Image source: Virgil (Fergal)

Material source distilled from Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae

St. Fergal (or Virgil) was a descendant of Niall of the Nine Hostages. He had mastered mathematics to the point of being considered a Geometer. He was an eight century Irish monk who became abbot of Aghaboe, in Co. Laoise, Ireland. In 743 he sojourned the Continent and became a voluntary exile for love of Jesus on his “Peregrini pro Christo”. Fergal had some companions; Dobda, an Irish Bishop, and Sidonius. In France Fergal met Prince Pippin the Short. The prince took to the learned monk and kept him in his palace for two years. From France Fergal moved to Bavaria where he founded the monastery of Chiemsee at the invitation of Duke Odilo, brother in law to Prince Pippin. As a missionary and an accomplished learner, Fergal stirred some contention with his contemporary missionary, Saint Boniface. Both of these saints evangelised the Germanic people of Bavaria.

The 1st contest between the Irish saint and St. Boniface

St. Boniface had already organized the Bavarian Church. He had created four dioceses in Bavaria. Boniface was a perfectionist, and took no prisoners if the clergy were seen to be unedifying to the faithful. For example, one unlettered priest under Fergal’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. Fergal was much more down to earth, and understanding of the human error. He saw that the unlearned priest pronounced the formula in error without bad intentions. Fergal sought a verdict on the matter from the Pontiff, who ruled in his favour. Pope Zachary saw that there was no intention to deform the formula, but was due to a simple 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 Fergal.

The 2nd contest…

When the Bishop of Salzburg in Bavaria died, Duke Odilo appointed Fergal to succeed him without recourse to the pope. But Fergal deferred his episcopal consecration, and his friend bishop Dobda looked after the administration for the time being. Boniface however, contested Fergal’s position as uncanonical, but Fergal replied that he held it with the sanction of Pope Zachary. However, the pontiff denied sanctioning this. It seems here that Fergal was misled by Duke Odilo, into believing that the matter had been arranged with the Holy See. Boniface then lodged another complaint as he felt Fergal was turning Duke Odilo against him.

The cosmological contest…

Boniface next complained also that Fergal was a teacher of cosmological heresy. This assumed cosmological heresy was that the earth was flat. The anciently believed flat earth model, was to become reconsidered as a globe. This globe model was already known and accepted by the educated Greeks and Romans. But in the eighth century many analphabetic people still believed the earth was flat. Being a great scholar, Fergal, in his lectures to the monks of St. Peter’s, and in his conversations with his friends, spoke of things that in no way interfered with matters of faith. But it is believed that Fergal may have theorised on another separate human race, and this caused him problems. Pope Zachary wrote to Duke Odilo, requesting him to send Fergal to Rome to be cross examined. Then a war broke out between the Franks and the Bavarians after the death of Duke Odilo in 748. The war ended in the defeat of the Bavarians and probably made the holding of a synod impossible regarding Fergal’s suspected cosmological errors. At any rate, Fergal did give up his speculations in cosmology.

The happy outcome for the Irish missionary

It was meant to be… that At Salzburg, Fergal 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, Fergal took an active part in the ecclesiastical life of Bavaria. 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.

Fergal died 27th November, 784. At Fergal’s tomb, there is an image of the saint bearing the inscription: ‘’Virgilius templum construxit scemate pulchro’’. He was formerly 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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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

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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