To All Hibernians:

Most of the month of March this year falls within Lent. The liturgical color for Lent is violet, except that rose may be worn on the Fourth Sunday, Laetare Sunday (March 10). Good Friday is a day of fast and abstinence; all the Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence. Holy Week and the beginning of the Easter season fall during the last week of March. Let us make an effort to attend services offered during the Triduum, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, leading up to the great feast of Easter (March 31).

MAJOR SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS OF MARCH

FRANCIS DE SALES

Francis de Sales (1567-1622), whom we venerate this month, has an important message for all of us. In his writings and sermons, Francis always emphasized that there is a pathway to holiness which fits every walk in life. From his Introduction to the Devout Life: “It is therefore an error and even a heresy to wish to exclude the exercise of devotion from military divisions, from the artisans’ shops, from the courts of princes, from family households.”

IRISH SAINTS OF MARCH

Kieran of Saighir, Bishop (d.c. 530) March 5

This saint is also known as Kieran (or Ciaran) the Elder and is one of several sainted Kierans. Details of his life are sketchy and disputed, and many fanciful stories revolve around him. He lived for a time as a hermit, attracted a number of followers, and built a monastery which developed into the town of Saighir. He is considered the first bishop of Ossory; he may have been one of the twelve bishops consecrated by St. Patrick. St. Piran (or Perran), a Welsh hermit whose feast is celebrated the same day, is sometimes confused with him.

Fridolin, Abbot (6th century?) March 6

Reportedly an Irish priest who preached throughout Ireland and then wandered through Gaul preaching, Fridolin settled near Poitiers. He is credited with the recovery, guided by a vision, of the remains of the founder of St. Hilary’s monastery there. He rebuilt the monastery, which had been destroyed during the barbarian invasions, and was elected abbot. He later settled on Sackingham, an island in the Rhine, and built a monastery, a convent, and boys’ school there, serving as abbot of the monastery. He was known as the Wanderer, or the Traveler.

Senan, Bishop (d. 560) March 8

At least one authority on the subject lists twenty-two St. Senans and separating the details of their lives is not easy. This man is known as Senan of Scattery Island. He was of Munster origin and lived the life of a warrior before hearing a call to religious life. After tutelage under an abbot named Cassidus, Senan was sent to St. Natalis, abbot of Kilmanagh in Ossory. Like many Irish saints, Senan made a pilgrimage to Rome, and on his journey home, made the acquaintance of St. David of Wales, whose staff Senan bore back to Ireland. After spending some time in a community at Inishcarra, Senan was directed by divine signs to found a community on Scattery Island (Inish Cathaigh) in the estuary of the Shannon. He was supposedly consecrated a bishop at some point, but no one knows over what see or when.

Kessog, Bishop and Martyr (6th century) March 10

Kessog, or Mackessog, came of Munster royalty. He went to Scotland to preach the Gospel and was consecrated a bishop there. He is said to have suffered martyrdom, but exactly how or where is uncertain. The Scots formerly invoked him in battle, before St. Andrew replaced him in this regard, and he is depicted in iconography as an archer. Several place names in Scotland testify to his veneration there in Catholic times.

Himelin (d.c. 750) March 10

Little is known of this saint, except that he died in the Low Countries as he was returning from a pilgrimage to Rome. A local parish priest nursed him in his final illness, which was marked by miraculous events.

Oengus, Abbot and Bishop (d.c. 824) March 11

Oengus, or Aengus, entered the monastery of Clonenagh at Leix, then well-known for its size, learning, and sanctity. A few years later, he took up the life of a hermit a few miles away. Still later, he moved along to the abbey of Tallaght, near Dublin, where for years he concealed his identity from the abbot. This was probably in order to be able to lead a more retiring life, since over the years his reputation for sanctity had spread and brought him unwelcome attention. Toward the end of his years, Oengus returned to Clonenagh, where he was reportedly made abbot and bishop. In his final years, Oengus completed his metrical hymn in honor of the saints, the Felire, over which he had labored for many years. Oengus died at his nearby hermitage. He is known as the Hagiographer, because of his hymn, and the Culdee (God’s Vassal), due to his strict asceticism.

Mochoemoc, Abbot (7th century) March 13

Mochoemoc was the nephew of St. Ita, under whose tutelage he grew in the spiritual life until she sent the young man to St. Comgall at Bangor Abbey, County Down, where he was ordained. Comgall seems to have set Mochoemoc the mission of sowing a new establishment, and in fact Mochoemoc founded several. His best known foundation was at Liath-mor in County Tipperary. The saint lived there to an advanced age.

Gerald of Mayo, Abbot (d. 732) March 13

Gerald was an Englishman, a Northumbrian monk of Lindisfarne. After the Synod of Whitby imposed the Roman Easter observance over the Celtic one, a decision which Colman could not abide, a group of English novices accompanied St. Colman and his Irish followers back to Ireland. A community was established on Inishboffin. Though the Irish and English monks of the foundation agreed on liturgical usage, they evidently disagreed on enough other matters to cause Colman to erect a separate house on the adjacent Mayo coast for the English monks. It is not known whether Gerald was an original English member of Colman’s group or came later; many English monks did come later, as the place had a reputation as a “school for the Saxons.” Colman was at first abbot of both house, but was succeeded by Gerald as abbot of the English one. Gerald is sometimes said to have been a bishop, but it is likely that this results from confusion over the likelihood that Gerald enjoyed some sort of privileges as a protector and patron of his countrymen in Ireland. Gerald probably lived to see the imposition of the Roman Easter usage upon his abbey.

Finnian Lobhar, Abbot (d.c. 560?) March 16

Finnian was said to be of Munster royalty, though he was born in Leinster, from which his mother hailed. His dates are far from certain. Finnian gained a reputation as a miraculous healer. He obtained the title “Lobhar”–Leper–after he willingly took on the disease to cure a young man afflicted by it. He may have ended his days as abbot of Clonmore.

Patrick, Archbishop (c. 389-c. 461) March 17

Most of us know at least the outline of the story of the Apostle of Ireland, and at least some of the legends about him. The son of Calpurnius, a Romano-British official, born somewhere in the Roman province of Britain, he was carried off into slavery by Irish raiders when he was about 16. After serving as a shepherd for 6 years, probably in Mayo or Antrim, he escaped, and made his way to Gaul. He seems to have studied at the monasterey of Lerins, 412-15, and was probably ordained c. 417. Patrick harbored the desire, encouraged by a vision which he experienced, to return and evangelize the pagan Irish. In about 432, consecrated bishop by St. Germanus, he was sent back to Ireland to carry on the work of St. Palladius, who had died the previous year. Most of the remainder of his life was spent in this task, as he travelled throughout the island, encountering the potentially deadly opposition of many pagan chieftains and the Druidic priests. In 442 and 444, he visited Rome. He made Armagh his episcopal see, cementing its role in the history of the Irish Church. Besides his many conversions, Patrick brought the Irish Church into closer union with Rome, encouraged the study of Latin, and raised the standards of scholarship in general. Among surviving writings, we have his Confession, an answer to some of his detractors, which contains many details of his life, his Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus, denouncing murders committed by Welsh Christian marauders against their fellow Christians in Ireland, and his prayer, The Lorica. Patrick’s tomb is believed to be at Downpatrick, with Saints Brigid and Columba.

Frigidian, Bishop (d.c. 588) March 18

Frigidian was an Irish priest, who during a pilgrimage to Italy, resolved to become a hermit on Monte Pisano near Lucca. Eventually he unwillingly accepted the bishopric of Lucca under pressure from the pope. He fled the Lombard invasion of Lucca, returning later to rebuild the cathedral destroyed by the barbarians. He was noted for his solicitude for the suffering and sick, even those among the conquerors, many of whom he converted. Frigidian retired to his hermitage from time to time. He also founded and presided over a community of clergy, later organized as canons regular, who even five centuries later were seen as models for reform. He is better known in Italy as Frediano, and is still the patron of the cathedral of Lucca.

Christian, Abbot (d. 1186) March 18

Christian was a disciple of St. Malachy and would appear to be one of the four men who remained behind at Clairvaux, taking the Cistercian habit, when Malachy passed through there returning from his pilgrimage to Rome. Malachy, desirous of bringing the Cistercians to Ireland, applied to his friend St. Bernard, who sent Christian and several French monks. Christian became the first abbot of the first Cistercian house in Ireland. It is possible that Blessed Christian was bishop of Lismore and papal legate in Ireland.

Enda, Abbot (c. 450-c. 530) March 21

Enda was a warrior, possibly of Oriel in Ulster, whose sister, St. Fanchea, was a consecrated virgin. Fanchea persuaded him to give up raiding and violence and adopt Christianity, and later to embrace the monastic life and the priesthood. Enda may have studied abroad, in Scotland or Britain, and may have been to Rome. He established perhaps the first Irish monastery, at Killeany on Inismor, in the Aran Islands, and became its abbot. The monastery became a pilgrimage site as well as a center from which evangelization spread back to the mainland of Ireland. Enda founded several other monasteries and shares with St. Finnian of Clonard the title Father of Irish Monasticism.

Macartan, Bishop (d.c. 505) March 26

Little is known of this saint. He is considered the first bishop of Clogher, and may have been consecrated by St. Patrick.

NATIONAL ISSUES OF INTEREST:

–The U.S. Catholic bishops’ Committee for Religious Liberty, chaired by Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, has issued its report for 2023. The report identifies as the largest threat to Catholics the sharp increase of attacks on houses of worship. The report cites FBI statistics that such crimes directed against Catholic targets are nearly 75% higher than those directed at any other religious group. The report also decries the “general failure” of federal authorities to apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators, while at the same time, the FACE Act is being largely employed against non-violent anti-abortion demonstrators. Also mentioned in the report: the identification by at least one FBI office of traditionalist Catholics as a political extremist group; the efforts by “progressives” to restrict funding to private schools which refuse to adopt the favored gender identity ideology; legislative efforts in Washington, Vermont, and Delaware to interfere with the seal of confession; the proposed Equality Act, which threatens to force health care providers, insurers, and employers to fund abortion and gender transition, and also threatens parental control of their children; Health and Human Service and Equal Employment Opportunities Commission efforts to restrict freedom of conscience on life and gender issues. A bright spot was the general tendency of the current Supreme Court to be supportive of religious liberty rights.

–Other news from the diocese of Bishop Rhoades: a St. Joseph County judge has tossed a defamation lawsuit filed by Notre Dame sociology professor Tamara Kay against the student newspaper, The Irish Rover, after the paper exposed her support of the pro-abortion cause.
Judge Steven David wrote that the alleged defamatory statements were true and not uttered with actual malice, that there was no defamatory inference and there were no damages causally linked to the Rover’s reporting.

–In response to a pro-abortion rally headed by President Biden in the confines of his diocese, Bishop Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, issued a strongly-worded statement. Among other things, he said that “Despite what this administration claims, taking the life of an innocent child is never a ‘choice’.”

–I refrain from detailed comment on the funeral service held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York, Feb. 15, for a noted trans-activist and sex worker advocate, since every day lately more information about the event comes to light. A Mass of reparation for what occurred during the service was subsequently held at the cathedral.

–St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana, has reversed its intent to begin admitting males who consider themselves female, after the policy became public. The incident has energized a number of students, faculty, and alumnae who have been concerned for some time at the school’s drift away from Catholic orthodoxy.

A Happy St. Patrick’s Day to All,

Patrick J. Lally
lally8404@hotmail.com

[Sources consulted for this report include: Butler’s Lives of the Saints, complete edition, ed. and rev. by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater; 4 vols. (New York, 1956); The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (New York, 1975); The National Catholic Register; ewtn.com; catholic.org; priestsforlife.org; catholicnewsagency.com.]

To All Hibernians:

In the early part of January, we are still within the Christmas season. At the Baptism of the Lord (January 8), we pass from the Christmas season to a segment of Ordinary Time prior to the Lenten season, from the liturgical color white to green. In the month of January, two American saints are commemorated, Elizabeth Ann Seton (January 4) and John Neumann (January 5).

January 22 is a Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of the Unborn.

MAJOR SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS OF JANUARY

FRANCIS DE SALES

Francis de Sales (1567-1622), whom we venerate this month, has an important message for all of us. In his writings and sermons, Francis always emphasized that there is a pathway to holiness which fits every walk in life. From his Introduction to the Devout Life: “It is therefore an error and even a heresy to wish to exclude the exercise of devotion from military divisions, from the artisans’ shops, from the courts of princes, from family households.”

IRISH SAINTS OF JANUARY

Fanchea of Rossory (d.c. 585) January 1

Sister of St. Anda of Aran (check)

Munchin (7th century) January 2

Munchin , called The Wise, is the patron saint of Limerick, and probably came from County Clare. He is also known as Maincin (Little Monk). Tradition avers that he was a bishop, but scholars doubt this.

Ita (d.c. 570) January 15

Ita was supposedly of royal lineage and was born in one of the baronies of Decies, Waterford, Ireland. After refusing to marry, she secured her father’s permission to embrace perpetual virginity. At Killeedy, Limerick, she founded a religious community of women and also a school for boys, among the graduates of which may have been St. Brendan. Many extravagant miracles are attributed to her. She is also known as Deirdre, Ida, or Mida.

Fursey (d.c. 648) January 16th

Fursey stands out among early Irish saints in having biographical details fairly abundant and in reliable sources. He was probably born on Inisquin in Lough Corri, of an aristocratic family. He built a monastery, probably at Killursa, to which many disciples came. Fursey often fell into trance-like or ecstatic states, in which he experienced terrifying visions of demonic influences upon sinful men. After about twelve years of preaching throughout Ireland, he travelled to East Anglia in Britain with his brothers Foillan and Ultan. There, they founded a monastery at Burgh Castle near Yarmouth, under the patronage of King Sigebert. Fursey later sojourned in Neustria on the continent, where he was welcomed by King Clovis II, founded a monastery at Lagny, and died shortly thereafter.

Deicolus (c. 530-c. 625) January 18

Deicolus, also known as Desle, may have been the elder brother of St. Gall, born in Leinster, and was one of the twelve disciples of Columban who accompanied him to Gaul in 576. He worked with Columban in Austrasia and Burgundy. Age prevented him from accompanying Columban when he was expelled in 610. Deicolus founded a monastery at Lure and lived as a hermit in his later years. Columban is supposed to have asked Deicolus once why he was always smiling, receiving the reply: “Because no one can take God from me.”

Albert of Cashel (7th or 8th century) January 19

A great deal of confusion surrounds the life of this saint. Albert was a priest from among the Angles , who sojourned in Ireland and in Bavaria on the continent. He has been associated with the see of Cashel, but the story that he was its bishop cannot be true, since the bishopric did not exist at the time of his alleged reign there. The story of his friendship with St. Erhard is also problematic, since they may not have been contemporaries. He is said to have died in Regensburg, Germany, on his way home from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Fillan, Abbot (8th century) January 19

Fillan, also known as Foelan, was the son of Feriach and St. Kentigerna. He took monastic vows at a young age. He accompanied his royal Leinster mother to Scotland, living as a hermit near St. Andrew’s for years, before being elected abbot. Later, he resigned the abbacy and resumed his eremitic life in Perthshire. Extravagant miracles are attributed to him. One story relates that after a wolf had killed an ox he was using to haul materials to his church, his prayers induced the wolf to take the place of the ox.

Fechin, Abbot (d.665) January 20

Fechin was probably born at Luighne (Leyney), Connaught. He was the founding abbot of Fobhar (Fore), Westmeath, and perished during a plague which swept Ireland in 665.

Miambod (d.c. 880) January 23

Also known as Mainboeuf, he was an Irish missionary on the continent, slain in Alsace by hostile pagans.

Natalis (d.564) January 27

Monk.

Aidan, Bishop (d. 626) January 31

Unreliable legends cloud our knowledge of this saint, also known as Maedoc. He was born in Connaught. After a stay in Leinster, he travelled to St. David’s in Wales, where he studied Scripture. He is said to have miraculously repelled several Saxon attacks there. Later he returned to Ireland, founded a monasterey at Ferns, Wexford, and eventually was consecrated bishop there. He was known as a man of great kindness to man and animal alike. He is represented in art as a stag; this stems from a story that he once rendered a stag invisible to save it from hounds.

Adamnan of Coldingham (d.c. 680) January 31

Not to be confused with the better known Adamnan, who was abbot of Iona, this Adamnan was an Irish monk of Coldingham, off the southeast coast of Scotland. He was known for his austerity and his gift of prophecy.

ISSUES:

–The national March for Life will take place January 19 in Washington, D.C. Hibernians are encouraged to come and participate with the national officers and local D.C.-area divisions, or support activities in their own areas.

Fraternally,

Patrick J. Lally
lally8404@hotmail.com

[Sources consulted for this report include: Butler’s Lives of the Saints, complete edition, ed. and rev. by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater; 4 vols. (New York, 1956); The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (New York, 1975); The National Catholic Register; ewtn.com; catholic.org; priestsforlife.org; catholicnewsagency.com; isccb.org.]

To All Hibernians:

The entire month of March falls within Lent this year. The liturgical color for Lent is violet, except that rose may be worn on the Fourth Sunday, Laetare Sunday (March 19). Normally, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast and abstinence; all the Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence. Check with your local parish or diocese for Lenten regulations on abstinence and fasting, for greater opportunities for confession, and for Lenten devotions such as Stations of the Cross.

MAJOR SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS OF MARCH

FROM MORNING PRAYER, LITURGY OF THE HOURS, ST. PATRICK’S DAY

God our Father, you sent Saint Patrick to preach your glory to the people of Ireland. By the help of his prayers, may all Christians proclaim your love to all men.

IRISH SAINTS OF MARCH

Kieran of Saighir, Bishop (d.c. 530) March 5
This saint is also known as Kieran (or Ciaran) the Elder and is one of several sainted Kierans. Details of his life are sketchy and disputed, and many fanciful stories revolve around him. He lived for a time as a hermit, attracted a number of followers, and built a monastery which developed into the town of Saighir. He is considered the first bishop of Ossory; he may have been one of the twelve bishops consecrated by St. Patrick. St. Piran (or Perran), a Welsh hermit whose feast is celebrated the same day, is sometimes confused with him.

Fridolin, Abbot (6th century?) March 6
Reportedly an Irish priest who preached throughout Ireland and then wandered through Gaul preaching, Fridolin settled near Poitiers. He is credited with the recovery, guided by a vision, of the remains of the founder of St. Hilary’s monastery there. He rebuilt the monastery, which had been destroyed during the barbarian invasions, and was elected abbot. He later settled on Sackingham, an island in the Rhine, and built a monastery, a convent, and boys’ school there, serving as abbot of the monastery. He was known as the Wanderer, or the Traveller.

Senan, Bishop (d. 560) March 8
At least one authority on the subject lists twenty-two St. Senans and separating the details of their lives is not easy. This man is known as Senan of Scattery Island. He was of Munster origin and lived the life of a warrior before hearing a call to religious life. After tutelage under an abbot named Cassidus, Senan was sent to St. Natalis, abbot of Kilmanagh in Ossory. Like many Irish saints, Senan made a pilgrimage to Rome, and on his journey home, made the acquaintance of St. David of Wales, whose staff Senan bore back to Ireland. After spending some time in a community at Inishcarra, Senan was directed by divine signs to found a community on Scattery Island (Inish Cathaigh) in the estuary of the Shannon. He was supposedly consecrated a bishop at some point, but no one knows over what see or when.

Kessog, Bishop and Martyr (6th century) March 10
Kessog, or Mackessog, came of Munster royalty. He went to Scotland to preach the Gospel and was consecrated a bishop there. He is said to have suffered martyrdom, but exactly how or where is uncertain. The Scots formerly invoked him in battle, before St. Andrew replaced him in this regard, and he is depicted in iconography as an archer. Several place names in Scotland testify to his veneration there in Catholic times.

Himelin (d.c. 750) March 10
Little is known of this saint, except that he died in the Low Countries as he was returning from a pilgrimage to Rome. A local parish priest nursed him in his final illness, which was marked by miraculous events.

Oengus, Abbot and Bishop (d.c. 824) March 11
Oengus, or Aengus, entered the monastery of Clonenagh at Leix, then well-known for its size, learning, and sanctity. A few years later, he took up the life of a hermit a few miles away. Still later, he moved along to the abbey of Tallaght, near Dublin, where for years he concealed his identity from the abbot. This was probably in order to be able to lead a more retiring life, since over the years his reputation for sanctity had spread and brought him unwelcome attention. Toward the end of his years, Oengus returned to Clonenagh, where he was reportedly made abbot and bishop. In his final years, Oengus completed his metrical hymn in honor of the saints, the Felire, over which he had labored for many years. Oengus died at his nearby hermitage. He is known as the Hagiographer, because of his hymn, and the Culdee (God’s Vassal), due to his strict asceticism.

Mochoemoc, Abbot (7th century) March 13
Mochoemoc was the nephew of St. Ita, under whose tutelage he grew in the spiritual life until she sent the young man to St. Comgall at Bangor Abbey, County Down, where he was ordained. Comgall seems to have set Mochoemoc the mission of sowing a new establishment, and in fact Mochoemoc founded several. His best known foundation was at Liath-mor in County Tipperary. The saint lived there to an advanced age.

Gerald of Mayo, Abbot (d. 732) March 13
Gerald was an Englishman, a Northumbrian monk of Lindisfarne. After the Synod of Whitby imposed the Roman Easter observance over the Celtic one, a decision which Colman could not abide, a group of English novices accompanied St. Colman and his Irish followers back to Ireland. A community was established on Inishboffin. Though the Irish and English monks of the foundation agreed on liturgical usage, they evidently disagreed on enough other matters to cause Colman to erect a separate house on the adjacent Mayo coast for the English monks. It is not known whether Gerald was an original English member of Colman’s group or came later; many English monks did come later, as the place had a reputation as a “school for the Saxons.” Colman was at first abbot of both house, but was succeeded by Gerald as abbot of the English one. Gerald is sometimes said to have been a bishop, but it is likely that this results from confusion over the likelihood that Gerald enjoyed some sort of privileges as a protector and patron of his countrymen in Ireland. Gerald probably lived to see the imposition of the Roman Easter usage upon his abbey.

Finnian Lobhar, Abbot (d.c. 560?) March 16
Finnian was said to be of Munster royalty, though he was born in Leinster, from which his mother hailed. His dates are far from certain. Finnian gained a reputation as a miraculous healer. He obtained the title “Lobhar”–Leper–after he willingly took on the disease to cure a young man afflicted by it. He may have ended his days as abbot of Clonmore.

Patrick, Archbishop (c. 389-c. 461) March 17
Most of us know at least the outline of the story of the Apostle of Ireland, and at least some of the legends about him. The son of Calpurnius, a Romano-British official, born somewhere in the Roman province of Britain, he was carried off into slavery by Irish raiders when he was about 16. After serving as a shepherd for 6 years, probably in Mayo or Antrim, he escaped, and made his way to Gaul. He seems to have studied at the monasterey of Lerins, 412-15, and was probably ordained c. 417. Patrick harbored the desire, encouraged by a vision which he experienced, to return and evangelize the pagan Irish. In about 432, consecrated bishop by St. Germanus, he was sent back to Ireland to carry on the work of St. Palladius, who had died the previous year. Most of the remainder of his life was spent in this task, as he travelled throughout the island, encountering the potentially deadly opposition of many pagan chieftains and the Druidic priests. In 442 and 444, he visited Rome. He made Armagh his episcopal see, cementing its role in the history of the Irish Church. Besides his many conversions, Patrick brought the Irish Church into closer union with Rome, encouraged the study of Latin, and raised the standards of scholarship in general. Among surviving writings, we have his Confession, an answer to some of his detractors, which contains many details of his life, his Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus, denouncing murders committed by Welsh Christian marauders against their fellow Christians in Ireland, and his prayer, The Lorica. Patrick’s tomb is believed to be at Downpatrick, with Saints Brigid and Columba.

Frigidian, Bishop (d.c. 588) March 18
Frigidian was an Irish priest, who during a pilgrimage to Italy, resolved to become a hermit on Monte Pisano near Lucca. Eventually he unwillingly accepted the bishopric of Lucca under pressure from the pope. He fled the Lombard invasion of Lucca, returning later to rebuild the cathedral destroyed by the barbarians. He was noted for his solicitude for the suffering and sick, even those among the conquerors, many of whom he converted. Frigidian retired to his hermitage from time to time. He also founded and presided over a community of clergy, later organized as canons regular, who even five centuries later were seen as models for reform. He is better known in Italy as Frediano, and is still the patron of the cathedral of Lucca.

Christian, Abbot (d. 1186) March 18
Christian was a disciple of St. Malachy and would appear to be one of the four men who remained behind at Clairvaux, taking the Cistercian habit, when Malachy passed through there returning from his pilgrimage to Rome. Malachy, desirous of bringing the Cistercians to Ireland, applied to his friend St. Bernard, who sent Christian and several French monks. Christian became the first abbot of the first Cistercian house in Ireland. It is possible that Blessed Christian was bishop of Lismore and papal legate in Ireland.

Enda, Abbot (c. 450-c. 530) March 21
Enda was a warrior, possibly of Oriel in Ulster, whose sister, St. Fanchea, was a consecrated virgin. Fanchea persuaded him to give up raiding and violence and adopt Christianity, and later to embrace the monastic life and the priesthood. Enda may have studied abroad, in Scotland or Britain, and may have been to Rome. He established perhaps the first Irish monastery, at Killeany on Inismor, in the Aran Islands, and became its abbot. The monasterey became a pilgrimage site as well as a center from which evangelization spread back to the mainland of Ireland. Enda founded several other monasteries and shares with St. Finnian of Clonard the title Father of Irish Monasticism.

Macartan, Bishop (d.c. 505) March 26
Little is known of this saint. He is considered the first bishop of Clogher, and may have been consecrated by St. Patrick.

NATIONAL ISSUES:

–An interesting development in school choice matters: The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa have signaled their intent to file an application with the state to open a virtual religious charter school. This followed a legal opinion by Oklahoma’s attorney general that such an application would not be denied because of a religious affiliation, though he cautioned that this would not rule out other possible reasons for denial. If the plan goes forward, this would be the nation’s first religious charter school. Advocates of school choice are divided on the wisdom or utility of the approach being taken. Some are concerned that religious charter schools will inevitably run into problems with government mandates, given that they are still public schools. Others point out that the situation may differ from state to state, based upon the way charter schools are administered. Most agree that the best route, when possible, is vouchers or educational savings accounts.

–The Biden Administration continues to look for ways to circumvent religious and conscience restrictions written into regulations on the contraception mandate for health insurance. A proposed Health and Human Services Department rule change appears to try to nullify conscientious objections that are supposedly not based upon religious beliefs. The 60-day public comment period for the change begins Feb. 2.

–Dec. 12: Following a decision by the Michigan State Supreme Court last year, which reinterpreted the state antidiscrimination law to include sexual orientation and gender identity, Sacred Heart Academy, run by Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Grand Rapids, has filed suit to block the state from using this to enforce progressive gender ideology on Catholic schools.

–Jan.5: South Carolina unfortunately joins the states in which, subsequent to the Roe reversal, courts have thwarted legislative intent to ban or restrict abortion. The State Supreme Court has nullified the State’s 6-week abortion ban, citing a right to privacy based on the state constitution, essentially the rationale on the federal level for the original Roe decision.

–Jan.30: Mark Houck, the Catholic Pennsylvania pro-life activist who was arrested and prosecuted on federal felony charges last year, was acquitted of the charges by a jury in federal District Court. His case has been seen by many as evidence of the use of the Justice Department as a weapon against opponents of abortion.

–Feb. 10: Though we see cause for concern about our religious freedom in the U.S., we are far from the dire circumstances that some of our brothers and sisters in other nations are suffering under. An example is the state of the Church in Nicaragua, under the Marxist dictatorship of Daniel Ortega. There have been many violent attacks on Catholics and Catholic institutions.
Now The Most reverend Rolando Jose Alvarez Lagos, Bishop of Matagalpa, has received a 26- year prison sentence for treason. This followed a refusal of the outspoken bishop to board a plane for the U.S. with 222 other persecuted individuals who have been allowed entry here.
The bishop elected to remain with his flock. Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) has urged the Pope to speak up unequivocally on his behalf.

–Let is remember in our prayers the repose of the souls of two giants of our Church, Pope Emeritus Benedict and George Cardinal Pell.

A Happy St. Patrick’s Day to All,

Patrick J. Lally
lally8404@hotmail.com

[Sources consulted for this report include: Butler’s Lives of the Saints, complete edition, ed. and rev. by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater; 4 vols. (New York, 1956); The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (New York, 1975); The National Catholic Register; ewtn.com; catholic.org; priestsforlife.org; catholicnewsagency.com.]

To All Hibernians:

After spending most of February in Ordinary Time, we move on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 22) to the Lenten season. The liturgical color changes from green to violet. Lent is a time of penance leading up to the great feast of Easter. Check with your parish or diocesan sources for Lenten regulations on fast and abstinence.

MAJOR SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS OF DECEMBER

PRAYER FOR THE BLESSING OF THROATS, ST. BLAISE DAY

Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

IRISH SAINTS OF DECEMBER

Brigid, Abbess (c. 450-525) February 1
Brigid’s name is also spelled Bridget and Bride. She was born near Dundalk, Louth. By legend, her father was Dubhthach, a chieftain of Leinster, and her mother Brocca, a slave. Her parents were baptized by St. Patrick. Even as a child, Brigid aspired to the consecrated life. Besides Patrick himself, with whom she always held a close friendship, Brigid was mentored in her early religious life by St. Macaille of Croghan and St. Mel of Armagh. After earlier establishments under the mentorship of the latter two saints, she founded a double monastery at Kildare about 470, the first in Ireland, and was abbess of the female convent. This foundation developed a reputation for scholarship and sanctity and was the kernel of the cathedral city of Kildare.
Brigid’s learning and sanctity are reflected in the numerous legends that have grown up around her. She was the inspiration of the many consecrated virgins of the Irish Church. The “Mary of the Gael,” her tomb is at Downpatrick, with Sts. Columba and Patrick, with the latter of whom she shares the title of patron of Ireland.

Ia, Virgin (6th century) February 3
Little reliable evidence exists regarding St. Ia. She is reported to have been a hermitess who lived in Cornwall, having been miraculously transported there from Ireland after missing travel connections with her companions.

Indractus and Dominica, Martyrs (c. 710) February 5
Little is known of these saints, who were brother and sister. They were reportedly murdered by Saxons near Glastonbury, England, on their way to or from Rome. Their relics were venerated at Glastonbury Abbey during the Middle Ages.

Vodalus (d.c. 720) February 5
This saint, also known as Voel, was either an Irishman or a Scot, who went to Gaul to preach and lived as a hermit near Soissons.

Mel and Melchu, Bishops (5th century) February 6
An unreliable legend makes these two brothers nephews of St. Patrick who accompanied him on his return to Ireland. The two were said to be bishops, though of what sees is not certain.
Mel was cleared by St. Patrick of a rumored scandalous relationship with an aunt, though Patrick ordered them to live apart.

Alto, Abbot (d.c. 760) February 9
Alto was probably an Irishman. He took up the life of a hermit near Augsburg, in Germany, in about 743. Impressed by his holiness, the local Germanic king gave him a parcel of land near Altomunster, Bavaria, where he constructed a monastery.

Marianus Scotus (d. 1088) February 9
Marianus, or Muiredach mac Robartaigh, seems to have been born in Donegal. After assuming monastic garb and being ordained a priest, he and some companions departed for the Continent, apparently intending a pilgrimage to Rome. What started as a temporary stop in the diocese of Regensburg ended up being a lifelong commitment, when this band of Irish pilgrims took up residency in a double monastic community there. Marianus came into his own there as a skilled copyist and calligrapher, and a poet and theologian as well.

Ludan (d. 1202?) February 12
Ludan was either a Scot or an Irishman. He used an ample inheritance to construct a hostel for travelers and the infirm, and then set out on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. On his way home, passing through Alsace, he received an intimation of his imminent death, which was itself heralded by miraculous events. His relics were venerated in the area till they were evidently destroyed during the Thirty Years War.

Modomnoc (6th century) February 13
Modomnoc was an Irish monk who went to Wales, where he studied under St. David and also served as beekeeper for the saint’s monastic community. According to legend, he introduced bees to Ireland, when a swarm followed him there upon his return. He settled at Tibraghny, Kilkenny, and reportedly was later bishop of Ossory.

Tanco, Abbot and Bishop (d. 808) February 15
Also known as Tatto, this man was an Irish monk who went to Amalbarich Abbey in Saxony, where he eventually became the abbot. He evangelized in Cleves and Flanders and was eventually a bishop in Saxony. Tanco was martyred, though accounts differ as to the circumstances of his martyrdom.

Loman, Bishop (7th century?) February 17
Unreliable legends identify Loman as a relative of St. Patrick who accompanied him to Ireland.
It is more likely that he is a 7th century bishop of Trim, about whom little is known.

Fintan, Abbot (d. 603) February 17
One of a number of sainted Fintans, this man was a monk trained by St. Columba. He led an eremetical life at Cloneenagh, eventually becoming abbot of the community which grew up around him. He was known for his gifts of prophecy and clairvoyance and had many miracles attributed to him.

Finan, Bishop (d. 661) February 17
Finan was an Irish monk of Iona. He succeeded St. Aidan as second bishop of Lindisfarne, a diocese which at the time encompassed all of Northumbria, Durham, and York. Finan opposed the adoption of Roman liturgical practices to replace the Celtic usages. He was a friend of King Oswy of Northumbria, and did much to evangelize the kingdoms which lay to the south as well.

Colman, Bishop (d. 676) February 18
There are a number of sainted Colmans, but this one was an Irishman and the third bishop of Lindisfarne. He reigned only three years, but his reign was a momentous one, since during it the controversy between the Celtic and Roman usages, especially over the date of Easter, came to a head in the British Isles. Reportedly, King Oswy of Northumbria sought a solution when he found, to his consternation, that members of the royal household did not agree on when to celebrate Easter. The English monastic historian Bede relates the debates at the ensuing Synod of Whitby (663), the winning argument being that the pope, as successor of Peter, had received the power of the keys, whereas the followers of St. Columba had not.
Colman found that he could not accept the Roman usage, resigned his bishopric,and returned to Ireland, where he founded a monastery on Inishbofin. Rome chose not to press the issue of Easter with many of the Irish congregations, reasoning (correctly) that time would bring a resolution.

NATIONAL ISSUES:

–Your Catholic Action Chairman joined other national officers as well as local division members in the National March for Life January 20.

–Though our Catholic faith seems increasingly under attack here in America, we have not yet reached the dire situation of some of our brothers and sisters elsewhere. The situation in Nigeria comes to mind. About 60,000 Christians have been murdered there over the last 20 years, with 3,400 being slain in the first 9 months of 2022. There have also been thousands of abductions and hundreds of attacks upon churches. The violence is being perpetrated by Boko Haram Islamic militants and by Muslim Fulani tribesmen. The government seems either unable or unwilling to stem the violence. Yet for some reason, Nigeria remains excluded from the State Department “watchlist” as a place of particular concern for threats to religious freedom.

–The Biden Administration’s attempts to impose the trans-gender agenda upon dissenters has run into trouble in the courts. Through use of administrative rule, the administration has been seeking to compel health care providers to provide gender transition procedures regardless of religious or conscience objections. This past summer, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals struck this down; the administration subsequently missed a deadline for filing an appeal to the ruling.
In early December, the Eighth Circuit followed the lead of the Fifth. It is not known if the administration will file an appeal against this ruling.

Fraternally,

Patrick J. Lally
lally8404@hotmail.com

[Sources consulted for this report include: Butler’s Lives of the Saints, complete edition, ed. and rev. by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater; 4 vols. (New York, 1956); The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (New York, 1975); The National Catholic Register; ewtn.com; catholic.org; priestsforlife.org; catholicnewsagency.com; usccb.org.]

To All Hibernians:

All of December is taken up with Advent and the Christmas season. Advent represents the time of preparation for the coming of the Savior. The liturgical color, representative of repentance and humility, is violet, except on the Third Sunday of Advent, traditionally known as Gaudete Sunday, when the color rose represents the joy of approaching the Christmas season. The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated on December 8, is the patronal feast of the United States, and a holy day of obligation. The Christmas season begins with the vigil Mass of Christmas. The liturgical color is white.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church

When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming.

MAJOR SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS OF DECEMBER

IRISH SAINTS OF DECEMBER

Finnian of Clonard (c.470-c.549) December 12
One of at least three saintly Finnians, this Irish saint may have been born at Myshall, Carlow, Ireland. He may have spent some years in Welsh monasteries. Later he founded several monasteries in Ireland, including Clonard, in Meath, which for many centuries was renowned for Biblical scholarship. Though often referred to as a bishop, there is not solid evidence of his consecration, but Finnian was certainly mentor and teacher to many who went on to spread the faith throughout Ireland and beyond.

Flannan (7th century) December 18
Son of an Irish chieftain, he received a monastic education. On a pilgrimage to Rome, he was consecrated bishop by Pope John IV. Upon returning, he settled at Killaloe and is considered its first bishop.

Ursicinus (d.c. 625) December 20
Probably an Irishman, he was a disciple of St. Columban on the Continent, founded a monastery at St. Ursanne in present-day Switzerland, and evangelized the local people.

Aileran the Wise (d. 664) December 29
Nothing is known of Aileran’s early life. We know that St. Finian induced him to enter the monasterey at Clonard, where Aileran became known as one of the most erudite scholars of this erudite group of monks. He knew Greek as well as Latin, and studied the Eastern and Western Fathers. Aileran’s works include lives of Sts. Patrick and Brigid and a commentary on the genealogy of Jesus which was popular in the Middle Ages.

NATIONAL ISSUES:

–Oct. 27: Bishop of Meath Thomas Deenihan, with the unanimous concurrence of the Irish Conference of Bishops, has announced his intent to open the cause for canonization for Jesuit Father William Doyle. Father Doyle was born in a suburb of Dublin in 1873, was ordained in the Jesuit order in 1907, and volunteered to serve as a chaplain in the British Army in World War One. He was a man noted for his holiness, as well as his bravery. Assigned to 8th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers (16th Irish Division), he was decorated or cited several times, including the Military Cross for his conduct during the Battle of the Somme. He was killed in action August 16, 1917, during the Battle of Passchendaele, as he was attempting to save two soldiers (who were Protestant Ulstermen).

–Many religious leaders, legal experts, and parental rights advocates are very concerned about recently passed California state legislation which permits the state to remove a minor from parental authority so that the child can receive “gender-affirming health care.” There is concern that this may even be used against residents of other states whose children may be seeking such treatment in California.

–What is known as the FACE (Free Access to Clinic Entrances) Act dates from the Clinton Administration and was intended primarily as a vehicle for punishing individuals using physical force, the threat of it, or other sorts of interference with women seeking abortions. Some pro-life and religious freedon observers are pointing with alarm at the rise of some rather dubious uses of the statute by the Biden Administration. The arrest of Mark Houck in Pennsylvania is perhaps best known; however, the National Catholic Register notes more than 20 such arrests or prosecutions this year. It is less well known that the law is also supposed to apply to violence, interruption of services, and property damage occurring at places of worship and pro-life pregnancy centers. Though there have been more than 100 such incidents since the Dobbs leak in May, there is little evidence of federal law enforcment activity in this regard.

–It seems clear that fallout from the recent Dobbs decision had at least something to do with the way our recent elections played out. It looks as if the pro-abortion forces were able to capitalize on the fact that while most Americans favor restrictions on abortion, they also do not favor ending abortion. Misleading political ads and “news” seem to have convinced many that that is exactly what Dobbs is about. In addition, perhaps many were swayed by the misleading claim that henceforth women will be unable to receive necessary medical care in the event of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. We on the pro-life side have our work to do, to provide correct information as well as to change hearts and minds.

–Our bishops have registered their opposition to legislation moving through Congress: the Equality Act and the Respect for Marriage Act, both being aggressively pushed by those attempting to promote modern gender ideology and ideas of marriage and to force everyone to agree. The former measure passed the House once already, in 2021, but currently lacks the Senate votes for passage there. Unfortunately, with regard to the latter, the defection of a small group of GOP senators to side with the Democratic caucus favoring passage poses a more immediate threat.

A Merry Christmas to all.

Patrick J. Lally
lally8404@hotmail.com

[Sources consulted for this report include: Butler’s Lives of the Saints, complete edition, ed. and rev. by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater; 4 vols. (New York, 1956); The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (New York, 1975); The National Catholic Register; ewtn.com; catholic.org; priestsforlife.org; catholicnewsagency.com; usccb.org.]

To All Hibernians:

In November, we conclude a period of Ordinary time and the liturgical year with the Feast of Christ the King on Sunday, November 20. We open the new liturgical year with the first Sunday of the Advent season, November 27. Advent is a period of preparation for the Christmas season, and the liturgical color is violet. The Solemnity of All Saints, November 1, is a holy day of obligation. Thanksgiving Day falls on November 24.

It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins.

–2 Machabees 12:46

November is a month to remember and pray for our departed ones, and not simply on All Souls’ Day (Nov. 2). There are many opportunities to pray for our departed relatives and friends. Many parishes offer All Souls Day novenas. Another avenue may be the opportunity which the Church offers us to earn a plenary indulgence for the faithful departed in Purgatory from Nov.1 to Nov. 8, by visiting a cemetery to pray for the dead. The usual conditions for a plenary indulgence apply: receive the Eucharist that day, pray for the Pope’s intention that day, go to Confession during that week, and remain free of attachment to sin.

MAJOR SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS OF NOVEMBER

IRISH SAINTS OF NOVEMBER

Malachy, Archbishop of Armagh (1095-1148) November 3
Malachy was born and raised in Armagh, the son of a learned man. After his parents’ death, he became the disciple of Eimar, a hermit, and was ordained at age 25. He studied under St. Malchus at Lismore and was appointed abbot of Bangor Abbey, which was in a sad state at the time. In fact, much of the Church in Ireland was in bad shape due to the ravages of the Vikings, and much of Malachy’s effort throughout his life was dedicated to restoration. A few years after his appointment as abbot, he was chosen bishop of Connor, based at Bangor. His leadership of a local revival of the faith ended abruptly when he and his monks were forced to flee to Lismore to escape Viking raiders. Appointed metropolitan of Armagh in 1129, he was unable to occupy the see peacefully for many years, due to a rival claimant–the see had become hereditary in a family of clerics. Malachy eventually prevailed, in the process recovering from his rival a book (probably the Book of Armagh) and a crozier reputedly belonging to St. Patrick. Later, Malachy resigned the see and returned to Connor (1137). He divided the diocese into two, Connor and Down, became bishop of the latter, and refounded the ruined abbey at Bangor. On a trip through Europe to Rome, he met St. Bernard of Clairvaux, and the two became life-long friends. So impressed was Malachy by Bernard and the Cistercians, that he attempted to resign his see and join the order. The Pope refused his request and instead named him papal legate in Ireland. Malachy left four companions behind him at Clairvaux; in 1142, they returned to Ireland and founded the Cistercian abbey of Mellifont. In 1148, while journeying to Rome on official business, Malachy stopped at Clairvaux to visit his friend, and died there rather suddenly. Bernard proclaimed him a saint, and his action was confirmed by Pope Clement III, in 1190, making him the first Irish saint officially canonized by a pope.
Malachy was a truly great saint of Ireland. He helped instill in the Irish church the spirit of reform that was sweeping the church on the Continent, and was a man of great virtue himself.
He is familiar to many today because of the so-called Prophecies of Malachy, which are almost certainly not written by him and are most likely forgeries of the 16th century.

Benen, Bishop (d. 467) November 9
Also known as Benignus, he was the son of a Meath chieftain who had been converted by St. Patrick. Benen was close to Patrick from childhood, serving him during life as disciple, friend, and right-hand man, and succeeding him as chief bishop of Ireland. He is credited with evangelizing Clare, Connaught, and Kerry. Many extravagant miracles are reported of him.
There is also a fanciful story of Benen travelling to Glastonbury in Britain toward the end of his life, and finding St. Patrick there.

Aedh Mac Bricc, BIshop (d. 589) November 10
The accounts of this saint are filled with miraculous tales. A son of Brecc of the Hy Neill, he was not originally destined for the clerical state. Supposedly, Sts. Brendan and Canice once helped him find some pigs which had strayed. Aedh kidnapped a girl from the housegold of one of his brothers, in an ill-advised attempt to force his brothers to give him his rightful share of their patrimony. Bishop Illathan of Rathlihen, County Offaly, persuaded him to renounce his share and return the girl. Aedh then became a disciple of Illathan and eventually was sent to found a monastery in Cill-air, Westmeath, at length becoming its bishop. Stemming from his reputed curing of St. Brigid (or someone else) of a headache, he is often called upon for relief from this
malady.

Machar, Bishop (6th century) November 12
Also known as Mochumma, he accompanied St. Columba to Scotland and evangelized the island of Mull, where he became bishop, and the Picts of Aberdeenshire.

Cumian, Abbot (c. 590-c. 665) November 12
The son of a king of West Munster, Cumian became a monk and ran the school at Clonfert.
Founder and abbot of the Abbey of Kilcummin, he was noted for his learning and for his defense of Roman liturgical uses, which he undertook in the still-extant Paschal Epistle. He was surnamed Fota or Fada, “the Tall.”

Kilian (7th century) November 13
One of a number of Kilians, this Kilian was a relative of St. Fiacre and carried out misson work in Artois in Gaul.

Lawrence O’Toole (1128-80), Archbishop of Dublin November 14
Son of Murtagh, chief of the Murrays, he was born in Kildare, and as a youth was carried off and held as a hostage for two years by King Dermot McMurrogh of Leinster. Lawrence’s father finally compelled Dermot to surrender the boy to the bishop of Glendalough. He became a monk of Glendalough, and later was abbot (1153), known for his strict reign. His prudence and virtue were demonstrated when famine struck the area, and Lawrence was able to supply the local people with grain from monastic stores. Although resisting earlier efforts to elevate him to the episopate, Lawrence accepted election to the archbishopric of Dublin in 1161. The new archbishop embarked on a reform of his clergy, forming a community of strict canons regular at the cathedral. Lawrence became embroiled in the dynastic struggle which resulted in the intervention of England’s Henry II and which is too complicated to outline here. In 1172, a synod convened by Lawrence at Cashel confirmed a bull of Pope Adrian IV imposing English liturgical forms upon Ireland, and Lawrence supported Pope Alexander III’s confirmation of these measures. In 1175, while in England trying to arrange a peace between Henry II and Rory O’Conor, a probably-deranged man tried to murder him at Becket’s shrine. He attended the Lateran Council of 1179 and after explaining the state of the Irish Church to the pope found himself appointed papal legate in Ireland. His efforts there began to worry Henry II, who may have suspected another Becket in the making, and when Lawrence travelled to England in 1180 in the course of negotiations on behalf of Rory O’Conor, Henry prevented him from returning to Ireland. Lawrence did eventually receive permission to return, but died in Normandy before he could.

Fintan of Rheinau (d.879) November 15
One of a number of Irish saints with this name, this Fintan was born in Leinster, was taken to the Orkneys by Viking raiders, escaped, stayed with a bishop in Scotland for two years, and then went on a pilgrimage to Rome. Returning through the Black Forest of Germany, he encountered some hermits there, at Rheinau, and elected to remain.

Mawes, Abbot (6th century) November 18
Also known as Maudez, he is believed to have been an Irish monk who lived as a hermit in Cornwall, and then settled on the island of Modez off the coast of France. He preached throughout Armorica (Brittany) and probably founded several churches and monasteries there and in Cornwall.

Columban, Abbot (c.540-615) November 23
Columban was born in West Leinster and well educated as a youth. In the advice of a holy hermitess to flee the local environs to avoid sin, Columban saw a call to the religious life.
Despite his mother’s opposition, he departed for an island in Lough Erne, where he was under the tutelage of a monk named Sinell. He later became a monk of Bangor. In 585, with the blessing of St. Comgall, he went as a missionary to Gaul with 12 other monks. He himself built several monasteries–Annegray, Luxeuil, and Fontaine–and his followers built others throughout France, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. Columban’s institutions followed his very strict monastic rule. He aroused opposition among the Frankish bishops due to his advocacy of Celtic usages and his refusal to acknowledge their authority. In 610, King Theodoric II of Burgundy, angered by Columban’s denunciations of his marital irregularities, banished all Irish monks from his kingdom. After being shipwrecked attempting to return to Ireland, Columban was offered refuge by King Theodebert II of Neustria and embarked on a mission journey which ultimately led him to the Alemanni around Lake Constance. However, when the hostile Burgundians overran Neustria, Columban fled to Italy and was welcomed by King Agilulf of the Lombards, although the king was an Arian heretic. Columban strove against the Arian heresy.
He also became embroiled in the controversy over the Three Chapters then roiling the Church, an issue on which he was ill-informed; his words during this controversy led him to later write apologetically to the pope. Columban founded the monastery at Bobbio on land given to him by Agilulf; it was to have a distinguished history. It is at Bobbio that the saint died. Besides sermons and poems, Columban wrote his monastic rule and treatises against Arianism.

Colman of Cloyne, Bishop (530-606) November 24
Colman was born in Munster and spent most of his life as a pagan poet and royal bard at Cashel before being baptized by St. Brendan around age 50. He was later ordained and supposedly was a teacher of St. Columba. Colman was the first bishop of Cloyne and its patron. He is one of a number of sainted Colmans.

Secundinus (c.375-447), Bishop November 27
Though not a native Irishman, Secundinus, also known as Sechnall or Seachnall, ought to qualify as an Irish saint on grounds similar to those of St. Patrick himself. A native of Gaul, he was sent to Ireland in 439 to assist Patrick. He was the first bishop of Dunslaughlin in Meath and then auxiliary bishop of Armagh. Secundinus wrote several hymns, one of which is thought to be the first Latin hymn written in Ireland.

Fergus (8th century), Bishop November 27

An Irish bishop, possibly of Downpatrick, he was known as “the Pict.” He served the missions among the Picts and Scots and founded several churches there.

ELECTION

In most jurisdictions, November 8 is election day. As Catholic citizens, we are duty-bound to vote with an informed, Catholic conscience.

NATIONAL ISSUES:

–On September 21, The Archdiocese for the Military Services (AMS) and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), through their respective legal counsels, have challenged a new interim ruling by the Department of Veterans Affairs that would allow abortion, including elective abortion, through all nine months of pregnancy. They argue that the Secretary for Veterans Affairs has no statutory authority to do this and that it violates restrictions Congress has placed upon the use of tax funds and government facilities for abortions.

–On September 23, Catholic pro-life activist Mark Houck was arrested by the FBI at his home in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The arrest stems from a confrontation between Houck and an abortion activist outside a Philadelphia abortion clinic more thn a year ago and about which accounts differ. Houck was previously cleared of charges in lower courts, but now is under scrutiny on the federal level for alleged violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. The raid seemed to resemble more the takedown of a dangerous felon than a pro-life activist. On October 10, the Houcks received a distinguished guest, German Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, who sternly criticized the treatment of Houck, remarking that we are “not serfs of some ideological leaders.”

–Two of our American cardinal archbishops, Blase Cupich of Chicago and Timothy Dolan of New York, have spoken out in an op-ed in the journal America, against a rule change recently proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services regarding the interpetation of a section of The Affordable Care Act which forbids discrimination. The new ruling would require Catholic hospitals to perform “gender transition” surgery, regardless of personal or institutional religious liberty concerns.

Fraternally,

Patrick J. Lally
lally8404@hotmail.com

[Sources consulted for this report include: Butler’s Lives of the Saints, complete edition, ed. and rev. by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater; 4 vols. (New York, 1956); The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (New York, 1975); The National Catholic Register; ewtn.com; catholic.org; priestsforlife.org; catholicnewsagency.com.]

To All Hibernians:

The month of October still remains within Ordinary Time, the liturgical color being green.

MAJOR SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS OF OCTOBER

IRISH SAINTS OF OCTOBER

Oct. 11 Canice, Abbot (c. 515-99)
According to some sources, Canice, also known as Kenneth, was born at Glengiven, and became a monk and priest in Wales under St. Cadoc, at Llancarfan. He traveled to Rome, studied under St. Finian at Clonard, and evangelized in Ireland and Scotland. He was a close friend of Columba, whom he accompanied on a mission to the Picts. Canice may be the founder of monasteries at Aghaboe and Kilkenny in Ireland, and he also left a number of traces in place-names in Scotland.

Oct. 13 Comgan, Abbot (8th century)
Son of a prince of Leinster, he succeeded his father, but was forced to flee to Scotland, where he settled near Skye, built a monastery, and lived an austere life there. He was buried on Iona by his nephew, St. Fillan.

Oct. 16 Gall (d. c. 635)
Gall distinguished himself as a scholar of grammar, poetry, and Holy Scripture under Saints Comgall and Columban at Bangor and was ordained a priest. He was one of twelve disciples who accompanied Columban to the Continent, first evangelizing in France and later in what is now Switzerland. Gall did not accompany Columban when the latter departed for Italy. Some legends have it that this resulted in a falling out between the two that was only healed at the death of Columban, but this may simply be a story to explain their separation. Gall became a hermit, and eventually the famous monastery of St. Gall came to occupy the site of his hermitage. Several stories would seem to indicate that the saint was an avid fisherman. He turned down offers of bishoprics and abbacies to remain a hermit. St. Gall is considered the apostle of Switzerland.

Oct. 21 Fintan, Abbot (d.c.635)
Also known as Munnu, Fintan was a monk of Cluain Inis, spent some time at Iona, and upon returning to Ireland founded a monastery at Taghmon, Wexford, serving as its abbot. He was a firm supporter of the Celtic liturgical practices. He reportedly contracted leprosy late in life.

Oct. 27 Otteran, Abbot (d. 563)
Also known as Odhran, this saint may have been a Briton. He was an abbot in Meath before he left Ireland among the twelve companions who accompanied Columba to Iona.

Oct. 29 Colman of Kilmacduagh, Bishop (d.c. 632)
Son of a chieftain, reportedly consecrated a bishop unwillingly, he lived as a hermit in the Burren. He built a monastery at Kilmacduagh and is considered the first bishop of that see. Like many Irish saints, there are many fanciful stories about him. Colman is said to have been aided in his devotions by a rooster, a mouse, and a fly: the first woke him up for the night office, the second kept him from falling asleep again, while the third served as a bookmark.

Oct. 31 Foillan, Abbot (d.c. 655)
With his two sainted brothers, Fursey and Ultan, he left Ireland for England c. 630, built a monastery at Burgh Castle, near Yarmouth, and evangelized the East Anglians. When his monastery was destroyed by the pagan Mercians under Penda, Foillan and his brother Ultan decided to follow their brother Fursey to Gaul, where they were welcomed by the Neustrian king, Clovis II. Foillan was founder and first abbot of a monastery at Fosses and converted many of the locals. He was murdered by outlaws.

NATIONAL ISSUES:

–On August 26, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Franciscan Alliance, a West-Coast hospital group founded by the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration, in its suit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This is the latest round in a series of suits nationwide, which began in 2016 when the Obama administration chose to interpret a provision of the Affordable Care Act on sex discrimination to mean that hospitals must perform abortions and sex change operations. Nine states joined the suit on the side of Franciscan. The court ordered a permanent injunction, on grounds of religious freedom.

Litigations, however, will continue, as the federal government, a number of state governments, as well as universities and medical schools continue attempts to force Catholic health care providers to violate their beliefs.

–On August 31, the Indiana State Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis which fired a teacher at Cathedral High in the city after he contracted a same-sex marriage. The issue has been extensively litigated and commented upon in Indiana.

–Given all the publicity, there seems no need to recount the details about a local public school administrator in Connecticut who admitted to discriminating against Catholics in the hiring of teachers. Unfortunately, his frame of mind seems widespread in education and government, and one may wonder how much of this goes on undetected where the perpetrators are not indiscreet enough to admit it.

Fraternally,

Patrick J. Lally
lally8404@hotmail.com

[Sources consulted for this report include: Butler’s Lives of the Saints, complete edition, ed. and rev. by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater; 4 vols. (New York, 1956); The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (New York, 1975); The National Catholic Register; ewtn.com; catholic.org; priestsforlife.org; catholicnewsagency.com.]

To All Hibernians:

The month of September is still part of Ordinary Time, with green being the liturgical vestment color.

MAJOR SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS OF SEPTEMBER

IRISH SAINTS OF SEPTEMBER

Sept. 1 Fiacre (d.c. 670)
Fiacre was an Irishman who went to France in search of a place of solitude. The bishop of Meaux gave him a tract of land at Breuil, where he lived as a solitary for a time. Eventually, he built a hospice for travelers there, attracted many disciples, ministered to the poor, and dealt out spiritual advice. A number of cures are attributed to his intercession, including some on behalf of the royal family of France. He is the patron saint of Paris cabbies (fiacres). Fiacre is also the patron saint of gardeners. If you are living or traveling in the Youngstown, Ohio, area, look for the statue of St. Fiacre in Fellows Garden, Mill Creek Park.

Sept. 3 Macinisius, Bishop (d.514)
Macinisius (or Aengus MacNisse) was, according to legend, baptized by St. Patrick, and later consecrated bishop by him as well. He may have journeyed to the Holy Land and spent time at Rome. He founded a church and monastery at Kells–later considered the first bishopric of Connor. Stories of very extravagant miracles surround him.

Sept. 4 Ultan, Bishop (d.657)
Probably bishop of Ardbraccan, he was a learned evangelizer, also known for his ministrations to the poor, sick, and orphaned. Reputedly, he collected the writings of St. Brigid and wrote the life of Brigid known as “the third life,” and supplied St. Tirechan with his materials for his annotations on the life of St. Patrick found in the Book of Armagh. The existence of more than one saintly Ultan has resulted in confusion.

Sept. 6 Bega, Virgin (7th century)
Also known as Bee or Begh and reportedly of Irish royalty, she fled to Cumberland to avoid a marriage to a Norwegian prince. She lived as a hermitess for a while, but on the advice of St. Oswald, king of Northumbria, took religious vows from St. Aidan and founded a monastery at Copeland. St. Bee’s Head in Northumbria is named after her.

Sept. 7 Grimonia, Virgin and Martyr
Grimonia was the daughter of a pagan Irish chief. As a teenager, she converted to Christianity and took a vow of virginity. She fled to the Continent to escape being forced into marriage and lived as a hermitess in the forests of Picardy. The cause of her death is uncertain. She may have been slain defending her chastity against marauders, or her father’s retainers who had discovered her refuge may have killed her for refusing to return.

Sept. 8 Disibod (d.c. 674)
Disibod is said to have been a bishop in Ireland. Though a zealous preacher, he became discouraged with his lack of success at home, and decamped for the Continent, where he evangelized the Germanic peoples around Bingen. There he founded a monastery. In the 12th century, a community of Benedictine nuns located nearby; their abbess was the famous mystic, St. Hildegard of Bingen. Hildegard wrote a life of Disibod. However, it consists mostly of disquisitions on morals and Scripture. In fact, we know very little about Disibod.

Sept. 9 Ciaran, Abbot (d.c. 556)
One of a number of sainted Ciarans, this man is known as Ciaran the Younger. HIs name is also spelled “Kieran.” Many fanciful stories are told of him. We do know that he studied at St. Finnian’s school at Clonard, and tutored the daughter of King Cuala. He is one of the so-called Twelve Apostles of Ireland. After some wanderings, he founded the famous abbey at Clonmacnois on the Shannon in County Offaly, a renowned center of Irish learning.

Sept. 10 Finnian of Moville, Bishop (d.c.579)
An Ulsterman possibly of royal blood, he studied at several monastic schools before crossing to the land of the Scots and becoming a monk at Whitern in Strathclyde. It would be interesting to know more about one of the stories told of him: that he was forced to leave Whitern, due to the fallout from a prank which he played on a Pictish princess who was enamored of him. He went to Rome and was ordained there. Upon returning to Ireland, he founded a monastery at Moville, where St. Columba was one of his disciples. There is a story that the two fell into a dispute about a copy which Columba made of a manuscript of St. Jerome’s psalter. The dispute received royal mediation, resulting in a victory for Finnian. Finnian is credited with founding, at some point, the monastery at Holywood in Scotland.

Sept. 12 Ailbhe (d.c. 526)
Little is known of this saint but miraculous stories. Also known as Ailbe or Albeus, he preached in Ireland prior to St. Patrick according to some accounts. More likely, he lived in the 6th
century.

Sept. 15 Mirin, Abbot (7th century)
A disciple of St. Comgall, Mirin undertook missions to Scotland. He was for a time abbot of Bangor. At one time a number of churches in Scotland bore his name.

Sept. 23 Adamnan, Abbot (c. 624-704)
Adamnan was born in Donegal, becoming a monk there and later lived at Iona, where he became the ninth abbot in 679. Adamnan had close ties to the royal family of Northumbria, having sheltered the heir to the throne from a usurper. He later used this connection to secure the ransom of Irish prisoners of war. The English monastic writer Bede recalled that as a teenager he met Adamnan during a visit Adamnan made to Wearmouth and Jarrow. Adamnan was instrumental in bringing about the agreement of the Irish church to adopt the Easter calendar usage of the Roman church, bringing it into line with most of Europe, though his own community of Iona resisted. Bede noted Adamnan’s reputation as a brilliant scholar of Scripture. He was an advocate of the protection of women and children from the ravages of war, wrote an important biography of Columba, and also composed a travelogue of the East, based upon the account of a Frankish bishop who was shipwrecked near Iona on his way home from Jerusalem.

Sept. 25 Finbar, Bishop (d.c. 633)
Reputedly the illegitimate son of a Connaught master smith and a royal female, and baptized Lochan, he was sent to Kilkenny to be educated. It was from the monks there that he received the name by which he is known, Finbar (Fionnbharr), Whithead, due to his fair hair. He made at least two trips to Rome, on one of which he visited St. David in Wales on his way home. He may have preached in Scotland, as well as southern Ireland, lived as a hermit for several years, and ultimately founded a monastery which grew into the city of Cork. He was its first bishop.

Sept. 26 Colman of Lann Elo, Abbot (c. 555-611)
There are a number of sainted Colmans. This Colman was a native of Tyrone, a nephew and protege of St. Columba. Aboout 590, he built a monastery in Offaly called Lann Elo (Lynally).

NATIONAL ISSUES:

–Since the Dobbs decision by the Supreme Court returning the abortion question to the states, some pro-abortion forces have been resorting to violence against pro-life targets. There is also an extensive disinformation campaign, disturbingly enough, sometimes engaged in by medical administrators or providers. There is an attempt to claim that somehow the decision calls into question standard medical treatment for ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages. This argument was actually raised in the dissenting minority opinion of Justice Stephen Breyer, in the Dobbs case. We need to be well-informed and willing to speak up.

–A number of religious and pro-First Amendment groups, including the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, have expressed concern with the “Respect for Marriage” bill, which passed the House of Representatives July 19 and is now on the Senate agenda. The legislation is intended to enshrine in national law and practice the Obergefell ruling of the Supreme Court with regard to the right to gay marriage. The Catholic bishops and others have pointed out the dangers for those who subscribe to a traditional idea of marriage, including the possibility that non-compliant 501(c)(3)’s would lose their tax-exempt status.

Fraternally,

Patrick J. Lally
lally8404@hotmail.com

[Sources consulted for this report include: Butler’s Lives of the Saints, complete edition, ed. and rev. by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater; 4 vols. (New York, 1956); The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (New York, 1975); The National Catholic Register; ewtn.com; catholic.org; priestsforlife.org.]

To All Hibernians:

The month of August falls entirely within the cycle of Ordinary Time. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15, is not universally celebrated as a holyday of obligation this year.

MAJOR SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS OF AUGUST

IRISH SAINTS OF AUGUST

August 4 Molua, Abbot (d. 608)

Also known as Lughaidh or Lugaid, this saint was a boy of Limerick herding livestock who earned a reputation for sanctity and was sent to the monasterey at Bangor, where he was under the tutelage of St. Comgall. After ordination to the priesthood, he was tasked by his abbot with making other monastic foundations, the most important being what came to be called Kyle, in the Slievebloom Mountains. Molua may have made a trip to Rome, where he submitted the monastic rule which he had drawn up to Pope Gregory the Great. Some of the things said about him may result from confusion with another man.

August 5 Abel of Reims, Bishop and Abbot (d.c. 751)

Abel appears to have been one of the many Irish missionaries who aided St. Boniface in evangelizing the Germanic peoples of continental Europe. He was appointed bishop of Reims by Boniface, but was never able to claim the see due to its occupation by a rival claimant. He ended his days as abbot of Lobbes, in modern-day Belgium.

August 9 Nathy and Felim (6th century?)

Though not closely associated in life, these two men have come to be commemorated on the same day. Felim came from a family of saints. He is traditionally considered the first bishop of Kilmore. Nathy was a priest from Sligo.

August 11 Blaan, Bishop (d.c. 590?)

Blaan, also known as Blane, was a Scot, but spent seven years in Ireland under the tutelage of Sts. Comgall and Canice. He then returned to his native land, where he became a bishop.

August 11 Attracta, Virgin (6th century?)

The chronology of this saint is uncertain, but if dates assigning her to the 6th century are trustworthy, then she could not have been associated with St. Patrick, as some sources suggest. Attracta, or Araght, was of noble birth. When her father refused to allow her to consecrate her life to God, she fled from home. She founded a hospice for travellers on Lough Gara, which was in operation till 1539. There are many fanciful stories about her, at least one suggesting that she was not always able to conquer an urge to hold grudges. She is the patroness of the diocese of Achonry.

August 11 Lelia, Virgin (6th century?)

Little is known of Lelia. She may with probability be identified with Liadhain, great-grand-daughter of the prince Cairthenn baptized by St. Patrick. She gave her name to Killeely, near Limerick.

August 12 Murtagh, Bishop (6th century?)

Also known as Muredach, this is another saint who is not likely to have been a companion of St. Patrick, as some accounts allege. He is reputed to have been the first bishop of Killala.

August 14 Fachanan, Bishop (6th century)

Fachanan is the patron of the diocese of Ross, of which he was the first bishop. He was born at Tulachteann, was a pupil of St. Ita, and founded the monastery of Molana on the Blackwater River. Most significant of all, he founded what came to be the famous monastic school of Rosscarbery in Cork.

August 19 Mochta, Abbot (d.c. 535)

Mochta is mentioned in the lives of St. Patrick, whose disciple he was. Like Patrick, he was a Briton by birth, though his coming to Ireland was under different circumstances, Mochta’s parents having brought him there as a child. An interesting story has him being rebuked by St. Patrick for questioning the literal truth of the ages of the patriarchs as recorded in the Old Testament.

August 23 Eoghan, Bishop (6th century)

This saint’s name is often Anglicized as “Eugene,” though “Owen” is more correct. His life relates that he was one of three boys carried off from their home in Ireland, first to Britain, then to Brittany, where they were enslaved to work at grinding grain. When their master returned one day to find the three reading while angels worked the mill, he ordered their release. They found their way back to Ireland, and Eoghan became a monk with St. Kevin at Kilnamanach in Wicklow. Later, he aided St. Tigernach in the founding of the monastery at Clones, and finally settled with some followers at Ardstraw in Tyrone, where he became the first bishop.

August 31 Aidan, Bishop of Lindisfarne (d. 651)

Aidan’s birthplace was Ireland, though we know virtually nothing of his early life there. We are fortunate in having some account of his later life from the English monk, Bede, who was a careful historian. Aidan was a monk of Iona when one of his brethren returned from an unsuccessful mission to the kingdom of Northumbria in northern England. Northumbria had been Christianized earlier from the south, but the interlude of a hostile pagan dynasty had virtually wiped the Faith out there. The sainted King Oswald had requested a monk of Iona to re-evangelize his people, but the chosen monk’s extremely rigorist approach bore little fruit.

When Aidan suggested that a different approach was needed, his brothers responded by appointing him to the mission. Oswald established him as bishop on the isle of Lindisfarne, and Aidan also established a monastery there, under the rule of St. Columcille. This grew to be one of the greatest monastic establishments in the British Isles. Aidan and his disciples meanwhile succeeded in bringing Northumbria back into the Christian fold. Bede describes him as a man who, though a leader of his society, always remained humble and compassionate. He devoted considerable time to the plight of slaves and unfortunate children.

OUR LADY OF KNOCK

On the evening of August 21, 1879, in the village of Knock, County Mayo, the housekeeper of the local parish church saw the south outside wall of the church bathed in a light of unknown origin. Going to fetch a friend, she and her companion came back to witness an apparition of the Virgin Mary, with two others figures, who were understood to be St. Joseph and John the Evangelist. In addition, there was an altar, with a cross and a lamb on it. Others gathered and likewise saw the figures. A notable feature of this Marian apparition is that Mary was silent. Acceptance of authenticity was slow–some local ecclesiastical authorities suspected a hoax by the local Protestant constable! Today Knock is the site of a large basilica and a dedicated place of pilgrimage. Once celebrated on August 21 in the Roman calendar, the feast has been moved to August 17 to make way for Pope St. Pius X.

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS OF INTEREST:

–In two recent 6-3 decisions, the Supreme Court has provided good news on the First Amendment front. On June 21, in Carson v. Makin, a majority opinion by Chief Justice Roberts held that the State of Maine, having legislated a program of tuition assistance for public school students to attend private school, cannot exclude some schools solely on the basis of the school in question being religious or sectarian. The decision re-enforces other recent decisions striking down various state Blaine Acts and related measures. Then, on June 27, in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, the Court ruled in favor of a public high school football coach who was fired for refusing to stop praying on the field after games. Interestingly, the dissenting opinion, written by Justice Sotomayor, opined that the Court gave undue weight to the religious freedom of the coach as opposed to that of the students, who are apparently thought to be “vulnerable” to compulsion when they see the coach praying.

–According to Operation Rescue, at least 49 abortion clinics have halted abortions since the Dobbs decision, as of July 8. The Supreme Court, since the decision, has thrown out 3 cases in which lower courts have blocked enforcement of state abortion bans (Arkansas, Indiana, and Arizona), sending the matter back with instructions to reconsider. However, abortion supporters continue to have success in getting injunctions in lower courts. Nine states are currently abortion-free.

–The Biden administration has instructed the Department of Health and Human Services to look into the “deceptive practices” of pro-life pregnancy help centers. This follows Senator Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) call for these centers to be shut down, because they “deceive” pregnant women by not offering a full range of “reproductive health care” i.e., abortion.

Fraternally,

Patrick J. Lally
lally8404@hotmail.com

[Sources consulted for this report include: Butler’s Lives of the Saints, complete edition, ed. and rev. by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater; 4 vols. (New York, 1956); The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (New York, 1975); The National Catholic Register; ewtn.com; catholic.org; priestsforlife.org; catholicnewsagency.com.]

To All Hibernians:

The month of May is traditionally a month dedicated to Mary. This year May falls within the Easter season, the liturgical color being white. The Ascension of the Lord, a solemnity and holy day of obligation, falls this year on May 26. Many dioceses of the United States transfer the Ascension to the following Sunday.

MAJOR SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS OF JANUARY

IRISH SAINTS OF MAY

May 2 Ultan, Abbot (d. 686)

St. Ultan, along with his sainted brothers, Fursey and Foillan, crossed over to East Anglia together. The East Anglian king, Sigebert I, gave them land at Burgh Castle, near Yarmouth, upon which they founded an abbey. The land was harried by raids from the pagan Mercians, and Fursey decided to leave for the Continent, where he died. Years later, Ulltan and Foillan stopped at their brother’s tomb at Peronne, on the way back from a Roman pilgrimage. They were encouraged to remain in Gaul by Blessed Ita and her daughter, St. Gertrude, who offered them land for a foundation at Fosses. Ultan became the abbot of Fosses, but was later abbot at Peronne, where he died. The saint received a revelation of the death of his brother Fursey at the hands of bandits, and he predicted the death of St. Gertrude.

May 8 Gibrian (d.c. 515)

Late in the fifth century, an Irish family group consisting of seven brothers and three sisters emigrated to Brittany, looking for an opportunity to serve God there. Gibrian was a priest and the eldest, their leader. They adopted an heremetical life near the Marne, close enough to each other to remain in contact. St. Gibrian died there after a life of prayer and austerity, and a chapel was erected at the site of his hermitage. His relics were removed to Rheims to save them from the Vikings, but they did not survive the destruction wrought by the French Revolution.

May 10 Catald, Bishop of Taranto (d.c.685)

Also known as Cathal, this man was a scholarly monk who taught at Lismore. Catald resigned his post and went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. On his way home he was somehow chosen as second bishop of Taranto (Tarentum) in Italy, where he remains titular saint of the cathedral.

May 10 Conleth, Bishop of Kildare (d.c. 520)

Conleth is also known as Conlaed, and is one of a number of early Irish saints who were said to be skilled workers in metal. He was living as a hermit at Old Connell on the Liffey when he made the acquaintance of St. Brigid. Brigid gave him an avenue for his artistic talents, and later his pastoral skills as well, after he was chosen bishop of Kildare. Conleth is considered by some the fashioner of a crozier presented to St. Finbar, which is preserved to this day. There is an odd story about his being devoured by wolves, but scholars consider it a legendary attempt to explain his name in Gaelic.

May 11 Comgall, Abbot of Bangor (c. 517-603)

St. Comgall, born in Ulster, is considered one of the founders of Irish monasticism. After some years of tutelage under St. Fintan in the monastery of Cloneenagh and his ordination as a priest, Comgall retired to an island in Lough Erne with a few followers. The life of this community was so severe that Bishop Lugid, who had ordained Comgall, prevailed upon him to relax the rule in force there. Later, Comgall founded the great abbey of Bangor, which came to have about 3 thousand monks there and at daughter houses during Comgall’s reign. Many sought his spiritual mentorship, including St. Columban, who later carried many Bangor traditions to the Continent. The saint ventured overseas at least once on a missionary journey to the Picts of Scotland in the company of St. Colmcille. A metrical version of a monastic rule attributed to Comgall still exists.

May 14 Carthach, Bishop and Abbot (d. 637)

St. Carthach seems to have adopted his name from his mentor, St. Carthach the Elder, to whom he was known as “Mochuda,” or “my Cuda,” the last evidently being his given name. He is also known as Carthage. He was a swineherd of Castlemaine, Kerry, till coming under the tutelage of his mentor, who trained him as a monk and ordained him. Carthach lived for a time as a hermit at a place named Kiltulagh, but local ecclesiastical rivalries led him to remove to Bangor where he was directed by St. Comgall. After visiting a number of other monasteries, Carthach eventually settled at Rahan in present County Offaly, c. 595, establishing an abbey which is said to have eventually grown to 800 monks. Carthach’s rule for that house is extant, though not likely in its original form. The saint may also have held the bishopric of Fircall. The life at Rahan was very austere, a fact perhaps supplying the motive of two unhappy inmates who attempted to drown Carthach. In 635, the community was broken up when the monks were expelled by Blathmac, a hostile chieftain. After some wandering, Carthach and his followers settled on the banks of the Blackwater, where, on land donated by a local prince, they established the great abbey and school of Lismore. Here again, Carthach is said to have served as abbot-bishop, and is regarded as the founder of the see of Lismore. The saint at some point withdrew from the business of construction of the abbey to a cave in a nearby glen–Mochuda’s Inch–where he died in 637.

May 16 Brendan, Abbot of Clonfert (d. 577 or 583)

Despite the fact that St. Brendan is one of the best known of Ireland’s saints, the true story of his life is so embellished with legend that it is hard to arrive at very many undisputed details. He was probably born near Tralee. Brendan was under the tutelage of several different spiritual mentors in his youth. He was probably ordained a priest before he became a monk. There is little undisputed evidence to support the story of his far-flung adventures at sea and across the North Atlantic; he probably did voyage to Scotland, and possibly Wales. The most reliable fact about him is that he established the abbey at Clonfert, about 559. Brendan supposedly established a rule for Clonfert, which was dictated to him by an angel. Brendan reputedly died at Enach Duin, where he had gone to visit his sister, Brig, who led a religious community of women there. One thing that is unquestionable about Brendan is that he made an enormous spiritual impression upon his contemporaries.

May 30 Madelgisilus (d.c. 655)

This saint, also known as Mauguille, was a companion of St. Fursey, and accompanied him first to Britain, then to Gaul. Following the death of his friend, Madelgisilus joined the monastic community of Saint-Riquier, later withdrawing to a hermit’s life. He had fallen seriously ill when he was discovered in this state by an English recluse named Vulgan, who nursed him back to health. The two became great friends and lived a solitary life not far from each other, dying around the same time.

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS OF INTEREST:

The National Catholic Register recently ran an article pointing out the number of Irish-Americans who are on the road to canonization, having been declared Blessed or Servant of God. There are quite a few, many probably familiar to most of us, such as Bishop Sheen, and Fathers Michael McGivney, Patrick Peyton, and Edward Flanagan, many other less well known: Brother Solanus Casey, Mother Mary Teresa Tallon, Mother Mary Angeline Teresa (McCrory), Father Patrick Ryan, Bishop James Walsh, Monsignor Bernard Quinn, Father Theodore Foley, Bishop Francis Ford, Cardinal Terence Cooke.

Fraternally,

Patrick J. Lally
lally8404@hotmail.com

[Sources consulted for this report include: Butler’s Lives of the Saints, complete edition, ed. and rev. by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater; 4 vols. (New York, 1956); The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (New York, 1975); The National Catholic Register; ewtn.com; catholic.org; priestsforlife.org; catholicnewsagency.com.]

To All Hibernians:

In the early part of January, we are still within the Christmas season. The Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God (Jan. 1) is a holy day of obligation. At the Baptism of the Lord (January 9), we pass from the Christmas season to a segment of Ordinary Time prior to the Lenten season, from the liturgical color white to green. In the month of January, two American saints are commemorated, Elizabeth Ann Seton (January 4) and John Neumann (January 5). January 22 is a day of prayer for the legal protection of the unborn.

MAJOR SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS OF JANUARY

WORTHY RECEPTION OF THE EUCHARIST

As the Church has consistently taught, a person who receives Holy Communion while in a state of mortal sin not only does not receive the graces that the sacrament conveys; he or she commits the sin of sacrilege by failing to show the reverence due to the sacred Body and Blood of Christ.
–From “The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church,” adopted by the U.S. bishops at their November General Meeting.

IRISH SAINTS OF JANUARY

January 2 Munchin (7th century)

Munchin, called The Wise, is the patron saint of Limerick, and probably came from County Clare. He is also known as Maincin (Little Monk). Tradition avers that he was a bishop, but scholars doubt this.

January 15 Ita (d.c. 570)

Ita was supposedly of royal lineage and was born in one of the baronies of Decies, Waterford, Ireland. After refusing to marry, she secured her father’s permission to embrace perpetual virginity. At Killeedy, Limerick, she founded a religious community of women and also a school for boys, among the graduates of which may have been St. Brendan. Many extravagant miracles are attributed to her. She is also known as Deirdre, Ida, or Mida.

January 16 Fursey (d.c. 648)

Fursey stands out among early Irish saints in having biographical details fairly abundant and in reliable sources. He was probably born on Inisquin in Lough Corri, of an aristocratic family. He built a monastery, probably at Killursa, to which many disciples came. Fursey often fell into trance-like or ecstatic states, in which he experienced terrifying visions of demonic influences upon sinful men. After about twelve years of preaching throughout Ireland, he travelled to East Anglia in Britain with his brothers Foillan and Ultan. There, they founded a monastery at Burgh Castle near Yarmouth, under the patronage of King Sigebert. Fursey later sojourned in Neustria on the continent, where he was welcomed by King Clovis II, founded a monastery at Lagny, and died shortly thereafter.

January 18 Deicolus (c. 530-c. 625)

Deicolus, also known as Desle, may have been the elder brother of St. Gall, born in Leinster, and was one of the twelve disciples of Columban who accompanied him to Gaul in 576. He worked with Columban in Austrasia and Burgundy. Age prevented him from accompanying Columban when he was expelled in 610. Deicolus founded a monastery at Lure and lived as a hermit in his later years. Columban is supposed to have asked Deicolus once why he was always smiling, receiving the reply: “Because no one can take God from me.”

January 19 Albert of Cashel (7th or 8th century)

A great deal of confusion surrounds the life of this saint. Albert was a priest from among the Angles , who sojourned in Ireland and in Bavaria on the continent. He has been associated with the see of Cashel, but the story that he was its bishop cannot be true, since the bishopric did not exist at the time of his alleged reign there. The story of his friendship with St. Erhard is also problematic, since they may not have been contemporaries. He is said to have died in Regensberg, Germany, on his way home from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

January 19 Fillan, Abbot (8th century)

Fillan, also known as Foelan, was the son of Feriach and St. Kentigerna. He took monastic vows at a young age. He accompanied his royal Leinster mother to Scotland, living as a hermit near St. Andrew’s for years, before being elected abbot. Later, he resigned the abbacy and resumed his eremetic life in Perthshire. Extravagant miracles are attributed to him. One story relates that after a wolf had killed an ox he was using to haul materials to his church, his prayers induced the wolf to take the place of the ox.

January 20 Fechin, Abbot (d.665)

Fechin was probably born at Luighne (Leyney), Connaught. He was the founding abbot of Fobhar (Fore), Westmeath, and perished during a plague which swept Ireland in 665.

January 23 Miambod (d.c. 880)

Also known as Mainboeuf, he was an Irish missionary on the continent, slain in Alsace by hostile pagans.

January 31 Aidan, Bishop (d. 626)

Unreliable legends cloud our knowledge of this saint, also known as Maedoc. He was born in Connaught. After a stay in Leinster, he travelled to St. David’s in Wales, where he studied Scripture. He is said to have miraculously repelled several Saxon attacks there. Later he returned to Ireland, founded a monasterey at Ferns, Wexford, and eventually was consecrated bishop there. He was known as a man of great kindness to man and animal alike. He is represented in art as a stag; this stems from a story that he once rendered a stag invisible to save it from hounds.

January 31 Adamnan of Coldingham (d.c. 680)

Not to be confused with the better known Adamnan, who was abbot of Iona, this Adamnan was an Irish monk of Coldingham, off the southeast coast of Scotland. He was known for his austerity and his gift of prophecy.

ISSUES:

–In December, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Carson v. Makin, on whether the state of Maine may bar the use of funds from its school choice program from use in “sectarian” schools. The court struck down a similar restriction by the state of Montana in 2020.

–The state of Illinois has repealed its 1995 statute which required parental notification for a minor’s abortion, the change to take effect June 1, 2022.

–The Department of Health and Human Services under self-professed Catholic Xavier Becerra has been consulting with various activist groups for input into the replacement of Trump-era rules which had sought to preserve protections of conscience for healthcare workers and institutions. Under the proposals being pushed by these groups, there would not be religious exemptions from mandates to refer for and perform procedures such as abortions, euthanasia, sex change therapy and surgery, nor would religious institutions be permited to deny employment to those who oppose their teachings. The information was revealed in a filing which HHS made with the District Court for D.C. Archbishop of Baltimore William Lori said that the proposals are “breathtaking in their scope and completely lacking in any religious freedom provisions.”

–The National March for Life will take place January 21, in Washington, D.C. There are many local observances scheduled throughout the country.

Fraternally,

Patrick J. Lally
lally8404@hotmail.com

[Sources consulted for this report include: Butler’s Lives of the Saints, complete edition, ed. and rev. by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater; 4 vols. (New York, 1956); The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (New York, 1975); The National Catholic Register; ewtn.com; catholic.org; priestsforlife.org; catholicnewsagency.com; usccb.org.]

To All Hibernians:

In December we pass through the liturgical season of Advent into that of Christmas. Advent represents the time of preparation for the coming of the Savior. The liturgical color, representative of repentance and humility, is violet, except on the Third Sunday of Advent, traditionally known as Gaudete Sunday, when the color rose represents the joy of approaching the Christmas season. The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated on December 8, is the patronal feast of the United States, and a holy day of obligation. The Christmas season begins with the vigil Mass of Christmas. The liturgical color is white.

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming.

MAJOR SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS OF DECEMBER

IRISH SAINTS OF DECEMBER

December 12 Finnian of Clonard (c.470-c.549)

One of at least three saintly Finnians, this Irish saint may have been born at Myshall, Carlow,

Ireland. He may have spent some years in Welsh monasteries. Later he founded several monasteries in Ireland, including Clonard, in Meath, which for many centuries was renowned for Biblical scholarship. Though often referred to as a bishop, there is not solid evidence of his consecration, but Finnian was certainly mentor and teacher to many who went on to spread the faith throughout Ireland and beyond.

December 18 Flannan (7th century)

Son of an Irish chieftain, he received a monastic education. On a pilgrimage to Rome, he was consecrated bishop by Pope John IV. Upon returning, he settled at Killaloe and is considered its first bishop.

December 20 Ursicinus (d.c. 625)

Probably an Irishman, he was a disciple of St. Columban on the Continent, founded a monastery at St. Ursanne in present-day Switzerland, and evangelized the local people.

December 29 Aileran the Wise (d. 664)

Nothing is known of Aileran’s early life. We know that St. Finian induced him to enter the monasterey at Clonard, where Aileran became known as one of the most erudite scholars of this erudite group of monks. He knew Greek as well as Latin, and studied the Eastern and Western Fathers. Aileran’s works include lives of Sts. Patrick and Brigid and a commentary on the genealogy of Jesus which was popular in the Middle Ages.

NEWS AND ISSUES:

–At a conference held at Notre Dame, Catholic and former Democratic Illinois Congressman Dan Lipinski urged Catholics in public office to be Catholic first, over excessive party loyalty, personal comfort, or fear. Lipinski, one of the few pro-life congressmen of his party in recent years, was several times “primaried” by the pro-abortion wing of the party, and ultimately defeated in the primary election of 2021.

–Title X is a federal program subsidizing family planning services. Rules adopted by the Trump Administration barred federal tax dollars from supporting recipients which provide or promote abortion and required Title X clinics to be physically separated from abortion facilities. In the latest of a string of pro-abortion moves, the Biden Administration has reversed this policy. Reacting to this, Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, outgoing chairman of the American bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, challenged the President: “He likes to call himself a devout Catholic. I would urge him to begin to act like one, especially on the life issues.”

FROM AROUND THE ORDER

Many of our New York brothers are concerned about the rising incidents of vandalism directed at Catholic churches and shrines….National Director John Wilson informs me that Father Henry Reid of New York leads the rosary daily at 3 PM Eastern, on Facebook…. Great Falls Montana’s Division 1 Catholic Action Chairman Nickolas Wingerter has been introducing a “saint of the month” at division meetings…. Vice President Kevin Jones of Denver’s Michael Collins Division 1 shares that the division has lent support to a candidate discerning a vocation to the permanent diaconate as well as to a diocesan priest incurring moving expenses. The division is also hoping to organize a requiem Mass in connection with the dedication of a memorial at the mining town of Leadville…. Catholic Action Chairman Joseph Gill of our Medina Ohio Division has organized a Catholic lending library of over 100 titles.

A Merry Christmas to all.

Fraternally,

Patrick J. Lally
lally8404@hotmail.com

[Sources consulted for this report include: Butler’s Lives of the Saints, complete edition, ed. and rev. by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater; 4 vols. (New York, 1956); The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (New York, 1975); The National Catholic Register; ewtn.com; catholic.org; priestsforlife.org; catholicnewsagency.com; usccb.org.]

Greetings to All Hibernians:

The month of September is still part of Ordinary Time, with green being the liturgical vestment color.

MAJOR SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS OF MAY

IRISH SAINTS OF SEPTEMBER

September 1 Fiacre (d.c. 670)

Fiacre was an Irishman who went to France in search of a place of solitude. The bishop of Meaux gave him a tract of land at Breuil, where he lived as a solitary for a time. Eventually, he built a hospice for travelers there, attracted many disciples, ministered to the poor, and dealt out spiritual advice. A number of cures are attributed to his intercession, including some on behalf of the royal family of France. He is the patron saint of Paris cabbies (fiacres). Fiacre is also the patron saint of gardeners. If you are living or traveling in the Youngstown, Ohio, area, look for the statue of St. Fiacre in Fellows Garden, Mill Creek Park.

September 3 Macinisius, Bishop (d.514)

Macinisius (or Aengus MacNisse) was, according to legend, baptized by St. Patrick, and later consecrated bishop by him as well. He may have journeyed to the Holy Land and spent time at Rome. He founded a church and monastery at Kells–later considered the first bishopric of Connor. Stories of very extravagant miracles surround him.

September 4 Ultan, Bishop (d.657)

Probably bishop of Ardbraccan, he was a learned evangelizer, also known for his ministrations to the poor, sick, and orphaned. Reputedly, he collected the writings of St. Brigid and wrote the life of Brigid known as “the third life,” and supplied St. Tirechan with his materials for his annotations on the life of St. Patrick found in the Book of Armagh. The existence of more than one saintly Ultan has resulted in confusion.

September 6 Bega, Virgin (7th century)

Also known as Bee or Begh and reportedly of Irish royalty, she fled to Cumberland to avoid a marriage to a Norwegian prince. She lived as a hermitess for a while, but on the advice of St. Oswald, king of Northumbria, took religious vows from St. Aidan and founded a monastery at Copeland. St. Bee’s Head in Northumbria is named after her.

September 7 Grimonia, Virgin and Martyr

Grimonia was the daughter of a pagan Irish chief. As a teenager, she converted to Christianity and took a vow of virginity. She fled to the Continent to escape being forced into marriage and lived as a hermitess in the forests of Picardy. The cause of her death is uncertain. She may have been slain defending her chastity against marauders, or her father’s retainers who had discovered her refuge may have killed her for refusing to return.

September 8 Disibod (d.c. 674)

Disibod is said to have been a bishop in Ireland. Though a zealous preacher, he became discouraged with his lack of success at home, and decamped for the Continent, where he evangelized the Germanic peoples around Bingen. There he founded a monastery. In the 12th century, a community of Benedictine nuns located nearby; their abbess was the famous mystic, St. Hildegard of Bingen. Hildegard wrote a life of Disibod. However, it consists mostly of disquisitions on morals and Scripture. In fact, we know very little about Disibod.

September 9 Ciaran, Abbot (d.c. 556)

One of a number of sainted Ciarans, this man is known as Ciaran the Younger. HIs name is also spelled “Kieran.” Many fanciful stories are told of him. We do know that he studied at St. Finnian’s school at Clonard, and tutored the daughter of King Cuala. He is one of the so-called Twelve Apostles of Ireland. After some wanderings, he founded the famous abbey at Clonmacnois on the Shannon in County Offaly, a renowned center of Irish learning.

September 10 Finnian of Moville, Bishop (d.c.579)

An Ulsterman possibly of royal blood, he studied at several monastic schools before crossing to the land of the Scots and becoming a monk at Whitern in Strathclyde. It would be interesting to know more about one of the stories told of him: that he was forced to leave Whitern, due to the fallout from a prank which he played on a Pictish princess who was enamored of him. He went to Rome and was ordained there. Upon returning to Ireland, he founded a monastery at Moville, where St. Columba was one of his disciples. There is a story that the two fell into a dispute about a copy which Columba made of a manuscript of St. Jerome’s psalter. The dispute received royal mediation, resulting in a victory for Finnian. Finnian is credited with founding, at some point, the monastery at Holywood in Scotland.

September 12 Ailbhe (d.c. 526)

Little is known of this saint but miraculous stories. Also known as Ailbe or Albeus, he preached in Ireland prior to St. Patrick according to some accounts. More likely, he lived in the 6th century.

September 15 Mirin, Abbot (7th century)

A disciple of St. Comgall, Mirin undertook missions to Scotland. He was for a time abbot of Bangor. At one time a number of churches in Scotland bore his name.

September 23 Adamnan, Abbot (c. 624-704)

Adamnan was born in Donegal, becoming a monk there and later at Iona, where he became the ninth abbot in 679. Adamnan had close ties to the royal family of Northumbria, having sheltered the heir to the throne from a usurper. He later used this connection to secure the ransom of Irish prisoners of war. The English monastic writer Bede recalled that as a teenager he met Adamnan during a visit Adamnan made to Wearmouth and Jarrow. Adamnan was instrumental in bringing about the agreement of the Irish church to adopt the Easter calendar usage of the Roman church, bringing it into line with most of Europe, though his own community of Iona resisted. Bede noted Adamnan’s reputation as a brilliant scholar of Scripture. He was an advocate of the protection of women and children from the ravages of war, wrote an important biography of Columba, and also composed a travelogue of the East, based upon the account of a Frankish bishop who was shipwrecked near Iona on his way home from Jerusalem.

September 25 Finbar, Bishop (d.c. 633)

Reputedly the illegitimate son of a Connaught master smith and a royal female, and baptized Lochan, he was sent to Kilkenny to be educated. It was from the monks there that he received the name by which he is known, Finbar (Fionnbharr), Whithead, due to his fair hair. He made at least two trips to Rome, on one of which he visited St. David in Wales on his way home. He may have preached in Scotland, as well as southern Ireland, lived as a hermit for several years, and ultimately founded a monastery which grew into the city of Cork. He was its first bishop.

September 26 Colman of Lann Elo, Abbot (c. 555-611)

There are a number of sainted Colmans. This Colman was a native of Tyrone, a nephew and protege of St. Columba. Aboout 590, he built a monastery in Offaly called Lann Elo (Lynally).

NATIONAL ISSUES:

–The State of Texas has taken a relatively novel approach to pro-life legislation in its “heartbeat” bill, scheduled to become law Sept. 1. The law, which will prohibit abortion once a heartbeat is detected, relies not upon any state or local government for enforcement but upon civil action brought by others against the abortionist and accomplices (the pregnant woman is explicitly excluded from this group). The tactic is designed to thwart the usual abortionist legal attack, which is to claim a constitutional infringement by government. The measure is not entirely novel in its approach. The City of Lubbock, in declaring itself a “sanctuary city for the unborn,” adopted the same approach, and was upheld in a recent federal district court decision. Time will tell, as legal processes go forward, whether or not abortion supporters will find a way around the legal reasoning.

–First Amendment freedoms of speech and religion continue to face challenges, especially on issues pertaining to gay marriage and gender-bender ideology. The U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit, recently ruled against a Christian web designer in Colorado, who has run afoul of state regulators for her position against using her resources to promote gay marriage. The issue is likely headed to the Supreme Court (again). In 2018, that court ruled in favor of a Colorado baker being prosecuted there for refusing to provide designs antithetical to his Christian beliefs (the man is nevertheless still being harassed by the state). On the other hand, the court recently refused to hear the case of a Washington State florist being prosecuted for much the same reasons.

[Sources consulted for this report include: Butler’s Lives of the Saints, complete edition, ed. and rev. by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater; 4 vols. (New York, 1956); The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (New York, 1975); The National Catholic Register; ewtn.com; catholic.org; priestsforlife.org.]

Fraternally,

Patrick J. Lally
lally8404@hotmail.com

The month of August falls entirely within the cycle of Ordinary Time. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15, usually a holy day of obligation, falls upon a Sunday this year.

MAJOR SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS OF MAY

IRISH SAINTS OF MAY

August 4 Molua, Abbot (d. 608)

Also known as Lughaidh or Lugaid, this saint was a boy of Limerick herding livestock who earned a reputation for sanctity and was sent to the monasterey at Bangor, where he was under the tutelage of St. Comgall. After ordination to the priesthood, he was tasked by his abbot with making other monastic foundations, the most important being what came to be called Kyle, in the Slievebloom Mountains. Molua may have made a trip to Rome, where he submitted the monastic rule which he had drawn up to Pope Gregory the Great. Some of the things said about him may result from confusion with another man.

August 5 Abel of Reims, Bishop and Abbot (d.c. 751)

Abel appears to have been one of the many Irish missionaries who aided St. Boniface in evangelizing the Germanic peoples of continental Europe. He was appointed bishop of Reims by Boniface, but was never able to claim the see due to its occupation by a rival claimant. He ended his days as abbot of Lobbes, in modern-day Belgium.

August 9 Nathy and Felim (6th century?)

Though not closely associated in life, these two men have come to be commemorated on the same day. Felim came from a family of saints. He is traditionally considered the first bishop of Kilmore. Nathy was a priest from Sligo.

August 11 Blaan, Bishop (d.c. 590?)

Blaan, also known as Blane, was a Scot, but spent seven years in Ireland under the tutelage of Sts. Comgall and Canice. He then returned to his native land, where he became a bishop.

August 11 Attracta, Virgin (6th century?)

The chronology of this saint is uncertain, but if dates assigning her to the 6th century are trustworthy, then she could not have been associated with St. Patrick, as some sources suggest. Attracta, or Araght, was of noble birth. When her father refused to allow her to consecrate her life to God, she fled from home. She founded a hospice for travellers on Lough Gara, which was in operation till 1539. There are many fanciful stories about her, at least one suggesting that she was not always able to conquer an urge to hold grudges. She is the patroness of the diocese of Achonry.

August 11 Lelia, Virgin (6th century?)

Little is known of Lelia. She may with probability be identified with Liadhain, great-grand-daughter of the prince Cairthenn baptized by St. Patrick. She gave her name to Killeely, near Limerick.

August 12 Murtagh, Bishop (6th century?)

Also known as Muredach, this is another saint who is not likely to have been a companion of St. Patrick, as some accounts allege. He is reputed to have been the first bishop of Killala.

August 14 Fachanan, Bishop (6th century)

Fachanan is the patron of the diocese of Ross, of which he was the first bishop. He was born at Tulachteann, was a pupil of St. Ita, and founded the monastery of Molana on the Blackwater River. Most significant of all, he founded what came to be the famous monastic school of Rosscarbery in Cork.

August 19 Mochta, Abbot (d.c. 535)

Mochta is mentioned in the lives of St. Patrick, whose disciple he was. Like Patrick, he was a Briton by birth, though his coming to Ireland was under different circumstances, Mochta’s parents having brought him there as a child. An interesting story has him being rebuked by St. Patrick for questioning the literal truth of the ages of the patriarchs as recorded in the Old Testament.

August 23 Eoghan, Bishop (6th century)

This saint’s name is often Anglicized as “Eugene,” though “Owen” is more correct. His life relates that he was one of three boys carried off from their home in Ireland, first to Britain, then to Brittany, where they were enslaved to work at grinding grain. When their master returned one day to find the three reading while angels worked the mill, he ordered their release. They found their way back to Ireland, and Eoghan became a monk with St. Kevin at Kilnamanach in Wicklow. Later, he aided St. Tigernach in the founding of the monastery at Clones, and finally settled with some followers at Ardstraw in Tyrone, where he became the first bishop.

August 31 Aidan, Bishop of Lindisfarne (d. 651)

Aidan’s birthplace was Ireland, though we know virtually nothing of his early life there. We are fortunate in having some account of his later life from the English monk, Bede, who was a careful historian. Aidan was a monk of Iona when one of his brethren returned from an unsuccessful mission to the kingdom of Northumbria in northern England. Northumbria had been Christianized earlier from the south, but the interlude of a hostile pagan dynasty had virtually wiped the Faith out there. The sainted King Oswald had requested a monk of Iona to re-evangelize his people, but the chosen monk’s extremely rigorist approach bore little fruit. When Aidan suggested that a different approach was needed, his brothers responded by appointing him to the mission. Oswald established him as bishop on the isle of Lindisfarne, and Aidan also established a monastery there, under the rule of St. Columcille. This grew to be one of the greatest monastic establishments in the British Isles. Aidan and his disciples meanwhile succeeded in bringing Northumbria back into the Christian fold. Bede describes him as a man who, though a leader of his society, always remained humble and compassionate. He devoted considerable time to the plight of slaves and unfortunate children.

OUR LADY OF KNOCK

On the evening of August 21, 1879, in the village of Knock, County Mayo, the housekeeper of the local parish church saw the south outside wall of the church bathed in a light of unknown origin. Going to fetch a friend, she and her companion came back to witness an apparition of the Virgin Mary, with two others figures, who were understood to be St. Joseph and John the Evangelist. In addition, there was an altar, with a cross and a lamb on it. Others gathered and likewise saw the figures. A notable feature of this Marian apparition is that Mary was silent. Acceptance of authenticity was slow–some local ecclesiastical authorities suspected a hoax by the local Protestant constable! Today Knock is the site of a large basilica and a dedicated place of pilgrimage. Once celebrated on August 21 in the Roman calendar, the feast has been moved to August 13 to make way for Pope St. Pius X. The shrine at Knock has been reopened for Mass and devotions, though with restrictions in the basilica. Ireland’s National Novena to Our Lady of Knock has been postponed till later this year.

NEWS OF INTEREST:

–July 10: For the past few months, pro-lifers have been gathering for Mass at St. Paul’s in Brooklyn, before processing to a local Planned Parenthood facility. They have aroused increasing pushback from pro-abortion demonstrators, who this time chanted outside the Mass and then sought to block the procession.

–July 13: The Federal District Court in Indianapolis has issued a temporary injunction against a new Indiana law which would have required doctors to inform women seeking chemical abortion that it is possible to reverse the process.

–July 14: A statement by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) calls upon Congress to reinstate the Hyde Amendment to federal spending bills. The statement bears the signatures of Cardinal Dolan of New York, head of the religious liberty committee, and Archbishop Naumann of Kansas City, head of the pro-life committee.

[Sources consulted for this report include: Butler’s Lives of the Saints, complete edition, ed. and rev. by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater; 4 vols. (New York, 1956); The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (New York, 1975); The National Catholic Register; ewtn.com; catholic.org; priestsforlife.org.]

Fraternally,

Patrick J. Lally
lally8404@hotmail.com

The month of May is traditionally a month dedicated to Mary. This year May falls within the Easter season, the liturgical color being white, except on Pentecost Sunday, when it is red. The Ascension of the Lord, a solemnity and holy day of obligation, falls this year on May 13. Many dioceses of the United States transfer the Ascension to the following Sunday. The Monday following Pentecost Sunday is a memorial of Mary, the Mother of the Church, added to the calendar by Pope Francis in 2018. Though this is a new memorial, actual devotion to Mary as Mother of the Church is thought to date back at least to St. Ambrose in the fourth century.

MAJOR SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS OF MAY

IRISH SAINTS OF MAY

May 2 Ultan, Abbot (d. 686)

St. Ultan, along with his sainted brothers, Fursey and Foillan, crossed over to East Anglia together. The East Anglian king, Sigebert I, gave them land at Burgh Castle, near Yarmouth, upon which they founded an abbey. The land was harried by raids from the pagan Mercians, and Fursey decided to leave for the Continent, where he died. Years later, Ulltan and Foillan stopped at their brother’s tomb at Peronne, on the way back from a Roman pilgrimage. They were encouraged to remain in Gaul by Blessed Ita and her daughter, St. Gertrude, who offered them land for a foundation at Fosses. Ultan became the abbot of Fosses, but was later abbot at Peronne, where he died. The saint received a revelation of the death of his brother Fursey at the hands of bandits, and he predicted the death of St. Gertrude.

May 8 Gibrian (d.c. 515)

Late in the fifth century, an Irish family group consisting of seven brothers and three sisters emigrated to Brittany, looking for an opportunity to serve God there. Gibrian was a priest and the eldest, their leader. They adopted an heremetical life near the Marne, close enough to each other to remain in contact. St. Gibrian died there after a life of prayer and austerity, and a chapel was erected at the site of his hermitage. His relics were removed to Rheims to save them from the Vikings, but they did not survive the destruction wrought by the French Revolution.

May 10 Catald, Bishop of Taranto (d.c.685)

Also known as Cathal, this man was a scholarly monk who taught at Lismore. Catald resigned his post and went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. On his way home he was somehow chosen as second bishop of Taranto (Tarentum) in Italy, where he remains titular saint of the cathedral.

May 10 Conleth, Bishop of Kildare (d.c. 520)

Conleth is also known as Conlaed, and is one of a number of early Irish saints who were said to be skilled workers in metal. He was living as a hermit at Old Connell on the Liffey when he made the acquaintance of St. Brigid. Brigid gave him an avenue for his artistic talents, and later his pastoral skills as well, after he was chosen bishop of Kildare. Conleth is considered by some the fashioner of a crozier presented to St. Finbar, which is preserved to this day. There is an odd story about his being devoured by wolves, but scholars consider it a legendary attempt to explain his name in Gaelic.

May 11 Comgall, Abbot of Bangor (c. 517-603)

St. Comgall, born in Ulster, is considered one of the founders of Irish monasticism. After some years of tutelage under St. Fintan in the monastery of Cloneenagh and his ordination as a priest, Comgall retired to an island in Lough Erne with a few followers. The life of this community was so severe that Bishop Lugid, who had ordained Comgall, prevailed upon him to relax the rule in force there. Later, Comgall founded the great abbey of Bangor, which came to have about 3 thousand monks there and at daughter houses during Comgall’s reign. Many sought his spiritual mentorship, including St. Columban, who later carried many Bangor traditions to the Continent. The saint ventured overseas at least once on a missionary journey to the Picts of Scotland in the company of St. Colmcille. A metrical version of a monastic rule attributed to Comgall still exists.

May 14 Carthach, Bishop and Abbot (d. 637)

St. Carthach seems to have adopted his name from his mentor, St. Carthach the Elder, to whom he was known as “Mochuda,” or “my Cuda,” the last evidently being his given name. He is also known as Carthage. He was a swineherd of Castlemaine, Kerry, till coming under the tutelage of his mentor, who trained him as a monk and ordained him. Carthach lived for a time as a hermit at a place named Kiltulagh, but local ecclesiastical rivalries led him to remove to Bangor where he was directed by St. Comgall. After visiting a number of other monasteries, Carthach eventually settled at Rahan in present County Offaly, c. 595, establishing an abbey which is said to have eventually grown to 800 monks. Carthach’s rule for that house is extant, though not likely in its original form. The saint may also have held the bishopric of Fircall. The life at Rahan was very austere, a fact perhaps supplying the motive of two unhappy inmates who attempted to drown Carthach. In 635, the community was broken up when the monks were expelled by Blathmac, a hostile chieftain. After some wandering, Carthach and his followers settled on the banks of the Blackwater, where, on land donated by a local prince, they established the great abbey and school of Lismore. Here again, Carthach is said to have served as abbot-bishop, and is regarded as the founder of the see of Lismore. The saint at some point withdrew from the business of construction of the abbey to a cave in a nearby glen–Mochuda’s Inch–where he died in 637.

May 16 Brendan, Abbot of Clonfert (d. 577 or 583)

Despite the fact that St. Brendan is one of the best known of Ireland’s saints, the true story of his life is so embellished with legend that it is hard to arrive at very many undisputed details. He was probably born near Tralee. Brendan was under the tutelage of several different spiritual mentors in his youth. He was probably ordained a priest before he became a monk. There is little undisputed evidence to support the story of his far-flung adventures at sea and across the North Atlantic; he probably did voyage to Scotland, and possibly Wales. The most reliable fact about him is that he established the abbey at Clonfert, about 559. Brendan supposedly established a rule for Clonfert, which was dictated to him by an angel. Brendan reputedly died at Enach Duin, where he had gone to visit his sister, Brig, who led a religious community of women there. One thing that is unquestionable about Brendan is that he made an enormous spiritual impression upon his contemporaries.

May 30 Madelgisilus (d.c. 655)

This saint, also known as Mauguille, was a companion of St. Fursey, and accompanied him first to Britain, then to Gaul. Following the death of his friend, Madelgisilus joined the monastic community of Saint-Riquier, later withdrawing to a hermit’s life. He had fallen seriously ill when he was discovered in this state by an English recluse named Vulgan, who nursed him back to health. The two became great friends and lived a solitary life not far from each other, dying around the same time.

ISSUES:

–The Ohio Catholic Conference and Ohio Right to Life have lent their support to S.B. 123, The Ohio Human Life Protection Act, sponsored by Senators Kristina Roegner (R) and Sandy O’Brien (R). The measure would ban abortion in the State of Ohio, in the event that the Supreme Court should reverse Roe v. Wade. Contrary to what many on both sides of the abortion issue think, the most likely result of a reversal of the 1973 decision would not be an end to abortion, but a return of the issue to the purview of the states.

–On April 13, the full U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 9-7 to lift an injunction against Ohio’s 2017 law banning abortion planned solely on a diagnosis of Down Syndrome in the fetus. A federal district court had issued the initial injunction (2018), and a panel of the Sixth Circuit had upheld the injunction (2019). The latest ruling allows Ohio’s law to protect infants with Down Syndrome from abortion to go into effect.

–Another Ohio law which just went into effect with Governor DeWine’s signature in January has been blocked by the temporary injunction of a Hamilton County judge, in a suit brought by Planned Parenthood’s Ohio affiliate. The new law would have prohibited the dispensing of chemical abortion by telemedicine. The Trump administration had resisted Federal Drug Administration (FDA) efforts to loosen FDA regulations on dispensing the drugs, which are on a list of higher risk drugs subject to greater regulation. Abortion groups have been lobbying for a relaxation of the regulations, supposedly as a pandemic measure. The Biden Administration is now allowing remote prescription and delivery through the mail.

Do you have local news? Please send for inclusion in this report.

Fraternally,

Patrick J. Lally
lally8404@hotmail.com

MAJOR SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS OF APRIL

IRISH SAINTS OF APRIL

April 4 Tigernach, Bishop (d. 549) 

St. Tigernach (or Tierney) was baptized by St. Conleth of Kildare; St. Brigid may have been his godmother. One might say that St. Tigernach suffered the fate of St. Patrick in reverse: as a boy, he was kidnapped from Ireland by raiders from Britain. A British king gave him his freedom. After spending some time at the monastery of Rosnat in Scotland, he embarked upon a pilgrimage to Rome, returning thence to Ireland. He was consecrated bishop at Clogher and lived at his monastic foundation at Clones, County Monaghan. Tigernach became blind in his old age and spent his time in contemplative prayer.

April 7 Celsus, Archbishop of Armagh (1079-1129)

Celsus (Ceallach mac Aedha) was a member of a family in which the see of Armagh had become hereditary. Like many of his predecessors, he was a layman when chosen to succeed to the archbishopric in 1105, at the age of 26. Upon consecration, he proved to be a model bishop, conducting visitations, conserving the temporalities of the see, and restoring discipline. He held a great synod at Rath Breasail, at which he sought to enforce liturgical reforms and a new organization of the diocese. Celsus met considerable resistance to these measures. He is said to have rebuilt the cathedral of Armagh. He suffered from depredations carried out by the O’Briens and the O’Rourkes and was called upon at times to mediate among warring chiefs. Celsus was supported by St. Malachy in his efforts. At his death, Celsus broke the tradition of hereditary succession by nominating Malachy to succeed him. He is buried at Lismore. Some calendars place his feast on April 1.

April 10 Paternus of Abdinghof (d.1058)

St. Paternus was probably an Irishman, whose sojourning on the Continent brought him to Westphalia. There he entered the monastery of Abdinghof founded by St. Meinwerk. He adopted the life of a walled-up hermit. From his hermitage, he predicted the destruction of the city by fire unless the inhabitants repented. The fire came to pass; Paternus was among its victims. The Gregorian reformer St. Peter Damian was very impressed by St. Paternus.

April 15 Ruadan of Lothra, Abbot (d.c. 584)

This saint was born in western Leinster. He was a disciple of St. Finian of Clonard. In Tipperary, he founded a monastery at Lothra and served as its abbot. Beyond these details, much of what comes down to us about him is considered unreliable.

April 17 Donnan and his Companions, Martyrs (d. 618)

St. Donnan was one of the many Irish who followed St. Columba to Iona. Later, with 52 companions, he founded a monastery on the island of Eigg, in the Inner Hebrides. Robbers descended upon the place during the Easter liturgy in 618. The monks were permitted to finish and then murdered. Though robbery is cited as the motive, a story also recounts that the crime was instigated by a woman resentful of the loss of sheep pasturage to the foundation. A St. Donnan’s Well survives on Eigg, as well as several Scottish churches named for him.

April 18 Laserian, Abbot and Bishop of Leighlin (d.639)

Also known as Laisren or Molaisse, the early life of this saint is poorly documented. He may have spent several years at Iona, and then went to Rome, where he was ordained by Pope Gregory the Great. Later, he appears at Leighlin, in a monastery run by its founder, St. Goban. At a local synod held at White Fields, St. Laserian was notable as a defender of the Roman usages for Easter, as opposed to the Celtic usages still prevalent in Ireland. The synod could not reach agreement, and Laserian was sent to Rome with a deputation to seek the Pope’s assistance in settling the matter. There, Pope Honorius consecrated him bishop and named him legate for Ireland. Upon his return to Ireland, the saint seems to have settled the Easter controversy, at least in southern Ireland. Upon the resignation of St. Goban, Laserian assumed the abbacy at Leighlin, an office which he held until his death.

April 21 Malrubius, Abbot (d. 722)

Also known as Maelrubha, this saint became a monk at St. Comgall’s monastery at Bangor, County Down. At the age of 29, he went to Scotland, likely spending some time at Iona before going to the mainland. He established a church and monastery at Applecross in Ross, which served as his base of operations for the remainder of his life. He preached to the Picts, extending his reach to the Isle of Skye. The coast of Scotland between Applecross and Loch Broom contains a number of places named after him. An island in Loch Maree contains a spring dedicated to him which till recent times was sought for its healing properties, especially for insanity. The saint ruled as abbot at Applecross for 51 years, dying at the age of 80, though some accounts say he was martyred. His tomb is pointed out nearby.

April 23 Ibar, Bishop of Beggery (5th century)

Few reliable details are known of this man. He was likely a disciple of St. Patrick. He ran a famous monastic school on the island of Beggery (Beg-Eire) and is reputed to have lived to a great age.

April 27 Asicus, Bishop of Elphin (d.c. 470)

Also known as Tassach, this saint was a disciple of St. Patrick, a monk, and probably the first bishop of Elphin. He was said to have been a skilled brass worker or coppersmith, and also a married man. He resigned his see–accounts vary as to the reason–and retired to solitude on the island of Rathlin O’Birne in Donegal Bay for seven years. His monks eventually tracked him down. They tried to bring him back to his see, but he died on the way.

April 27 Maughold, Bishop of Man (d.c. 498)

Of Maughold, also known as Maccul, we know only what is found in some early lives of St. Patrick, who converted him from a life of crime and violence. To free him from association with his former companions, St. Patrick imposed exile from Ireland as a penance. He is said to have set off alone in a coracle without rudder or oars, finding his way to the Isle of Man. There, he was welcomed by two missionaries sent there by Patrick. From that time he led an austere and penitential life. He was chosen bishop over the Manx, possibly by acclamation and succeeded in evangelizing many there.

April 28 Cronan of Roscrea, Abbot (d.c. 626)

Cronan came from what is now County Offaly. He first entered monastic life at Puayd. He practiced the unusual charity of building houses which he then vacated to provide a home for any anchorite who needed one. He is said to have built about fifty, taking nothing with him when he left. St. Cronan is probably the founder of monasteries in Offaly at Lusmag and Monahincha, near Roscrea. By the bog of Monela, near Senross, he built himself a cell, where he spent the remainder of his life.

April 30 Forannan, Abbot (d.c. 982)

Forannan is said to have occupied an Irish bishopric at Domhnach-Mor, which cannot be identified. He is reported to have embarked for the Continent with twleve companions on the basis of a dream, in which an angel showed him a beautiful valley to which he was supposed to travel. Forannan concluded that the abbey of Waulsort on the Meuse was the placed pointed out to him. He was apparently appointed abbot in 962.

Forannan spent some time later at the abbey of Gorze in Lorraine on a trip back from Rome. There, he was seeking instruction in the Rule of St. Benedict, which Waulsort had either abandoned or never embraced. He succeeded in reforming the relaxed practices that had developed at Waulsort, and also persuaded the local nobles to observe the Truce of God in regard to all pilgrims visiting the abbey.

DEVELOPMENTS OF INTEREST:

–Numerous incidents have emerged over the past few months of Catholic individuals and groups facing censorship on social media. Some of these are likely attributable to algorithms not working as intended; in other incidents, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that the bias is intentional. On January 24, Catholic World Report found its Twitter account suspended after tweeting a news item describing Dr. Rachel Levine, the President’s appointee as Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services, as “a biological man identified as a transgender woman.” Twitter at first stood by the action, citing rules against hateful content, then reversed itself, with no explanation other than that an error had been made.

–As chronicled here, The U.S. Catholic bishops have been sounding the alarm about the threats to religious liberty and free speech, among other things, which the Equality Act represents. The measure has already passed the U.S. House of Representatives If you would like to send a message to your Senators regarding it, check the bishops’ website: www.usccb.org, click on “Issues and Actions,” then “Contact Public Officials.”

–The Catholic bishops of Ireland are concerned about a bill currently wending its way through the legislative process that would legalize the procedure. The Dail passed the bill in October, 81-71. It is backed by Sinn Fein, the Social Democrats, and the Labour Party. Besides the Catholic bishops, many Irish medical professionals and advocates for better palliative care for the elderly and terminally ill have expressed reservations about the act.

[Sources consulted for this report include: Butler’s Lives of the Saints, complete edition, ed. and rev. by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater; 4 vols. (New York, 1956); The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (New York, 1975); The National Catholic Register; ewtn.com; catholic.org; priestsforlife.org.]

Fraternally,

Patrick J. Lally
lally8404@hotmail.com

MAJOR SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS OF MARCH

IRISH SAINTS OF MARCH

March 5 Kieran of Saighir, Bishop  (d.c. 530)

This saint is also known as Kieran (or Ciaran) the Elder and is one of several sainted Kierans.  Details of his life are sketchy and disputed, and many fanciful stories revolve around him.  He lived for a time as a hermit, attracted a number of followers, and built a monastery which developed into the town of Saighir.  He is considered the first bishop of Ossory; he may have been one of the twelve bishops consecrated by St. Patrick.   St. Piran (or Perran), a Welsh hermit whose feast is celebrated the same day, is sometimes confused with him.

March 6 Fridolin, Abbot  (6th century?)

Reportedly an Irish priest who preached throughout Ireland and then wandered through Gaul preaching, Fridolin settled near Poitiers.  He is credited with the recovery, guided by a vision,  of the remains of the founder of St. Hilary’s monastery there.  He rebuilt the monastery, which had been destroyed during the barbarian invasions, and was elected abbot.  He later settled on Sackingham, an island in the Rhine,  and built a monastery, a convent,  and boys’ school there, serving as abbot of the monastery.  He was known as the Wanderer, or the Traveller.

March 8 Senan, Bishop (d. 560)

At least one authority on the subject lists twenty-two St. Senans and separating the details of their lives is not easy.  This man is known as Senan of Scattery Island.  He was of Munster origin and lived the life of a warrior before hearing a call to religious life. After tutelage under an abbot named Cassidus, Senan was sent to St. Natalis, abbot of Kilmanagh in Ossory.  Like many Irish saints, Senan made a pilgrimage to Rome, and on his journey home, made the acquaintance of St. David of Wales, whose staff Senan bore back to Ireland.  After spending some time in a community at Inishcarra, Senan was directed by divine signs to found a community on Scattery Island (Inish Cathaigh) in the estuary of the Shannon.  He was supposedly consecrated a bishop at some point, but no one knows over what see or when.

March 10 Kessog, Bishop and Martyr (6th century)

Kessog, or Mackessog, came of Munster royalty.  He went to Scotland to preach the Gospel and was consecrated a bishop there.  He is said to have suffered martyrdom, but exactly how or where is uncertain.  The Scots formerly invoked him in battle, before St. Andrew replaced him in this regard, and he is depicted in iconography as an archer.  Several place names in Scotland testify to his veneration there in Catholic times.

March 10 Himelin (d.c. 750)

Little is known of this saint, except that he died in the Low Countries as he was returning from a pilgrimage to Rome.  A local parish priest nursed him in his final illness, which was marked by miraculous events.

March 11 Oengus, Abbot and Bishop (d.c. 824)

Oengus, or Aengus,  entered the monastery of Clonenagh at Leix, then well-known for its size, learning, and sanctity.  A few years later, he took up the life of a hermit a few miles away.   Still later, he moved along to the abbey of Tallaght, near Dublin, where for years he concealed his identity from the abbot.  This was probably in order to be able to lead a more retiring life, since over the years his reputation for sanctity had spread and brought him unwelcome attention. Toward the end of his years, Oengus returned to Clonenagh, where he was reportedly made abbot and bishop.  In his final years, Oengus completed his metrical hymn in honor of the saints, the Felire, over which he had labored for many years.  Oengus died at his nearby hermitage.  He is known as the Hagiographer, because of his hymn, and the Culdee (God’s Vassal), due to his strict asceticism.

March 13 Mochoemoc, Abbot (7th century)

Mochoemoc was the nephew of St. Ita, under whose tutelage he grew in the spiritual life until she sent the young man to St. Comgall at Bangor Abbey, County Down, where he was ordained.  Comgall seems to have set Mochoemoc the mission of sowing a new establishment, and in fact Mochoemoc founded several.  His best known foundation was at Liath-mor in County Tipperary.  The saint lived there to an advanced age.

March 13 Gerald of Mayo, Abbot (d. 732)

Gerald was an Englishman, a Northumbrian monk of Lindisfarne.  After the Synod of Whitby imposed the Roman Easter observance over the Celtic one, a decision which Colman could not abide, a group of English novices accompanied St. Colman and his Irish followers back to Ireland.  A community was established on Inishboffin.  Though the Irish and English monks of the foundation agreed on liturgical usage, they evidently disagreed on enough other matters to cause Colman to erect a separate house on the adjacent Mayo coast for the English monks.  It is not known whether Gerald was an original English member of Colman’s group or came later;  many English monks did come later, as the place had a reputation as a “school for the Saxons.”  Colman was at first abbot of both house, but was succeeded by Gerald as abbot of the English one.  Gerald is sometimes said to have been a bishop, but it is likely that this results from confusion over the likelihood that Gerald enjoyed some sort of privileges as a protector and patron of his countrymen in Ireland.  Gerald probably lived to see the imposition of the Roman Easter usage upon his abbey.

March 16 Finnian Lobhar, Abbot  (d.c. 560?)

Finnian was said to be of Munster royalty, though he was born in Leinster, from which his mother hailed.  His dates are far from certain.  Finnian gained a reputation as a miraculous healer.  He obtained the title “Lobhar”–Leper–after he willingly took on the disease to cure a young man afflicted by it.  He may have ended his days as abbot of Clonmore.

March 17 Patrick, Archbishop  (c. 389-c. 461)

Most of us know at least the outline of the story of the Apostle of Ireland, and at least some of the legends about him.  The son of Calpurnius, a Romano-British official, born somewhere in the Roman province of Britain, he was carried off into slavery by Irish raiders when he was about 16.  After serving as a shepherd for 6 years, probably in Mayo or Antrim, he escaped, and made his way to Gaul.  He seems to have studied at the monasterey of Lerins, 412-15, and was probably ordained c. 417.  Patrick harbored the desire, encouraged by a vision which he experienced, to return and evangelize the pagan Irish.  In about 432, consecrated bishop by St. Germanus, he was sent back to Ireland to carry on the work of St. Palladius, who had died the previous year.  Most of the remainder of his life was spent in this task, as he travelled throughout the island, encountering the potentially deadly opposition of many pagan chieftains and the Druidic priests.  In 442 and 444, he visited Rome.  He made Armagh his episcopal see, cementing its role in the history of the Irish Church.  Besides his many conversions, Patrick brought the Irish Church into closer union with Rome, encouraged the study of Latin,  and raised the standards of scholarship in general.  Among surviving writings, we have his Confession, an answer to some of his detractors, which contains many details of his life, his Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus, denouncing murders committed by Welsh Christian marauders against their fellow Christians in Ireland, and his prayer, The Lorica.  Patrick’s tomb is believed to be at Downpatrick, with Saints Brigid and Columba.

March 18 Frigidian, Bishop  (d.c. 588)

Frigidian was an Irish priest, who during a pilgrimage to Italy, resolved to become a hermit on Monte Pisano near Lucca.  Eventually he unwillingly accepted the bishopric of Lucca under pressure from the pope.  He fled the Lombard invasion of Lucca, returning later to rebuild the cathedral destroyed by the barbarians.  He was noted for his solicitude for the suffering and sick, even those among the conquerors, many of whom he converted.  Frigidian retired to his hermitage from time to time.  He also founded and presided over a community of clergy, later organized as canons regular,  who even five centuries later were seen as models for reform.  He is better known in Italy as Frediano, and is still the patron of the cathedral of Lucca.

March 18 Christian, Abbot (d. 1186)

Christian was a disciple of St. Malachy and would appear to be one of the four men who remained behind at Clairvaux, taking the Cistercian habit, when Malachy passed through there returning from his pilgrimage to Rome.  Malachy, desirous of bringing the Cistercians to Ireland, applied to his friend St. Bernard, who sent Christian and several French monks.  Christian became the first abbot of the first Cistercian house in Ireland.  It is possible that Blessed Christian was bishop of Lismore and papal legate in Ireland.

March 22 Enda, Abbot (c. 450-c. 530)

Enda was a warrior, possibly of Oriel in Ulster, whose sister, St. Fanchea, was a consecrated virgin. Fanchea persuaded him to give up raiding and violence and adopt Christianity, and later to embrace the monastic life and the priesthood.  Enda may have studied abroad, in Scotland or Britain, and may have been to Rome.   He established perhaps the first Irish monastery, at Killeany on Inismor, in the Aran Islands, and became its abbot.  The monasterey became a pilgrimage site as well as a center from which evangelization spread back to the mainland of Ireland.  Enda founded several other monasteries and shares with St. Finnian of Clonard the title Father of Irish Monasticism.

March 26 Macartan, Bishop  (d.c. 505) 

Little is known of this saint.  He is considered the first bishop of Clogher, and may have been consecrated by St. Patrick.

FROM THE LORICA OF ST. PATRICK

I arise today through the strength of heaven:  light of sun, brilliance of moon, splendor of fire, speed of lightning, swiftness of wind, depth of sea, stability of earth, firmness of rock.

NEWS OF INTEREST:

–On February 5, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that California may not ban indoor religious services, but must apply the same standards to churches as to commercial enterprises.  The Court allowed that the State may restrict some activities such as singing.  In a concurring opinion, Justices Thomas and Gorsuch stated that they would favor removal of all right to impose restrictions.  The dissenting opinion of Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan would have upheld the State’s authority to issue an outright ban on indoor worship.

–Despite this ruling, Santa Clara County has reimposed a total ban on indoor services, alleging that its standards differ from those of Governor Newsom.

–On February 10, the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court upheld the right of religious institutions to appont employees who adhere to its teachings.  St. Andrew the Apostle parish of the Archdiocese of Chicago had been sued by a school employee who was fired following her contracting of a same-sex marriage.

–LifeSiteNews has been “permanently” banned from YouTube, allegedly because of fostering false information about the COVID-19 epidemic.

–February 11: Anna Stephens, President of Cardinals for Life, a pro-life student organization at Catholic University of America, has resigned from her position, stating that she was pressured into indefinitely postponing an appearance by Abby Johnson. The pressure was allegedly brought to bear by Father Jude DeAngelo, OFM Conv, a chaplain to the group. Abby Johnson is the former Planned Parenthood clinic director whose conversion to the pro-life movement is chronicled in the movie Unplanned. Johnson, a convert to Catholicism, is apparently being “cancelled” by activist groups who have fastened on some of her remarks regarding possible police practices and her mixed-race son, characterizing her as a racist. She is also considered to be “homophobic.” The appearance did occur anyway, since the College Republicans took up her sponsorship.

–Five bishops who chair committees with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) have written a letter to Congress opposing the Equality Act (H.R. 5).  The five, their sees, and their committees are Michael Barber, Oakland, Catholic Education;  Archbishop Paul Coakley, Oklahoma City, Domestic Justice and Human Development;  Cardinal Timothy Dolan, New York, Religious LIberty; David Konderla, Tulsa, Promotion and Defense of Marriage; and Archbishop Joseph Nauman, Kansas City, Pro-Life Activities.  The bishops decried the imposition of “novel and divisive viewpoints” regarding gender, and expressed their concern about the consequences for the pro-life movement, religious employees and charities, freedom of speech, women’s sports, and sex-specific facilities such as gyms, restrooms, and homeless shelters.  Nevertheless, the House passed the measure February 25, with the support of all the Democrats and 3 Republicans.

[Sources consulted for this report include:  Butler’s Lives of the Saints, complete edition, ed. and rev. by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater; 4 vols. (New York, 1956);  The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (New York, 1975); The National Catholic Register; ewtn.com; catholic.org; priestsforlife.org; catholicnewsagency.com.]

A Happy St. Patrick’s Day to All,

Patrick J. Lally
lally8404@hotmail.com

MAJOR SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS OF JANUARY

IRISH SAINTS OF FEBRUARY

February 1 Brigid, Abbess  (c. 450-525)

Brigid’s name is also spelled Bridget and Bride. She was born near Dundalk, Louth. By legend, her father was Dubhthach, a chieftain of Leinster, and her mother Brocca, a slave. Her parents were baptized by St. Patrick. Even as a child, Brigid aspired to the consecrated life. Besides Patrick himself, with whom she always held a close friendship, Brigid was mentored in her early religious life by St. Macaille of Croghan and St. Mel of Armagh. After earlier establishments under the mentorship of the latter two saints, she founded a double monastery at Kildare about 470, the first in Ireland, and was abbess of the female convent. This foundation developed a reputation for scholarship and sanctity and was the kernel of the cathedral city of Kildare. Brigid’s learning and sanctity are reflected in the numerous legends that have grown up around her. She was the inspiration of the many consecrated virgins of the Irish Church. The “Mary of the Gael,” her tomb is at Downpatrick, with Sts. Columba and Patrick, with the latter of whom she shares the title of patron of Ireland.

February 3 Ia, Virgin (6th century)

Little reliable evidence exists regarding St. Ia. She is reported to have been a hermitess who lived in Cornwall, having been miraculously transported there from Ireland after missing travel connections with her companions.

February 5 Indractus and Dominica, Martyrs (c. 710)

Little is known of these saints, who were brother and sister. They were reportedly murdered by Saxons near Glastonbury, England, on their way to or from Rome. Their relics were venerated at Glastonbury Abbey during the Middle Ages.

February 5 Vodalus (d.c. 720)

This saint, also known as Voel, was either an Irishman or a Scot, who went to Gaul to preach and lived as a hermit near Soissons.

February 6 Mel and Melchu, Bishops (5th Century)

An unreliable legend makes these two brothers nephews of St. Patrick who accompanied him on his return to Ireland. The two were said to be bishops, though of what sees is not certain. Mel was cleared by St. Patrick of a rumored scandalous relationship with an aunt, though Patrick ordered them to live apart.

February 9 Alto, Abbot  (d.c. 760)

Alto was probably an Irishman.  He took up the life of a hermit near Augsburg, in Germany, in about 743. Impressed by his holiness, the local Germanic king gave him a parcel of land near Altomunster, Bavaria, where he constructed a monastery.

February 9 Marianus Scotus (d. 1088)

Marianus, or Muiredach mac Robartaigh, seems to have been born in Donegal. After assuming monastic garb and being ordained a priest, he and some companions departed for the Continent, apparently intending a pilgrimage to Rome. What started as a temporary stop in the diocese of Regensburg ended up being a lifelong commitment, when this band of Irish pilgrims took up residency in a double monastic community there. Marianus came into his own there as a skilled copyist and calligrapher, and a poet and theologian as well.

February 12 Ludan  (d. 1202?)

Ludan was either a Scot or an Irishman. He used an ample inheritance to construct a hostel for travelers and the infirm, and then set out on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. On his way home, passing through Alsace, he received an intimation of his imminent death, which was itself heralded by miraculous events. His relics were venerated in the area till they were evidently destroyed during the Thirty Years War.

February 13 Modomnoc (6th century)

Modomnoc was an Irish monk who went to Wales, where he studied under St. David and also served as beekeeper for the saint’s monastic community. According to legend, he introduced bees to Ireland, when a swarm followed him there upon his return. He settled at Tibraghny, Kilkenny, and reportedly was later bishop of Ossory.

February 15 Tanco, Abbot and Bishop (d. 808)

Also known as Tatto, this man was an Irish monk who went to Amalbarich Abbey in Saxony, where he eventually became the abbot. He evangelized in Cleves and Flanders and was eventually a bishop in Saxony. Tanco was martyred, though accounts differ as to the circumstances of his martyrdom.

February 17 Loman, Bishop (7th century?)

Unreliable legends identify Loman as a relative of St. Patrick who accompanied him to Ireland. It is more likely that he is a 7th century bishop of Trim, about whom little is known.

February 17 Fintan, Abbot (d. 603)

One of a number of sainted Fintans, this man was a monk trained by St. Columba. He led an eremetical life at Cloneenagh, eventually becoming abbot of the community which grew up around him. He was known for his gifts of prophecy and clairvoyance and had many miracles attributed to him.

February 17 Finan, Bishop (d. 661)

Finan was an Irish monk of Iona. He succeeded St. Aidan as second bishop of Lindisfarne, a diocese which at the time encompassed all of Northumbria, Durham, and York. Finan opposed the adoption of Roman liturgical practices to replace the Celtic usages. He was a friend of King Oswy of Northumbria, and did much to evangelize the kingdoms which lay to the south as well.

February 18 Colman, Bishop (d. 676)

There are a number of sainted Colmans, but this one was an Irishman and the third bishop of Lindisfarne. He reigned only three years, but his reign was a momentous one, since during it the controversy between the Celtic and Roman usages, especially over the date of Easter, came to a head in the British Isles. Reportedly, King Oswy of Northumbria sought a solution when he found, to his consternation, that members of the royal household did not agree on when to celebrate Easter. The English monastic historian Bede relates the debates at the ensuing Synod of Whitby (663), the winning argument being that the pope, as successor of Peter, had received the power of the keys, whereas the followers of St. Columba had not. Colman found that he could not accept the Roman usage, resigned his bishopric, and returned to Ireland, where he founded a monastery on Inishbofin. Rome chose not to press the issue of Easter with many of the Irish congregations, reasoning (correctly) that time would bring a resolution.

NEWS OF INTEREST:

PRO-LIFE, CONSCIENCE RIGHTS, RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

–On December 3, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated a Ninth Circuit ruling which had upheld California’s pandemic restrictions on indoor worship. The order sends the matter back to the lower courts. And on December 28, the Second Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals, ordered that New York’s caps on numbers at religious worship must be suspended while the suits brought against the caps are pending. One of the suits was brought by the Diocese of Brooklyn. These cases follow a decision November 25 by the Supreme Court sending the Brooklyn case back to the lower courts, after a finding that the caps are discriminatory against religious worship. Other cases from throughout the nation are pending.

–A line from Justice Neil Gorsuch in the November rulings: “…there is no world in which the Constitution tolerates color-coded executive edicts that reopen liquor stores and bike shops but shutter churches, synagogues and mosques.”

–More court news: on January 11, the Supreme Court gave Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak (D) eight days in which to respond to a Protestant congregation which is arguing that pandemic restrictions in place are discriminatory against religious worship. On the same day, however, the Court declined to hear an appeal against Pittsburgh’s restrictions on pro-life presence outside abortion clinics. Pittsburgh mandates a “buffer zone” between pro-life groups and abortion clinics.

–In a January 5 op-ed in the New York Post, Cardinal Dolan of New York denounced the recent vandalism at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and spoke of the positive role that the Cathedral and the Church at large play in our society. Perhaps of interest to Hibernians, the Cardinal made reference to the Know-Nothing era of the mid-nineteenth century and to John Hughes, the first Archbishop of New York, who was openly and vocally defiant of the Know Nothings. One modern historian has written that Hughes was taken seriously, due to the fact that he had “a substantial body of Irishmen at his back.”

–Many pro-life and religious liberty advocates are concerned over President-elect Biden’s choice of California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Besides being an activist lawyer and not possessing any background in medicine or public health, Becerra has a troubling record in regard to these issues. Becerra continued the prosecution of David Daleiden (begun by his predecessor, Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris) for his expose of Planned Parenthood’s trafficking in fetal body parts. Along with some other state AG’s, he has dragged the Little Sisters of the Poor back into court over their battle to gain exemption from mandated support of abortion, sterilization, and artificial contraception. He fought all the way to the Supreme Court (and lost) to uphold California’s FACT Law, which required pro-life pregnancy centers to advertise for abortion clinics. He has been defying the HHS Office of Civil Rights over a state requirement that employers cover abortion despite objections of conscience. Since many of the Trump administration’s measures to protect conscience rights in the health field are based upon HHS rules and regulations, they can easily be reversed by a new regime at the agency.

[Sources consulted for this report include:  Butler’s Lives of the Saints, complete edition, ed. and rev. by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater; 4 vols. (New York, 1956);  The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (New York, 1975); The National Catholic Register; ewtn.com; catholic.org; priestsforlife.org; catholicnewsagency.com.]

Fraternally,

Patrick J. Lally
lally8404@hotmail.com

MAJOR SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS OF JANUARY

IRISH SAINTS OF JANUARY

January 2 Munchin (7th century)

Munchin , called The Wise, is the patron saint of Limerick, and probably came from County Clare. He is also known as Maincin (Little Monk).  Tradition avers that he was a bishop, but scholars doubt this.

January 15 Ita (d.c. 570)

Ita was supposedly of royal lineage and was born in one of the baronies of Decies, Waterford, Ireland.  After refusing to marry, she secured her father’s permission to embrace perpetual virginity.  At Killeedy, Limerick, she founded a religious community of women and also a school for boys, among the graduates of which may have been St. Brendan.  Many extravagant miracles are attributed to her.  She is also known as Deirdre, Ida, or Mida.

January 16 Fursey (d.c. 648)

Fursey stands out among early Irish saints in having biographical details fairly abundant and in reliable sources.  He was probably born on Inisquin in Lough Corri, of an aristocratic family.  He built a monastery, probably at Killursa, to which many disciples came.  Fursey often fell into trance-like or ecstatic states, in which he experienced terrifying visions of demonic influences upon sinful men.  After about twelve years of preaching throughout Ireland, he travelled to East Anglia in Britain with his brothers Foillan and Ultan.  There, they founded a monastery at Burgh Castle near Yarmouth, under the patronage of King Sigebert.   Fursey later sojourned in Neustria on the continent, where he was welcomed by King Clovis II, founded a monastery at Lagny, and died shortly thereafter.

January 18 Deicolus (c. 530-c. 625)

Deicolus, also known as Desle,  may have been the elder brother of St. Gall, born in Leinster, and was one of the twelve disciples of Columban who accompanied him to Gaul in 576.  He worked with Columban in Austrasia and Burgundy.  Age prevented him from accompanying Columban when he was expelled in 610.  Deicolus founded a monastery at Lure and lived as a hermit in his later years.  Columban is supposed to have asked Deicolus once why he was always smiling, receiving the reply: “Because no one can take God from me.”

January 19 Albert of Cashel (7th or 8th century)                                                     

A great deal of confusion surrounds the life of this saint.  Albert was a priest from among the Angles , who sojourned in Ireland and in Bavaria on the continent.  He has been associated with the see of Cashel, but the story that he was its bishop cannot be true, since the bishopric did not exist at the time of his alleged reign there. The story of his friendship with St. Erhard is also problematic, since they may not have been contemporaries.  He is said to have died in Regensberg, Germany, on his way home from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

January 19 Fillan, Abbot (8th century)                                                                     

Fillan, also known as Foelan, was the son of Feriach and St. Kentigerna.  He took monastic vows at a young age.  He accompanied his royal Leinster mother to Scotland, living as a hermit near St. Andrew’s for years, before being elected abbot.  Later, he resigned the abbacy and resumed his eremetic life in Perthshire.  Extravagant miracles are attributed to him.  One story relates that after a wolf had killed an ox he was using to haul materials to his church, his prayers induced the wolf to take the place of the ox.

January 20 Fechin, Abbot (d.665)                                                                 

Fechin was probably born at Luighne (Leyney), Connaught.  He was the founding abbot of Fobhar (Fore), Westmeath, and perished during a plague which swept Ireland in 665.

January 23 Miambod (d.c. 880)                                                                                

Also known as Mainboeuf, he was an Irish missionary on the continent, slain in Alsace by hostile pagans.

January 31 Aidan, Bishop (d. 626)                                                                

Unreliable legends cloud our knowledge of this saint, also known as Maedoc.  He was born in Connaught.  After a stay in Leinster, he travelled to St. David’s in Wales, where he studied Scripture. He is said to have miraculously repelled several Saxon attacks there.  Later he returned to Ireland, founded a monasterey at Ferns, Wexford, and eventually was consecrated bishop there.  He was known as a man of great kindness to man and animal alike.  He is represented in art as a stag; this stems from a story that he once rendered a stag invisible to save it from hounds.

January 31 Adamnan of Coldingham (d.c. 680)                                                       

Not to be confused with the better known Adamnan, who was abbot of Iona, this Adamnan was an Irish monk of Coldingham, off the southeast coast of Scotland.  He was known for his austerity and his gift of prophecy.

NEWS AND ISSUES

–On December 3, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated a Ninth Circuit ruling against an appeal by several California churches who have challenged Governor Gavin Newsom’s ban on indoor services in some areas.  The ruling stemmed from the Court’s December 3 ruling in Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo that the State of New York’s standards were discriminatory against religious services.  In effect, a federal district court will have to reconsider its initial ruling in favor of the State of California.  Meanwhile, the Ninth Circuit itself vacated a lower court ruling against a Protestant congregation in Chula Vista, sending the case back to the lower court.  San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone has been a vocal opponent of the state’s measures.

–The Supreme Court’s Brooklyn decision, an unsigned decision concurred in by Alito, Barrett, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Thomas, contains at least one memorable line: “… even in a pandemic, the Constitution cannot be put away and forgotten.”

–The National March for Life will take place January 29, in Washington, D.C.  There are many local observances scheduled throughout the country.

[Sources consulted for this report include:  Butler’s Lives of the Saints, complete edition, ed. and rev. by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater; 4 vols. (New York, 1956);  The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (New York, 1975); The National Catholic Register; ewtn.com; catholic.org; priestsforlife.org; catholicnewsagency.com; usccb.org.]

Fraternally,

Patrick J. Lally
lally8404@hotmail.com

MAJOR SAINTS AND FEAST DAYS OF DECEMBER

IRISH SAINTS OF DECEMBER

December 12 Finnian of Clonard (c.470-c.549)

One of at least three saintly Finnians, this Irish saint may have been born at Myshall, Carlow, Ireland.  He may have spent some years in Welsh monasteries.  Later he founded several monasteries in Ireland, including Clonard, in Meath, which for many centuries was renowned for Biblical scholarship.  Though often referred to as a bishop, there is not solid evidence of his consecration, but Finnian was certainly mentor and teacher to many who went on to spread the faith throughout Ireland and beyond.

December 18 Flannan (7th century)

Son of an Irish chieftain, he received a monastic education.  On a pilgrimage to Rome, he was consecrated bishop by Pope John IV.  Upon returning, he settled at Killaloe and is considered its first bishop.

December 20 Ursicinus (d.c. 625)

Probably an Irishman, he was a disciple of St. Columban on the Continent, founded a monastery at St. Ursanne in present-day Switzerland, and evangelized the local people.

December 29 Aileran the Wise (d. 664)

Nothing is known of Aileran’s early life.  We know that St. Finian induced him to enter the monasterey at Clonard, where Aileran became known as one of the most erudite scholars of this erudite group of monks.  He knew Greek as well as Latin, and studied the Eastern and Western Fathers.  Aileran’s works include lives of Sts. Patrick and Brigid and a commentary on the genealogy of Jesus which was popular in the Middle Ages.

NEWS AND ISSUES

–Organizers are planning for the annual March for Life, to be held January 29, 2021, on the Mall in Washington, D.C., though what impact continuing pandemic restrictions may have upon it is not clear.  

–On the night of October 18, St. Germaine Catholic Church in Prescott Valley, AZ, was the target of vandals, who pulled down exterior statues of Mary and Jesus.  A fire of suspicious origin broke out on November 15, at Sacred Heart Church in Brewster, WA.  A nearby Baptist church had a suspicious fire on the same date.  These are only some of the most recent incidents of a trend which continues of vandalism, desecration, and suspected arson targeting Christian, and especially Catholic, churches.

–Cardinal Archbishop Sean O’Malley was joined by two other Massachusetts bishops in condemning legislation working its way through the state legislature which would further loosen the state’s abortion laws, allowing abortion up to the point of birth in some cases and allowing those 16 and older to obtain abortion without parental consent.

–Dioceses throughout the country continue to struggle with pandemic restrictions, some of which are blatantly discriminatory against public worship as compared to shopping, dining, getting a tan or a perm, demonstrating, and even rioting.  The Archdiocese of Brooklyn, unsuccessful in lower courts, has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear its argument that state restrictions on gatherings are unfairly targeting public worship, by, for instance, in some cases restricting attendance to 10 or 25 people, in churches which are very large.

–Nov. 16:  Los Angeles Archbishop Gomez, president of the American Catholic’s Bishop Conference (USCCB) has appointed Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron to head a task force to address policies of a likely Biden-Harris administration which contradict Catholic teaching on abortion, religious freedom, and marriage.  Archbishop Gomez noted that while a Democratic administration presents “opportunities,” it also presents “challenges,” where expected policies conflict with core Catholic beliefs and practices.

[Sources consulted for this report include:  Butler’s Lives of the Saints, complete edition, ed. and rev. by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater; 4 vols. (New York, 1956);  The Liturgy of the Hours According to the Roman Rite (New York, 1975); The National Catholic Register; ewtn.com; catholic.org; priestsforlife.org; catholicnewsagency.com.]

Fraternally,

Patrick J. Lally
330-792-7135
lally8404@hotmail.com