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EDWARD C. SELLNER
BOSTON
PUBLIC
LIBRARY
of Che
 Digitized by tile Internet Arcliive
in 2015

https://archive.org/details/wisdomofcelticsaOOsell
 ZJO isdom

EDWARD C. SELLNER

Illustrations by Susan McLean-Keeney

AVE MARIA PRESS Notre Dame, Indiana 46556

 Edward Sellner is associate professor of
pastoral theology and spirituality at the College
of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he
is also director of the masters program in theology.
Sellner, who holds a doctorate in theology from
the University of Notre Dame, is the author of
numerous journal articles. His books include
Mentoring: The Ministry of Spiritual Kinship (Ave
Maria Press) and Soul-Making: The Telling of a
Spiritual Journey (Twenty-Third Publications).

Artist Susan McLean-Keeney is a graduate of the Fine Arts program of

the University of Minnesota where she also earned a master's degree in
art history. As a Fulbright Exchange Teacher in and a frequent traveller
to the British Isles, she has visited and studied many of the Celtic holy
sites which she illustrates. McLean-Keeney is an art instructor at Coon
Rapids High School and has taught for Inver Hills Community College,
both in Minnesota.

© 1993 by Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, IN 46556

No part of this book may be used or reproduced
All rights reserved.
in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except
in the case of reprints in the context of reviews.

International Standard Book Number: 0-87793-492-4

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 92-74778
Cover and text design by Elizabeth J. French
Printed and bound in the United States of America.
 For my students, past and present,
and
for Thomas Merton, my guide

In every generation wisdom lives in holy souls

and makes them friends of God.
(Wisdom 7:27)

Friendship is nothing else but wisdom.

(Aelred of Rievaulx)
 Table of Contents
Preface 8
Maps of Main Celtic Monastic Sites 10/11
Introduction 13
The Early Celtic Church 15
Celtic Spirituality 21
Spiritual Kinship with Jesus 28
Symbols and Sacred Numbers 31
Listening with the Heart 42

Stories and Sayings From Celtic Lives 47

Aidan of Lindisfame 49
Brendan of Clonfert 57
Brigit of Kildare 69
Canair of Bantry Bay 77
Ciaran of Clonmacnois 79
Columcille of lona 89
Cuthbert of Lindisfame 101
David of Wales 113
Ethne and Fedelm of Connacht 123
Findbarr of Cork 126
Hild of Whitby 136
la of Cornwall 146
Itaof Killeedy 148
Kevin of Glendalough 156
Maedoc of Ferns 166
Monesan of Britain 174
Non of Wales 176
Patrick of Armagh 180
Samthann of Clonbroney 192
Conclusion 201
Bibliography 206

7
 Preface
been an intellectual interest of mine for
Celtic spirituality has
years, although, because of my Irish ancestors from County Mayo,
it has probably lived deep within me at an unconscious level much
longer. I became acquainted with the history of the early Irish
church as a graduate student at the University of Notre Dame while
researching the ministry of soul friendship for my doctoral disser-
tation. In 1982, when I visited England and Ireland for the first time
with my wife, JoAnne, I was profoundly affected by the rugged
beauty of the mountains, forests, lakes, and seashores, the carvings
of the saints on the high crosses, and, not least, the friendliness of
the people. Since that trip I have taught courses on the history of
Celtic Christianity at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Min-
nesota, given retreats and workshops on Celtic spirituality and
soul friendship in parishes and at national conferences, and written
extensively on those subjects, especially as they relate to lay leader-
ship. Over the past decade I have also made numerous journeys to
important monastic sites in Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales
where the Celtic saints once lived. My appreciation of Celtic history
and spirituality has been enriched by the comments and questions
of my students, and in unexpected ways my trips abroad have
deeply touched both my imagination and my heart. As a result of
those experiences, I am acutely aware of the living presence of the
past and of our ability even now to communicate with the saints in
prayer— and they with us.
As Thomas Merton's The Wisdom of the Desert introduced
readers to the desert Christians of the third and fourth centuries
who acted as spiritual guides, I hope this book will acquaint more
people with those spiritual leaders of the early Celtic church who
lived from the fifth through the eighth centuries. These men and
women were influenced significantly by the earlier stories and
ministries of the desert Christians, primarily lay people who lived
in Palestine, Syria, and Egypt. While the desert Christians referred
to their spiritual guides as abbas (fathers) or ammas (mothers), the
word the early Celtic Christians used to describe their own tradi-
mentors was anamchara, Gaelic for "friend of the
tion of spiritual
soul" or simply "soul friend." An anamchara is someone with
whom we can share our greatest joys and deepest fears, confess

8
our worst sins and most persistent faults, clarify our highest hopes
and perhaps most unarticulated dreams. A saying, found in the
medieval Book ofLeinster, attests to the widespread popularity of
soul-friendship in the early Celtic church. St. Brigit, Ireland's
best-known female saint, is quoted as telling a cleric who visits
her regularly that "anyone without a soul friend is like a body
without a head." Although this form of ministry was eventually
identified in the Roman Catholic church with the ordained priest
in the sacrament of reconciliation, in the earliest days of Celtic
Christianity such relationships were open to lay people and or-
dained, women and men alike.
The stories and sayings of the Celtic saints found in this book
come from a variety of sources. Some were discovered while I was
doing research at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, England, and at
St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, Ireland, during a leave of absence

from my teaching. Others I have found in various sources since

my return to the United States. Stories from two of the Irish
women saints' Lives, those of Ita and Samthann, were especially
translated for this book by Irish scholars Reverend Diarmuid
O'Laoghaire, S.J., and Reverend Peter O'Dwyer, O. Carm., while
a colleague, George Rochefort, translated one of the stories of St.
Brigit. I am grateful to them for their contribution. Because most
of the other Lives were translated in the late nineteenth or early
twentieth centuries, I have modernized the translations when
appropriate and, of course, edited the selections. Enhanced by the
artwork of my friend, Susan McLean-Keeney, I hope they will be
conducive to reflection, meditation, and prayer.
This book is dedicated to my students at the College of St.

Catherine, who continue to teach me much about women's com-

petence, leadership, and spirituality. It is also dedicated to Thomas
Merton, whom I never met in person, but who has inspired me
with his writings, the stories of his life, and certain dreams in
which he has appeared. In Merton's journal, written a few years
before his death in 1968, he writes: "I am reading about Celtic
monasticism, the hermits, the lyric poets, the pilgrims, the sea
travelers, etc. A whole new world that has waited until now to
open up for me."
I hope this book will open up for you, the reader, new

horizons too.

9
 Main Celtic
Monastic Sites
Ireland

Bango]

• Glencolumbkille Nendrum •

Downpatrick
Inishmurray ^ Devenish
Armagh

Louth

Kells

• Mayo clonbroney
Monasterboicc

Inisboffm< A t^j Clonard* Finglas

Anaghdown ^
* Clonmacnois • • Tallagh
• Durrow
Clonf ert •
^. Kildare •
^
Birr Glendalough
Aran Islands Kilfenora « Saighir
•^DysertO'Dea
Kilkenny
Scattery Island •
Cashel^

KUleedy
Emly ^^^^ •Ferns

Ardfert • • Lismore
Gallerus •

^ .Cork
Ardmore ^MHP
Gougane Barra

Skellig
Michael
 Main Celtic
Monastic Sites
England,
Scotland
and Wales

Glasgow , • Lindisfame
Melrose
4>

• Whitby

tonbury Canterbiuy*

St. Michael's Mount

 Introduction
Sometimes a place holds memories that predate our own
personal experiences or recollections. On the banks of the Shan-
non River in the heart of Ireland stand the ruins of an ancient Celtic
monastery that was once one of Ireland's largest, a place of learn-
ing and of pilgrimage. Though few trees grow there now, grass
colors the site with many shades of green, and, like one of its main
rivals, St. Kevin's monastery at Glendalough, it has its share of
crosses marking numerous graves. Two large round towers once
used as bell-towers to call the monks to prayer and as look-out
points to warn them of invading Vikings still stand. Down the
road from what was once the men's monastic buildings lie the
ruins of the Nuns' Church where centuries ago religious women
gathered throughout the day and night to pray. On the grounds
of the monastery itself four high crosses, beautifully carved out of
stone, attract attention. Though the bright colors of their original
paint have long since faded, darkened by the weather and the
passage of time, the images on the crosses still tell the story of Jesus
and the lives of the Celtic saints.
The most stunning of these crosses stands before the west
door of what is left of one of the churches. Called the Cross of the
Scriptures because of its depiction of the crucifixion on one side
and Christ in his glory on the other, it also shows scenes of a king
of Ireland helping the founder of the monastery build the first
church, and of reconciliation between two hostile Irish kings,
possibly brought about through the ministry of a later abbot.
This is the home of St. Ciaran, one of the earliest founders of
Celtic monasticism. The monastery he founded in 545 is Clonmac-
nois, next to Armagh
the most prominent home of religion and
culture in the early Irish church. Here missionaries were trained
who would take the Christian faith to Britain and continental
Europe; here men and women, numbering as many as a thousand,
perhaps more, prayed for and ministered to each other for almost
six hundred years.
An early story in the Book ofLismore, a medieval manuscript,
tells who at an early age
of this Ciaran, the son of a chariot-maker,
leaves his parents in order to learn wisdom. His search for wisdom
becomes a lifelong pursuit, and the wisdom he acquires seems to

13
come as a result of his deep friendship with certain spiritual
mentors. From his teacher, Firmian of Clonard, Ciaran learns the
art of healing and the importance of teaching wisdom to others,
beginning with the young daughter of an Irish king. From his
spiritual guide Enda he is given the courage to pursue his vocation
and to found a church at Clonmacnois. And from his close friend
Kevin of Glendalough he receives communion and a final blessing
at the time of his early death at thirty-three.
While each of the stories of Ciaran gives us intimations about
how wisdom is acquired as well as the importance of spiritual
mentors in our lives, one of Ciaran's visits to Enda stands out in
its unexpectedly vivid imagery. We are told that at the time Ciaran

arrived on Aran Island in Galway Bay where Enda was living,

both men beheld the same vision of a great tree growing in the
middle of Ireland. This tree, while protecting Ireland, also had its
fruit carried across the Irish Sea by birds from around the world
which filled its branches. Struck by the vision's force, Ciaran
turned to Enda and told him what he had seen. Enda, in turn,
interpreted for him the symbolic language of the vision, telling
him that the great tree they saw "is you, Ciaran, for you are great
in the eyes of God." Enda continued: "All of Ireland will be
sheltered by the grace within you, and many people will be fed
by your fasting and prayers. So, go in the name of God to the center
of the island, and found your church on the banks of a stream."
Anyone who knows Ciaran's story and visits the early Chris-
tian site of Clonmacnois can almost feel the powerful presence and
who, according to that early writing,
holiness of this Celtic saint
became recognized as a charismatic leader, gifted teacher, and
compassionate soul friend. To walk the winding paths among the
ruins, and to stand on the same bank of the Shannon where he
once stood is wisdom of those early
to encounter firsthand the
Celtic saints, a wisdom rooted in their spirituality.
This book is about the wisdom of the Celtic saints, those
inspired pioneers of the early Celtic church who helped the Chris-
tian faith take root and flourish in Ireland and the British Isles.
Like Ciaran, many of them were founders of monasteries, which
became religious, cultural, and educational centers for leaders,
both clerical andduring the early Middle Ages. Others
lay,
travelled as missionaries and pilgrims throughout the world,
bringing Christianity not only to the continent of Europe, but

14
 —
possibly to North America as well centuries before Columbus.
All of them were teachers, confessors, and soul friends to count-
less numbers of people.
One of the main sources that sheds light on Celtic spirituality
and soul friendship are the stories and sayings that appear in the
acta sanctorum or Lives of the Saints. These Lives of the Celtic saints
were primarily compiled in the high medieval period (thirteenth
to sixteenth centuries), but many were written in the sixth through
ninth centuries. Almost all have primitive material that take us

back to the earliest days of the Celtic church. As such, they are part
of the history of Christian hagiography, a particular genre of
worthy spiritual mentors
literature written to present the saints as
who can inspire us and whose admirable qualities we might
integrate into our own personalities and lives. Though not histori-
cally accurate biographies as we understand that term today, they
do express the larger truths of the saints' lives, the truths that
moved them (and can move us) toward greater self-awareness
and self-acceptance, wholeness and holiness, meaning and God.
In order for the reader to more fully understand and ap-
preciate the stories and sayings of the early Celtic saints, it is helpful
briefly to consider the history of the early Celtic church and specific
characteristics of its spirituality as well as examine the religious
pattern that underlies many of the stories and the symbolic lan-
guage they contain. Finally, before turning to the stories and
sayings themselves, a specific approach to reading them will be
I hope, will better prepare the reader for
discussed. All of this,
grasping and beginning to integrate Celtic wisdom today.

The Early Celtic Church

Long before theological and political conflicts tragically
divided Christianity, one of its most ancient and creative churches
grew to prominence. This Celtic church existed from the fifth
through the twelfth centuries. During its time it kept classical
learning alive while the so-called Dark Ages were casting their
shadows across Europe. The Celtic church was made up of a great
variety of churches in such places as northern England, Cornwall,
Wales, Scotland, Brittany, the Isle of Man, and of course, all of
Ireland. Although these churches were never united administra-
tively into one externally visible church, they experienced a large
measure of unity among themselves through their monastic life-

15
style, among the early saints, respect for women's gifts,
friendship
and common spirituality. This Celtic Christian spirituality was
very much the child of the pagan culture which preceded it, one
that valued poetic imagination and artistic creativity, kinship
relations and the warmth of a hearth, the wonder of stories and
the guidance of dreams. It was a spirituality profoundly affected
by the beauty of the landscape, the powerful presence of the sea,
and the swift passage at night of the full moon across open skies.
Baptized in the waters of Christian faith by such leaders as Patrick,
Brigit, and Columcille (Ireland's "holy trinity" of saints), this
pagan spirituality eventually flowered into monastic cities, high
crosses, illuminated gospels, and a ministry of spiritual mentoring
that changed profoundly the course of Christian spirituality.
No one knows precisely when the Christian faith arrived in
Ireland and the British Isles, but there are a number of fascinating
legends about the spread of Christianity^ to that part of the world.
Some say that either St. Peter or St. Paul travelled to Britain and
established the church there; others tell how Joseph of Arimathea,
who had cared for the body of Christ, came to Glastonbury,
England, and planted a thorn from Christ's head near a small
church in sight of the famous Tor. Besides these legends there are
stories about the Celtic saints who lived, worked, and prayed in
Ireland and the British Isles. Although details about the earliest of
them are historically vague, these latter tales bring us closer to the
geographical and spiritual landscape of the early Celtic church.
Ninian is said to have founded a monastery, Candida Casa (the
White House), at Whithorn in southern Scotland in 397. This
monastery became an important place for educating missionaries
and laity. Patrick is credited with bringing the Christian faith to
Ireland in 432, but there were probably Christians living on that
island years before his arrival. In 596 Augustine, the first
archbishop of Canterbury, was sent by Pope Gregory the Great to
evangelize the people in southern England, while northern
England came under the influence of missionaries from lona.
Between the fifth and eighth centuries Wales was Christianized
by wandering monks and missionaries.
The sixth century especially saw the rise of the great
monasteries in Ireland and the Celtic parts of the British Isles.
These monasteries were headed by powerful abbesses or abbots,
such as Brigit of Kildare, Columcille of lona, Finnian of Clonard,

16
 —

Brendan of Clonfert, Kevin of Glendalough, Ciaran

Ita of Killeedy,
of Clonmacnois, and David of Wales. Many of the first male
founders and abbots of these monasteries, as the early
hagiographies maintain, were probably celibate priests and
bishops. Women founders and abbesses also lived celibate lives
within religious communities. This way of life was chosen because
of the value the early church placed on virginity, in imitation of
Christ. For women in particular, the monastic life offered the
opportunity to develop intellectual abilities and creative pursuits.
It was the only alternative to the roles of wife and mother in

marriage, or, in spinsterhood, that of maintaining a household for

aging parents and unmarried siblings. The male monastic leaders
who followed the early pioneers might have been either ordained
or lay Many were evidently married, since the marriage of priests
throughout the entire early church was commonplace and the
Celtic church was no exception. In some Irish monasteries, in fact,
the abbacy descended from father to son.
By the seventh century a distinct form of Christianity had
emerged in Ireland and the While there was much
British Isles.
diversity within the universal church from its earliest days
differences rooted in racial, cultural, and historical develop-
ments which affected the leadership of the local churches and
their understanding of Christianity — the early Celtic church
was unique. Influenced greatly by the values of the Celtic
pagan culture that preceded the arrival of Christianity on its

shores, as well as the ideals of the early desert Christians who

valued simplicity of life and the equality of all in the eyes of
God, this Celtic church frequently found itself in conflict with
other churches, including the church in Rome, over issues
specifically related to church governance and sexuality.
Many of the other Western churches, adopting the social
structures of the declining Roman Empire as their own, divided
church territory into dioceses, headed by bishops who lived
primarily in urban areas. The early Celtic church, however, was
located more often in rural or remote areas and influenced by the
tribal system of the pagan Celts. Monastic leaders who emerged at
the great Celtic monasteries were eventually more powerful than
the bishops who lived in their midst. Even when leadership was
limited to celibates or the ordained, the monasteries themselves
had many lay people (known as manaigh) attached to them.

17
Celibate members within the monastic communities as well as
these lay people experienced the fruits of collaboration. Educa-
tion, pastoral care, and liturgical leadership were provided by the
monks or religious women; in turn, lay people and their families
helped the monasteries grow their crops, manage their farms, fish,
plant trees, and keep their bees. All benefited from this mutual
sharing of gifts, including those who only came for a short stay.
As one of the earliest hagiographers, Cogitosus, writes about
those who visited the monastery of St. Brigit at Kildare: "Who can
list and countless folk who flock in from all the
the chaotic crowds
provinces: some for the abundance of food, others who are feeble
seeking health, others just to look at the mobs, and still others who
come with great gifts to the festival of Saint Brigit."
Differences between Roman-style and Celtic churches also
emerged over time as the Roman Empire was broken apart by
invading Germanic tribes, including the Anglo-Saxons who swept
into Britain in the fifth century, driving many Celts back into those
geographical areas now identified as Scotland, Wales, and
Cornwall. While other ecclesial bodies came to value large chur-
ches and basilicas for their communal liturgies, the Celtic church
built small ones of wood and, later, stone. Even when the mem-
bership in the monasteries increased, the Celtic Christians, want-
ing to maintain greater intimacy among their members, continued
to build more numerous and smaller church dwellings rather than
larger structures for worship. Also, as the continental churches
grew increasingly more materialistic, dressing their bishops in
fine vestments and having them ride on golden thrones (as
described in the Life of Wilfrid, a Northumbrian saint), the Celtic
church valued a more ascetic lifestyle. Inspired by the stories of
the desert father St. Antony (251-356) and of the anchorite bishop
of Tours, St. Martin (316-97), the Celtic church was characterized
by intense missionary outreach, a pastoral ministry among the
common people, and leaders who ate sparsely and spent long
hours in prayer, sometimes immersed nightly in the ocean's frigid
waters. The early Celtic monastic bishops themselves, such as
David of Wales and Aidan of Lindisfarne, dressed simply, clad in
coarse robes, usually carrying with them on their pastoral visits
only a walking-stick and a bell, which, as they approached, would
be rung loudly to alert the local people. (Celestine, bishop of Rome
in the early fifth cenhiry did not appreciate what he called their

18
"innovation" in dress. He condemned the appointment of Celtic
"wanderers and strangers" over the local clergy in Gaul who "clad
in a cloak,and with a girdle round the loins" are "changing the
usage of so many years, of such great prelates, for another [type
of] habit.")
Differences between the churches related to sexuality arose.
While the other Christian churches increasingly isolated women
from positions of authority and relationships of friendship with
males, the Celtic church, influenced by the pagan Celts' belief that
women were equal to men and had similar legal rights, en-
couraged their leadership. Contrary to the prevailing dualistic
tendencies found among desert Christians and the inhabitants of
countries bordering the Mediterranean, the early founders of the
Celtic church "did not reject," according to a ninth-century
manuscript. Catalogue of the Saints in Ireland, "the service and
society of women." Women were valued and not ignored, judging
from one of the earliest Irish martyrologies, that of Gorman, which
lists over two hundred female saints. Monastic communities,

which arose in Ireland shortly after the death of Patrick in 461,

were also headed by women. The oldest monasteries of women
recorded in Ireland are those of Brigit of Kildare, Moninne at
Killeavy, and Ita at Killeedy.
Many of these women leaders held powerful ecclesial posi-
tions in communities consisting of both women and men. These
"double monasteries" were evidently a normal feature of the
earliest monastic life in Ireland and England. The most well-
known abbesses over these double monasteries were Brigit, who
founded a community at Kildare, Ireland, and Hild of Whitby,
Northumbria. (Hild, of Anglo-Saxon origins, received her
religious formation from Aidan of Lindisfame and was, as we will
see, very much affected by and in sympathy with the Celtic monks
and their spirituality.) The origins of these double monasteries of
monks and nuns is unclear although Cogitosus, the seventh-cen-
tury biographer of Brigit, describes the one at Kildare as a double
monastery that must have originated at least one hundred years
before he wrote. There the monks and nims lived in separate
quarters, but worshipped together in a common church in which
the lay people joined them for liturgies. Double monasteries were
quite numerous in England during the seventh century. We know
of such establishments at Coldingham, Ely, Repton, Barking,

19
 —

Bardney, Wimborne (Dorset), and Wenlock. The Roman-ap-

pointed Theodore of Tarsus did not initially approve of this fea-
ture of the Celtic and Anglo-Saxon churches, but accepted it as the
custom of the land when he arrived at Canterbury in 669 to
become archbishop— after a plague had wiped out most of the
English episcopate. The early biographies of Brigit, as well as the
stories of Hild, show clearly that such powerful abbesses exercised
an influence on their times that has almost no parallel in later
—
history except perhaps for Hildegard of Bingen in the twelfth
century and Teresa of Avila in the sixteenth. Unfortunately, most
of those double monasteries were destroyed by the Vikings in the
ninth century when they laid waste to so many of the Celtic
church's monasteries and artistic treasures.
Another area related to sexuality in the early Celtic church
the Celtic missionaries close ministerial association with
women — met with vehement condemnations from church
authorities on the continent. Judging from protests against the
practice, missionaries evidently travelled quite frequently with
women companions, some of whom helped with the celebration
of the eucharist. According to a sixth-century letter written by
bishops in Gaul to Irish missionaries:

Through a report made by the venerable Sparatus, we have

learned that you continually carry around from one of your
fellow-countrymen's huts to another, certain tables upon which
you celebrate the divine sacrifice of the Mass, assisted by women
whom you call conhospitae; and while you distribute the
eucharist, they take the chalice and administer the blood of
is an innovation, an unheard-of super-
Christ to the people. This
stition For the love of Christ, and in the name of the Church
United and of our common faith, we beg you to renounce
immediately upon receipt of this letter, these abuses of the table.
...We appeal to your charity, not only to restrain these little
women from staining the holy sacraments by administering
them illicitly, but also not to admit to live under your roof any
woman who is not your grandmother, your mother, your sister,
or your niece.

Although tensions between the two forms of Christianity

eventually led to open disagreements at the Synod of Whitby in
664 over such issues as when Easter should be celebrated and what
form of tonsure or hairstyle should be worn by the ordained, these

20
other differences, intimately related to each other's concept of
church, ministerial leadership, and spirituality, were far more
important. They ultimately resulted in the submersion of the
Celtic church in Ireland by the Roman ecclesial system in the
twelfth century.
Still, despite that "reform," which was a triumph for ecclesial

administrators but a tragedy for Irish culture and creativity, Celtic

Christian spirituality survived in various geographical locations
where the saints had once lived or journeyed. It deeply affected
directly or indirectly certain religious traditions and wisdom
figures, including Hildegard of Bingen, Francis of Assisi, Julian of
Norwich, Joan of Arc, George Herbert, Evelyn Underbill, and
Thomas Merton. In many ways this Celtic spirituality is the foun-
dation of Anglican, Episcopalian, and Methodist spirituality, and,
because of its love of the desert fathers and mothers, it has a great
affinity with the spirituality of the Eastern Orthodox. With its
focus upon nature and the entire spiritual realm, and its respect
for ancestors, visions, and dreams, it finds resonance with Native
American Thus, the spirituality of the Christian
spirituality too.
Celts has great ecumenical value, for it transcends the differences
which have divided Christians in the East and the West since
before the Reformation. It also has special appeal for many of us
today who are concerned about the ecological survival of our
planet, the revitalization of our churches, and the quality of our
own spiritual life.
This Celtic Christian spirituality is especially reflected in the
hagiographies of the saints. Within their stories and sayings we
will be able to discern key characteristics of that spirituality, which
we may want to integrate into our own lives and ministries.

Celtic Spirituality
One of the primary characteristics of the early Celtic Chris-
tians was their love of and respect for the physical environment.
Their daily life was and their
lived in close proximity to nature,
spirituality reflected what the Welsh wonder
call hud: a sense of
and awe at the divine residing in everything. Their pagan ances-
tors, like other primitive peoples, had a deep respect for nature,
regarding the earth as a mother, the source of all fertility. Their
spiritual leaders, the druids and druidesses, believed that the
supernatural pervaded every aspect of life and that spirits were

21
everywhere: in ancient trees and sacred groves, mountaintops and
rock formations, rivers, streams, and holy wells. Influenced by
that pagan spiritual heritage, Celtic Christians found it natural to
address God as "Lord of the Elements," and to experience com-
munion with God in their natural surroundings. In the stories of
the saints, they are often found establishing their monasteries and
oratories in places where the druids and druidesses had once
—
taught and worshipped in the midst of oak groves or near sacred
springs, on the shores of secluded lakes, or on misty islands far
out at sea.
This attitude of deep respect for the environment was also
manifest in their quiet care for all living things. As we will see, the
Celtic saints seem to have had a special affinity and reciprocal
relationship with animals: Kevin shelters in his hands a blackbird
which probably sang for him; Ciaran meets a wild boar that helps
him clear land for his monastery; Columcille's white horse sheds
great tears at his master's approaching death. Animals are
portrayed as fellow creatures of the earth, and once befriended,
they become helpers to the saints.
A second characteristic inherited from their druidic mentors
was their love of learning. Christian Ireland in particular was the
place where monastic schools flourished and where the original
pagan Celtic legends and stories of the saints were first written
down in the monastic scriptoria. According to the great storyteller
Bede the Venerable (c. 672-735), many pilgrim scholars came to
Ireland from Britain and the continent of Europe to study and learn:

In the course of time some of these devoted themselves faithfully

to themonastic life, while others preferred to travel round to the
cells of various teachersand apply themselves to study. The Irish
welcomed them all gladly, gave them their daily food, and also
provided them with books to read and with instruction, without
asking for any payment.

Inspired, surely,by the teachers and tutors they encountered

living in those cells, visitors must have learned a great deal about
holiness and God. We can see this respect for study and yearning
for wisdom in the frequent references to books in the
hagiographies of the early Celtic saints. We also find those char-
acteristics in specific stories; for example, in Aidan's encouraging
all those who travelled with him to study for some time each day.

22
 —

and in Columcille's spending so much time alone in his cell to

study and write. Irish missionaries, like Columban (c. 543-615),
brought this love of learning to France, Switzerland, Germany,
and Italy, where they founded other great monastic schools that
kept Celtic wisdom alive for generations after the deaths of the
original saintly pioneers.
A third characteristic associated with the early Christian
Celts and revealed in their stories is their innate yearning to
explore the unknown. Perhaps this wanderlust was due to the
migratory nature of their pagan ancestors, who in the third cen-
tury B.C.E. had been the dominant race of all of Europe; perhaps
it was their living in such close proximity to the sea and the natural

rhythm of its tides; perhaps their Judeo-Christian spiritual

heritage unconsciously inspired them with its own stories of
Jonah in the belly of the whale, of Abraham and Sarah's travel to
a foreign land, of Moses' exodus out of Egypt, and of Peter's and
Paul's missionary journeys. Whatever the reason, many of them
shared the desire to travel and, in contrast to the "red martyrdom"
of giving one's life up for Christ or the "green martyrdom" of
participating in severe penitential practices, they faced the "white
martyrdom" of living years far from home
and hearth for the sake
of the gospels. (The Celts had a word, hiraeth, for the
specific
extreme yearning for home associated with this latter form of
martyrdom; because of their deep love of family, it was considered
the hardest of all to endure.) Beginning with St. Patrick, Celtic
missionaries (called peregrint) chose this way of life out of deep
devotion to Christ, but also perhaps because of their genuine
appreciation of God's mysterious creation and their own desire to
see the holy places and meet people different than themselves.
Whatever the reasons for their travel, the theme of
pilgrimage is one of the key elements of the early saints'
spirituality. For them, to make a journey for Christ brought
—
despite the hardships unexpected blessings, increased intimacy
with God, and the healing of body and soul. Brendan the
Navigator is, of course, the most famous of these pilgrims, but
there are others as well. Each saint is profoundly affected by his
or her journeys and returns with new experiences and wisdom to
share with those who remained at home. A chain of mentoring is
formed, and, as we will see in Kevin's story in particular, the
monasteries the early saints founded and the tombs where their

23
bodies are placed for the Day of Resurrection become, in turn,
important sites to which others journey on pilgrimage.
A fourth characteristic of Celtic spirituality is the Celtic
Christians' love of silence and of solitude. Considering the
widespread travel of so many peregrini and the extensive pastoral
work of all the Celtic saints, it is intriguing and somewhat
paradoxical how much the early Christian Celts also valued
solitary places and times of silence. An atmosphere of silence was
encouraged within their monasteries and certain quiet times were
strictly observed —
as we find in the stories of David of Wales.
Perhaps they sought out places of solitude precisely because of
their intense involvement with people.
Many of the Celtic monasteries also had a place apart — a cell,
— in which a monk or nun could retire when he
retreat, or dysert
or she needed to be alone. Sometimes the Celtic saints chose a cave
for shelter and reflection, as did Columban and Ninian of
Whithorn (362-432). Others moved to a hill or mountain top to fast
and pray. Many, as is clear in the stories of Aidan, Columcille, and
Cuthbert, seemed especially drawn to be near the ocean's waves.
Whatever their reasons for treasuring silence and seeking the
solitary life, the early Christian Celts shared what the scholar John
Ryan calls a "surprising" combination of "apostolic and anchoreti-
cal ideals."
A fifth characteristic of Celtic spirituality has to do with their
understanding of time. The early saints appreciated time as a
sacred reality blessed and already redeemed by God's overflowing
compassion. This awareness of the sacred dimension to time is not
the same as modern Western culture's frantic preoccupation in
which "every minute counts." Rather, the Celts' perception was
that there is a fullness now to all of time, manifest in the old Irish
saying, "When God made time, he made plenty of it." With this
perception of time as a gift from God, time in a chronological sense
(with one historical event following another) was disregarded by
the early Celts. For them, the present contains within itself both
past events, which continue to live on, as well as the seeds of future
events waiting to be born.
Without clear demarcations between past, present, and fu-
than we do.
ture, Celtic Christians interpreted history differently
They made contemporaries of those who historically could never
have been. In some of the early legends, for example, Brigit and

24
Ita are portrayed as mid wives to Mary, the mother of Jesus. As
soul friends they help bring Jesus to birth and they nurse him. In
certain stories Brigit and Patrick are described as intimate
friends — when in fact they probably never met. (If the traditional
dates of their lives are relied upon, Brigit would have been about
six years old at the time of Patrick's death.) That did not matter to
the early Christian Celts, for, from their point of view, people with

the qualities and holiness of Patrick and Brigit would naturally be

friends — even if they lived at different times in the chronological
sequence of history.
In many ways Celtic Christians saw the larger truths of myth
and the lasting effects of relationships of love standing outside of
time, having an eternal quality that certainly cannot be under-
stood fully by considering chronological time alone. The early
Celts also believed in "thin places": geographical locations scat-
tered throughout Ireland and the British Isles where a person
experiences only a very thin divide between past, present, and
future times; places where a person is somehow able, possibly
only for a moment, to encounter a more ancient reality within
present time; or places where perhaps only in a glance we are
somehow transported into the future. Some of the stories here that
associate the saints with intuitive and psychic powers attest to
these "thin places." Other stories of certain saintswho communi-
cate with each other after the death of one of them, such as Ciaran
and Kevin, and Maedoc and Columcille, affirm the existence not
only of "thin places" but also of bonds of soul friendship, which
death itself can never destroy.
A sixth characteristic of Celtic spirituality, related to their
concept of time, was the Celtic Christians' appreciation of ordi-
nary life. Recognizing time as a reality made holy by a loving God,
the Celtic saints valued the daily, the routine, the ordinary. They
believed God is found not so much at the end of time when the
reign of God finally comes, but now, where the reign is already
being lived by God's faithful people. Theirs was a spirituality
characterized by gratitude, and in our stories we find them wor-
shipping God in their daily work and very ordinary chores.
Another quality, their joy, is apparent in the last words of
David of Wales to his friends: "My brothers and sisters, be joyful,
keep your faith and belief, and perform the small things which
you have learned from me and have seen in me." Seeing their daily

25
 God's love, they valued the cyclical dimen-
lives as revelatory of
sion of time, believing that by immersing themselves in the
seasons of the year and uniting their lives with the liturgical
seasons of the church, they could more effectively celebrate time's
sacredness as well as their own sacred journeys through time. This
perception is especially evident in the stories of St. Brendan of
Clonfert, which tell how he and his crew celebrated feasts, such
as Easter and Christmas, in a certain way and at the same places
each year. Daily routines and yearly observances, the Christian
Celts believed, are not boring. Rather, they can help us realize the
immanence of God in time and the inherent holiness of our lives
when we immerse ourselves in God's time.
A
seventh characteristic of the spirituality of Celtic Christians
was their belief in the great value of kinship relationships, espe-
The pagan Celts in Ireland
cially the spiritual ties of soul friends.
and throughout Europe valued their families and their tribal
affiliations. They developed a fosterage system in which children
of one family were brought up by another family or tribe. They
believed that such exchanges not only strengthened alliances but
introduced each child to a wider world of learning. The pagan
Celts' druids and druidesses also acted as teachers of the tribes
and advisers to the kings. Like Native American shamans, they
functioned as mediators between the tribes and the spiritual
realm: the world of tribal gods, goddesses, and spirits. These types
of mentoring relationships survived when Christianity arrived.
The hagiographies tell numerous stories about younger
people being guided and educated by the Celtic saints at their
monasteries or cells. As the story of Ciaran of Clonmacnois and
his mentor Enda shows, each of the early saints seems to have had
at least one personal mentor, a wiser, more experienced, some-
times older teacher, confessor, or spiritual guide. (Holiness, not
age, seems to be a more important criterion of such a person, as
we will see in a story about St. Findbarr). This soul friend was not
necessarily male or ordained. Some and most
of the greatest
well-known of the soul friends church were
in the early Celtic
women, such as abbesses Ita, Brigit, Samthann, and Hild. Not only
were these women teachers, administrators, guides, preachers,
and confessors who, as in the stories of Ita, did not hesitate to give
out penances, but at least two of them, according to early
hagiographies, had in their possession religious articles tradition-

26
 —

ally associated with a bishop. Brigit, in Cogitosus's Life, receives

a pallium (a bishop's mantle), and in a later hagiography, she is
said to have been ordained; Samthann had a marvelous crozier (a
bishop's staff), which was able to perform miracles.
Besides human soul friends, female and male, many of the
saints had angelic ones. Christian Celts believed in the existence
of these invisible guides, whose leader was identified as the
archangel Michael or, in Patrick's case, as Victor. Manifestations
of God's care, these angels seem to appear at crucial turning points
in the lives of the saints. They baptize the saints, name them,
appear in their dreams, help them discern their vocations, and
lead them to the sites of their monasteries and eventually to their
own places of resurrection.
The stories and sayings of the Celtic saints clearly reveal that
mentoring and spiritual guidance were considered an important
ifnot essential part of Celtic Christian spirituality. All the saints
seem to have been changed profoundly by these relationships
whether their mentors were human or angelic, and whether they
offered a compassionate ear or a challenging word. They were
keenly aware, as are many today, that inner healing happens when
we openly and honestly acknowledge to another person our
concerns, grief, and spiritual diseases, and that God is very close
to those who speak as friends do, heart to heart. While other
characteristics of Celtic spirituality can be found in the stories of
—
the saints such as their valuing dreams as sources of spiritual
wisdom, and their love of storytelling, good music, poetry, and
dance— one of the greatest discoveries of the Christian Celts,
according to scholar Nora Chad wick, is "the range and sig-

nificance of individual experience, and the interest and the humor

of little things, and how exciting and valuable it is to share them
with one another." This, of course, is what many would equate
with the value and joy of having a soul friend, a person with whom
we can share the significant and often insignificant experiences of
our lives and discover, often in the telling, that the seemingly
insignificant events are really the most important of all, the times
when and places where God speaks.

27
 Spiritual Kinship With Jesus
Anyone who reads the Lives of the Celtic saints will soon
recognize that each saint is portrayed not only as an extraordinary
person, but above all as an imago Chris ti, that is, as a living symbol
or image of Christ. This way of identifying a saint, of course, is
nothing new in the history of Christian spirituality, for from the
beginning of Christian life, each of us, through baptism, is wel-
comed into a community and hopefully begins to integrate in a
lifelong process the significant values, attributes, and perspectives
associated with Jesus himself.
Although many of the Celtic hagiographies were inspired by
and some of the contents borrowed wholesale from other earlier
writings, such as Athanasius's Life of Antony, Cassian's Conferen-
ces, and Sulpicius Severus's Life of St. Martin (of Tours), the ul-

timate Christian literary source for all of them were the gospel
stories. We thus find the Celtic saints doing in their time with their
contemporaries what Jesus did in his: healing the sick, feeding the
hungry, praying in solitude, having intimate friendships with
both women and men, calming the sea, even raising the dead. Like
Jesus' story, the future significance and shape of their lives are
sometimes announced in extraordinary predictions and dreams.
Like him, their ministries are filled with tension, conflict, and
times of grief and despair.
Overall, when one considers the stories of the Celtic saints
found in these early Lives, a pattern can be discerned similar to
the one found in Jesus' life and ministry. It is this pattern that lies
behind many of the stories of the Celtic saints in this book.
The first stage in a saint's Life usually begins with mention
of the saint's distinguished ancestry and with descriptions of
how the saint's birth was preceded by extraordinary events and
prophetic dreams. As in the opening chapters of the gospels of
Matthew and Luke, which describe Jesus' conception and birth,
Brigit's birth, for example, is foretold by a druid, Brendan's
mother has a vision in which her breasts shine like snow,
Columcille's mother dreams of a cloak of many colors, and
Findbarr, while yet in his mother's womb, cries out to the king
to spare his parents from destruction. Certain holy people are
also often present shortly after the birth of the saint to confirm
—
the newborn's future greatness similar to the story in Luke in

28
which the elderly Simeon and the prophetess Anna prophesy to
Joseph and Mary when they bring Jesus as a child to the Temple
(Lk 2:22-38).
A second stage occurs when the saint finds a worthy mentor
or mentors, human or angelic, from whom wisdom is learned. In
the gospel of Mark, Jesus went to John the Baptist, received
affirmation from the Spirit of God at his baptism, and was cared
for by angels after his temptations in the wilderness. Mention has
already been made of the vast networks of friendships among the
Celtic saints and the mentoring they received from childhood on.
In the stories which follow, some of the most outstanding ex-
amples reflecting this second stage are the guidance Ciaran
receives from Finnian and Enda, Brendan from Ita, Hild from
Aidan, and Cuthbert from Boisil. The Celtic saints also receive
help from angels and animals, who act as their guides.
A third stage in the stories of the saints recounts becoming a
spiritual leader or mentor for others after the saint has ex-
perienced transformation and grown in spiritual wisdom. In the
gospels Jesus, after leaving the wilderness in which he has con-
fronted his own demons, calls his first disciples at the Sea of
Galilee (Mk 1:16 ff.) and then proceeds to gather a group of both
women and men around him in order to teach them what he
knows. So also with the Celtic saints. Though varying in degrees
of enthusiasm (Kevin of Glendalough, for one, wants to be left
alone), each of the saints — sometimes early in adult life, some-
times later in maturity— eventually attracts a following, builds a
monastery, and offers guidance to those who come for help.
A fourth stage in the stories of the saints tells of their
miracles, which demonstrate their spiritual power and intimacy
with God. These worthy and miraculous deeds frequently take
the form of Jesus' miracles, such as healing the sick, casting out
demons, multiplying food, and changing water into wine. (The
Celtic saints, such as Brigit, however, seem to prefer beer to wine!)
The numerous references to miraculous deeds show that miracles
are not dependent so much upon the saints' own abilities as upon
their compassion — and upon their crying out in prayer to a mer-
ciful, all-powerful God. The underlying theological lesson is this:
it is important to unite our life with God's, and all sorts of amazing

things happen when we do.

29
 A fifth stage in the saints' lives involves traveling to other
parts of the country (as Jesus did throughout his public ministry
and on his journey to Jerusalem) or to foreign shores. The Celtic
saints whose stories appear in thisbook frequently visit each
other's monasteries to teach, to learn, or just to renew old
friendships. They also abroad to visit Christian holy places
travel
or to bring Christianity to those who have not yet heard the Good
News. Some, like Findbarr, Kevin, and Maedoc, go to Rome, while
others, like Aidan, Brendan, Non, and la, walk to distant peoples
or sail to unknown shores. David of Wales, according to his hagiog-
rapher, even went to Jerusalem where he was consecrated bishop.
A sixth stage that appears in many hagiographies relates that
the saints seem to intuit the approach of their death. The Celtic
saints consistently prepare their followers for their departure, and
sometimes, despite their own fear of dying, they seem to offer
those who will be left behind more comfort than they themselves
receive. Many of the saints impart final words of wisdom as a
sacred legacy — much as Jesus did at the Last Supper cind on the
cross. This intuition about approaching death is expressed in the
storieswhen a saint is forewarned by a divine visitor or when an
angel leads the saint to his or her true place of resurrection. Some
of the most moving stories in this book are those describing the
deaths of the saints and what they tell their followers before— or
sometimes after —
they have died.
Finally, a seventh stage can be perceived in the miracles and
marvelous happenings that occur after the death of the beloved
example, appears at Patrick's tomb; a violent storm
saint. Fire, for
is calmed after the death of Columcille; the sun shines for twelve
days straight when Findbarr dies. These accounts are similar to
those events originally associated with the death of Jesus when
the veil of the Temple was torn in two, the earth quaked, rocks
split, and the dead rose from their graves (Mt 27:51 ff.). As in the
stories of Jesus' resurrection, the dead saints appear to their
friends, sometimes in dreams or in visions in which their souls are
seen to be carried to heaven. Cures occur at their tombs. Although
unusual phenomena. Christian Celts hearing these stories did not
find them at all unbelievable; they were very much convinced that
the faithful dead were truly still alive. They also knew from their
own experiences that God works in mysterious ways. They ac-
cepted that people sometimes do know intuitively of deaths or are

30
healed unexpectedly at graves; that nature itself sometimes
manifests its unity with humankind by sending signs that it
recognizes the passing of those who have led holy lives.
These seven stages make up a pattern that reflects each saint's
spiritual kinship with Jesus. All of them, by uniting their hearts
and minds with Jesus, were changed profoundly by him and his
story. By implication, this pattern suggested to the readers of those
hagiographies that their own spirituality was meant to be shaped,
as the saints' lives were, by Jesus. This pattern can be discerned in
many of the stories of the Celtic saints in this book, though the
stages do not necessarily follow in the order outlined. These stages
are not always apparent in the Lives of the female saints, because
many of their stories are fragmentary or incomplete, appearing in
the hagiographies of male saints rather than in their own. Tragi-
cally, few of the women's monasteries were wealthy enough to be
able to afford a hagiographer, while others, because of their size,
were the first to be destroyed by the invading Vikings. Their
stories, like so many women's stories today, need to be recovered
and retold for the tremendous wisdom they contain.

Symbols and Sacred Numbers

Besides the religious pattern the hagiographers used to rep-
resent the saints' paths to holiness and spiritual wisdom, we find
that other sides of the saints' personalities appear in these early
stories. At times the saints seem to be living according to a dif-
ferent stcindard than that of the Sermon on the Mount. In some of
the legends about Patrick, for example, he curses his enemies,
especially the druids,and in other ways attacks and punishes
those who are opposed to him. Other monastic founders,
voyagers, and missionaries sometimes employ similar means to
maintain their claims against each other or to vanquish their foes.
These stories reveal the influence of the earlier pagan culture and
its own understanding of what constitutes a genuine hero.

According to the pagan Celts, heroes, both male and female,

were people of great physical beauty with unusual magical
powers, including the ability to change shapes and even to
transcend space and time. They also were flesh-and-blood in-
dividuals not only filled with human idealism but susceptible to
human error. These heroes had strange visions, made voyages to
other worlds, travelled in company with friends, and endured

31
great hardships for the tribe. Once the monks of the monasteries
in the seventh, eighth, and ninth centuries began to write down
their remembrances of the early saints, they naturally presented
them in a guise that the Celtic people would expect of their heroes.
Thus, certain saints are portrayed as having the virtues of a
—
warrior strength, loyalty, and bravery. Practices such as boasting
and cursing were also included in their descriptions of what the
saints said and did.
Since the early hagiographers saw little difference between
ordinary tales and religious ones, they often blended the two.
Frequently hagiographers incorporated into the Lives of the saints
certain folktales that were popular at the time they wrote. Traces
of these folktales appear in the stories of Brendan's voyage to the
Promised Land; Brigit's talented fox at the court of an Irish king;
David's marvelous horse, which Findbarr rode across the Irish
Sea; and Kevin's encounter with a fairy-witch.
Celtic hagiography is full of mythic components, the lan-
guage of folktales, fairy tales, and dreams. This language, related
closely to the transforming power of symbols, was not used to
deceive or to mislead readers of the hagiographies, but rather to
provide them with intimations of the saint's greatness and as-
surances that each saint was especially loved, protected, and
guided by God. Certain symbols and sacred numbers were used
in the stories to enhance the saint's heroic reputation. The most
significant symbols are these:

Animals and Birds

Joseph Campbell says that early tribes, living so close to
nature, highly respected and revered animals and birds as "tutors
of humanity." They were identified with specific qualities and
adopted as tribal totems and personal mentors. They symbolize
our intuitive powers and helping instincts; to befriend them or to
allow them to befriend us is to be guided by those powers and
instincts. Among the pagan Celts both wild and domestic animals
were relied upon for food, clothing, transportation, and warmth.
Animals of the hunt such as stags, boars, and bears are frequently
depicted in art, while hunting itself was a ritual activity in which
tribes called upon
certain animals for their protection. Celtic
with references to birds, which were understood
literature is filled
to be intermediaries between this world and the otherworld.

32
Certain birds such as the owl and the dove were considered to
have oracular abilities and prophetic powers. (This is clear in one
of the stories of Brendan, who is guided on his voyage by a bird
who speaks to him.) The Celts were aware of the important
contribution to human life of nature's creatures, and that is behind
the many references to animals and birds in the Lives of the Celtic
saints. The more common animals and birds, along with their
symbolic meaning, are the following:
Bee: A primary symbol of wisdom, bees were known for their
industry in producing honey, one of the foods of the Promised
Land. They were believed to be special creatures who took an
acute interest in the affairs of their owners. If a bee entered a house
it was considered a good omen. In his hagiography of Ninian of

Whithorn, Aelred of Rievaulx compares the saint to a bee: "Like a

bee he formed for himself the honeycombs of wisdom." Before the
birth of David of Wales a symbol of his future wisdom, a
honeycomb, appears to his father.
Boar: A symbol of strength and power, the boar was adopted
by the Celts as an image of war because of its ferocity. It is found
on surviving warrior helmets and armor. The boar also symbol-
ized prosperity, because pork was a favorite Celtic food and
played an important part in feasting. In the story of Kevin, he
protects a wild boar, thus showing his respect for all of creation
and perhaps for the wildest elements in himself.
Cow: Because of the necessity of milk for sustenance and
nourishment in early agricultural societies, a cow was considered
to have quasi-mystical powers. Among Celts it had great social
value. There are numerous references in early and medieval litera-
ture concerning wars and cattle raids. In the stories of the saints,
Brigit's mother is a milkmaid and her newborn child is washed in
milk, symbolizing Brigit's special character. Ciaran takes a white
cow with him to Clonard. Her hide has miraculous powers,
representing Ciaran's own intimacy with God. Samthann is said
to never have had more than six cows, a reference to her deliberate
decision to remain poor.
Crane: In cultures ranging from the Chinese to those of the
Mediterranean, the crane is a symbol of justice, longevity, and
diligence. In Irish sagas cranes represent women and, because of
their association with water, transformation as well. It is sig-
nificant that Columcille was called "the crane-cleric," and that he

33
welcomed a poor crane with tenderness and kindness to lona,
possibly representing his love for his own feminine side.
Dove: A
bird identified with the ability to speak of future
happenings and to act as a guide to the spiritual realm, the dove
represented inspiration and spirituality for many early peoples.
In Christianity, of course, it is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Hagiog-
raphers, such as those of Brigit, Columcille, and David, used the
dove in their stories to show how truly inspired and holy their
saints were, with talents in preaching and teaching.
Fox: A symbol of cleverness and ingenuity, the fox is the most
frequent actor in folktales. It was often depicted as having the
ability to outsmart other animals, although not always domestic
animals, such as the cat. Foxes appear in the earliest
hagiographies, including those of Patrick and Brigit.
Horse: The horse, asymbol of fertility, sanctity, strength,
speed, and sexual vigor, appears on many ancient Celtic coins.
Horses were and are revered by the Celts and were crucial to the
Celtic way of life in a warrior society. Horses were especially
associated with prestige and nobility. For Aidan of Lindisfarne to
give his horse away was an important symbolic act of renunciation
and humility; for Columcille to be mourned by a horse repre-
sented his own noble and saintly character.
Otter: A creature at home in two elements, land and water,
the otter symbolized the union of the spiritual and natural realms.
In Irish folklore otters were associated with omniscience, for Celts
believed that otters slept with their eyes open and thus did not
miss anything. It is significant that Kevin, the Irish saint, and
Cuthbert, the Northumbrian saint, both have friendly otters as
helpmates.
Salmon: The salmon as a symbol of wisdom figures into both
Celtic sagas and saints' lives. According to the story of the hero
Fionn Mac Cumhaill, nine magic hazel trees, containing all of the
world's wisdom, grew on the banks of the pool of Fee, at the source
of the river Boyne. The salmon of the pool, feeding on the nuts,
stored that wisdom in themselves. By eating one of those fish
Fionn acquired his magical knowledge of the otherworld. Among
the stories of Brendan, we find the saint discovering salmon in the
Land of Promise. In the account of Kevin, his community is
threatened when one of the monks tries to kill the otter that brings
salmon to it each night.

34
 Stag: For hunters, the stag with its tree-like symbol-
antlers
ized the spirit of the forest, fertility, and virility. Because of the
autumn shedding and spring growth of its antlers, reflecting the
and reappearance of leaves on trees, the stag was also
falling
associated with seasonal changes. Among Celts one of the most
popular gods was Cemunnos, the homed one, who was depicted
in human form with antlers on his head and a Celtic tore (bracelet)
on each arm. Taking into account the stag's attributes, it is inter-
esting to note that Patrick, in order to save himself and his men,
changes them all into deer. In the story of David the stag represents
the child's future greatness and his conquest of good over evil.
Wolf. A sacred totem of many clans in Europe during early
medieval times, the wolf symbolized the virtues of bravery and
strength as well as the principle of evil (a werewolf). Wolves figure
prominently in the biographies of pagan heroes, including the
reputed founders of Rome, Remus and Romulus, who were said
to have been suckled by a she-wolf. Because wolves burrow in the
earth. Native Americans associate them with secret wisdom and
spiritual power. The stories of Maedoc of Ferns are filled with
references to wolves.

Bread
Bread, a symbol of transformation and of unity, producedis

by a process in which the original ingredients are changed sig-

nificantly through baking, that is, being near the heat of a fire,
another agent of transformation. The Jewish people believed that
sharing a meal gave spiritual life to the participants and was a sign
of their common unity. Jesus followed in that tradition, making the
eucharist the act in which his followers would remember him while
reminding themselves of their own brother and sisterhood. That
ritual, originally celebrated in the homes of the early Christians,
eventually was defined in belief and practice as one of the major
sacraments of reconciliation of the church. There are many refer-
ences to the sharing of bread and of eucharist in the hagiographies
of the Celtic saints, including the story of Brendan and his fellow
pilgrims celebrating eucharist at certain sites each year, and
another concerning Ciaran's fabulous bread which, like the
eucharist, had the ability to heal every sick person who ate of it.

35
Fire

Fire is one of the most common symbols in the history of

Judeo-Christian spirituality. It represents the power and presence
of God. Images of fire, along with those of light, appear repeatedly
in the writings of Christian wisdom figures from both the West
and East. In the scriptures God speaks to Moses through a burning
bush on Mount Sinai and tongues of fire are present at Pentecost;
in the fourth century the Egyptian desert mother Amma Syncletica
describes God as a consuming fire, and John Cassian associates
fire with the highest form of contemplative prayer; in the twelfth
century Rhineland mystic Hildegard of Bingen relates how
tongues of fire were with her during her spiritual awakening at
midlife; and in the fourteenth century, English mystic Richard
Rolle describes Jesus as a "honeyed flame." References to fire
appear frequently in the stories of the Celtic saints. It is seen by
neighbors at the house where Brigit sleeps as a child; it surrounds
the room of Ita; and it ascends from the mouth of the holy virgin
Samthann to the roof of her home. Bishop Ere sees Brendan's
birthplace ablaze, and Ciaran is called "a lamp, blazing with the
light of wisdom." Canair sees towers of fire rising from the
churches of Ireland; Kevin carries fiery coals; Patrick lights the
sacred fires at Tara and his guardian angel speaks to him in a
burning bush. All of these images and symbols are used by the
hagiographers to say that these people were especially touched by
God and manifestations of God's love.
Hair
To many primitive peoples and by all sorts of religious
traditions hair represents sexual energy; fertility, creativity, and
vital strengths. Hair on one's head was a symbol of spiritual forces,
intuitions, insights, spirituality, soul power. Different colors of
hair had specific connotations: brown or black hair symbolized
dark, terrestrial energy, while golden hair was related to the sun's
rays and represented intimacy with God. The length of one's hair
and how it was worn also had significance. Samson's story (Jdg
16) tells how the hero was shorn of his strength and freedom when
his hair was cut. In the early medieval church, as the priesthood
evolved, two styles of tonsure came to symbolize two different
ecclesial traditions. The "Petrine" style, in which a round spot
toward the back of the head was shaved, was a visible sign of

36
dedication to Rome. The "Celtic" style, probably a cany-over from
the pagan druids, in which the whole of the front of the head from
ear to ear was shaved while the hair behind was allowed to grow
long, represented devotion to Celtic spiritual traditions. Because
of the symbolic importance of hair, these two different styles of
tonsure became one of the major controversies dividing Roman
and Celtic factions at the Synod of Whitby in 664— as we shall see
when we consider Hild's stories. There are other references to hair
that appear in the saints' Lives: Findbarr has fine hair, symbolizing
his closeness to God, and tonsured early in his life, signifying
is

his vocation to the priesthood; and, in the story of Ethne and

Fedelm, the druid Caplit is converted and his hair cut to show his
new loyalty to Christ, St. Patrick, and Rome.
Objects

Certain objects that frequently appear in the hagiographies

of the Celtic saints are especially equated with spiritual and
therefore miraculous powers: a saint's bell, vestments, il-
luminated gospels (which remain dry in a rainstorm or when
thrown into water!), crozier (a symbol of episcopal powers), or the
stone or rock on which the saint or an angel left imprints from
hands, head, or feet. These were venerated by later generations as
To show the origins of these relics, which were on display
relics.

at themonasteries where pilgrims came, hagiographers included

them in their accounts of the saints.
When these relics (such as books or bells) or other objects
(such as land or com) are exchanged between the saints or given
to each other's monasteries, they symbolize the love and
mutuality between soul friends, their equality and spiritual kin-
ship. There are numerous references to this practice in the follow-
ing stories. The story of Brigit giving her father's sword away to
a leper, however, has its own significance. In Celtic warrior society
the sword was a symbol of potency and virility; for Brigit to give
it away symbolized that the source of her spiritual power was not

in aggressiveness and intimidation but in mercy and compassion.

Oil

Oil has long been a symbol of healing, of inner strength, and

of a life specially consecrated to God. The use of special oils for
liturgical functions such as the consecration of kings and priests

37
is a commonoccurrence in the Hebrew scriptures. The practice
was taken over by the early church and eventually used in the
celebrations of baptism, confirmation, and holy orders, as well as
the consecration of churches and altars. In the hagiographies of
the Celtic saints oil is associated with certain saints. References to
oil are found particularly in Findbarr's stories, including a vivid
account of how oil flowed abundantly at Cork where Findbarr
built his church. This indicates that the church and Findbarr
himself were sources of healing and spiritual strength.

Trees

Another common symbol, a tree denotes fertility, innmor-

tality, and wisdom; it can also connote a person's roots and

spiritual heritage. Mircea Eliade, a scholar of world religions, says

a tree symbolizes absolute reality, the center out of which all life

flows, thelife of the cosmos. The Jewish scriptures begin with the

account of trees growing in the Garden of Eden: a "Tree of Life"

and a "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" (Gn 2:9). In the
Book of Revelation, the last book of the Christian scriptures, "trees
of life" are pictured near "the river of life" in the heavenly
Jerusalem (Rv 22:2).
Certain trees such as the beech and holly were revered by
the pagan Celts. The oak tree symbolized wisdom, and the holly
death and regeneration. Their spiritual leaders, the druids and
druidesses, are said to have conducted their worship services
and taught their students among sacred groves of oaks. A Celtic
goddess of the grove, Nemetona, was worshipped at Bath in
Britain and in Gaul. Tribal names also indicate close kinship
between Celtic people and trees. In the stories of the saints,
Samthann encounters a huge oak tree, which she tames with her
crozier, and, as we have seen, Ciaran and Enda share a vision of
a tree growing in the center of Ireland. This is similar to the
vision Native American shaman Black Elk had as a child (and,
like Julian of Norwich, while he was ill), and which he believed
contained regenerative powers for his tribe. Annie Dillard's
description in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek of "the tree with the lights
in it" cctme to symbolize her own illumination and spiritual

awakening. Among Christians, the Tree of Life found in Genesis

becomes the cross on which Christ died, a symbol of God's love

38
and of the way suffering can lead to reconciliation and the birth
of compassion, a new way of relating to others and to oneself.

Water
Among many peoples and religious traditions water is a
symbol of healing, cleansing, rebirth, and transformation. Because
it can reflect light, it also is equated with luminosity and illumina-

tion. Water appears in the opening lines of the Book of Genesis

and its account of creation; it is associated with Jesus' baptism and
the beginning of his public ministry. In all its forms, from sacred
springs to holy wells, water was venerated in the Celtic world.
The pagan Celts believed that such places were the haunts of
female deities. They could obtain special favors, they thought, by
throwing offerings into the watery depths. Immersing oneself
brought special stamina as well as control over anger and lust. The
Celtic saints, as their stories show, are often found praying at night
in lakes or oceans. Specific references to the regenerative powers
of water appear in the story of a spring gushing forth at David's
baptism; in the account of how a dead queen was raised to life by
the water Findbarr had blessed; and in the portrayal of the dying
Ita blessing water to heal Abbot Aengus. Christians through the
ages have seen water as a special symbol of their own baptismal
regeneration and rebirth through Christ.

Special Numbers
Besides the presence of these symbols in many of the stories
numbers had a meaning of their own.
of the Celtic saints, certain
For ancient and medieval people, including Greeks, Romans,
Jews, Gnostics, Kabbalists, and Celts (both pagan and Christian),
certain numbers had special importance, because they believed
that everything in this world was a reflection of a greater reality.
Numbers, for them, expressed a divine order of things, invisible
spiritual forces at work in the universe, a way and
of expressing
comprehending the meaning of existence. As such, numbers had
mystical significance and were equated with spiritual power.
Celtic hagiographers knew the symbolic value of these numbers.
They used them in their texts to make theological points about the
saints, and to increase the reputation and enhance the interest of
their own storytelling. Each number had a particular character

39
and meaning of its own. The numbers that appear most frequently
in the stories of the Celtic saints are these:
Three: Three was the favorite number of Celtic folklore and
hagiography. It was considered a powerful symbol of spiritual
strength and intimacy with God, and it represented spiritual
synthesis, the reconciliation of apparent opposites. Triads had a
remarkable fascination for the Celts, and both pagan and Christian
Celts associated them with their deities. The pagans expressed
their belief that certain goddesses existed in groups of threes by
representing them artistically in such reliefs as those of the "Three
Mothers," which appear in practically all parts of the Celtic world.
The use of threes was also manifest in the tricephalos (three-faced
head) found on numerous vases or stones. Christian Celts also
symbolized their understanding of divinity with such symbols as
the triangle or, as we find in legends about St. Patrick, the sham-
hundreds
rock. In the stories of the Celtic saints there are literally
—
of references to three from the three angels who appear at
Brigit's baptism to the three gifts God gives to Columcille; from
the three clerics who foster Findbarr to the three precious stones
that appear in Ita's dreams. Even the greatest Celtic religious
heroes, Patrick, Brigit, and Columcille, are referred to in common
parlance today as "the holy trinity of Irish saints."
Four: The number four symbolized wholeness and har-
monious completion. The medieval mind associated the number
four with the earth, the four directions of the world, and the
seasons. Celts subdivided their land into four quarters, and ac-
cording to the lawbooks in northern Wales, there were four acres
in a homestead. On the Isle of Man four quarterlands at one time
formed a treen, the smallest unit for administrative purposes.
References to the number four appear in the stories of Ciaran with
his four sacks of consecrated wheat, of Brigit who cures four sick
persons at a certain church, and of Ita who requests four acres of
land on which to live.
Five: Another symbol of wholeness, the number five appears
in a large number of secular and religious texts. In the Middle Ages
it was primarily associated with the Virgin Mary and was general-

ly seen as the number signifying true faith. Medieval Ireland had

five great roads and five celebrated hostels; in its literature mythi-
cal persons wear fivefold cloaks, and the greatest Irish hero, Cu
Chulainn, has five wheels carved on his shield, which in the

40
ancient world represented the cosmos. In the stories of the saints
Hild has five studentswho become bishops, Brendan is fostered
by Ita for five years, and Patrick has five companions with him at
Tara when he confronts the pagan king.
Seven: A mystical number of special importance for ancient
peoples, including Greeks, Romans, Jews, and Celts, the number
seven symbolized perfection, perfect order, a complete period or
cycle, harmony. Seven is as popular as the number nine in some
branches of Celtic literature and of course appears in the saints'
stories: Brendan sails for seven years before he reaches the elusive
Land of Promise; Cuthberf s spiritual mentor, Boisil, dies on the
seventh day; Hild endures a painful illness for seven years; an
angel comes to Patrick on the seventh day of each week; Kevin
lives for seven years in the wilderness.
Nine: Another prominent mystical number in Celtic tradi-
tion, important in divinations and folk cures, nine symbolized
great spiritual power, health, fulfillment. Dante was later to equate
the number nine with Beatrice, whom he loved dearly and who
acts as his guide to heaven in his Divine Comedy. In Irish literature
there are repeated allusions to companies of nine, which consist
of a leader with eight followers, and to houses comprising nine
rooms. In Wales there also was a tradition that a complete house
should consist of nine component parts. An early Welsh poem
mentions the breath of nine maidens, which kindles a certain
magical fountain, while in an Irish tale the hero Ruad swims to a
secret place and finds nine fair women with whom he sleeps for
nine nights under the sea on nine beds of bronze. Nine was
evidently a significant unit of time for the Celts, for some scholars
assert that they had a nine-day week, or rather a nine-night week
(since they reckoned by nights, not days). In the stories of the
saints the number nine or its variant appears quite often: Kevin
dies at the age of 129, nine heavenly orders of angels are men-
tioned in the account of Findbarr's death, Non naturally prepares
for the birth of David at the end of her ninth month of pregnancy,
and a famous Irish high-king is called Niall of the Nine Hostages.
Twelve: An ancient symbol signifying wholeness or complete-
ness, the number twelve has special meaning and is found in
many spiritual traditions. In Greek mythology, Odysseus has
twelve companions; in the Jewish scriptures there are twelve
tribes of Israel; in the Christian gospels twelve apostles accom-

41
pany Jesus; and in later medieval legends King Arthur has twelve
knights of the Round Table. Today we celebrate twelve months of
the year. The Celtic hagiographers respected this number's
spiritual significance by using it often in their portrayal of the
saints: Aidan lives twelve days after the death of the king he loved;
Finnian educates the "Twelve Apostles of Ireland"; Findbarr
builds twelve churches and is accompanied to Rome by twelve
monks; David founds twelve monasteries. Kevin's hagiographer,
evidently in order to outdo Brigit's, has twelve angels at Kevin's
baptism rather than only three!
We need not be surprised by the symbols and sacred num-
bers found in the early stories and sayings of the saints.
Throughout human history symbolic language has been used not
only to describe mysterious events in the outer world, which can
be perceived by the human eye (if not always understood!), but
also to disclose inner realities: visionary experiences, feelings,
intuitions, dreams. These inner experiences, of course, are no less
real than the outer ones, for they often determine and profoundly
influence the shape and course of outer events as well as the
development of character— the distinctive qualities or traits
emerging from our deeper selves, what the ancients called, quite
simply, our souls. Primitive peoples, including the writers of the
gospels, the fathers and mothers of the early church, and the
Christian Celts, did not invent the great mysteries described in the
saints' lives — birth, love, suffering, forgiveness, death, and
rebirth. They experienced them first. If we can identify with them
at that level of awareness, we can begin to see that the stories of
the Celtic saints, female and male, are really stories about our-
selves. They are about our own ability (with the help of God and
others, of course) to transcend human pain and suffering, and in
the process experience various forms of transformation. Some-
times we undergo such a profound change of heart that it seems
we will never be the same again!

Listening With the Heart

By now it should be clear that we should approach the stories
and sayings in this book with less of a critical eye to whether the
events are historically accurate or verifiable, but rather, as earlier
generations did, with an openness to what the stories themselves
can teach us about God, holiness, and our own great mysteries.

42
Such an approach presumes some understanding of the early
Celtic church's history and spirituality, as well as the significance
of the symbols and sacred numbers that appear in hagiographies.
It also presupposes that while the stories of the saints contain
explicit messages about Christian spirituality and what it means
to be fully human today, there is more to these texts than the eye
can see or the mind take in. To grasp fully and begin to integrate
their spiritual wisdom, we must bring a willingness to reflect
quietly upon them and to discern unhurriedly their sometimes
hidden meaning. Thus we need to bring to these stories and
sayings a compassionate, attentive, listening heart.
By quietly listening to the description of the stages, transi-
tions, and miraculous deeds of a saint's life, we can begin to
discern and appreciate our life patterns as well as our own kinship
with Jesus. We also might start to recall the happenings (some-
times wondrous?!) told about our birth and early years, and to
remember gratefully our significant mentors and how they
touched our lives. As we read the stories we might consider what
sort of leadership we are presently offering others and what gifts
of ours might make a great difference ("miraculous"?) in their
lives. In our prayerful reflection we might identify what sorts of
trials and tribulations we have encountered and what we have
learned in our own "school of suffering." We might ask ourselves
what journeys we have already bravely embarked upon and, if —
we are to be true to ourselves, what new explorations we may yet
have to undertake. We might also, in our quieter moments of
listening to the heart, acknowledge with love those special people
who have died and the legacy they have passed on to us about the
sacredness of life and awesomeness of dying.
By bringing both heart and mind to the stories found in this
— —
book and to our own life experiences we will truly discover
and make our own the wisdom of the Celtic saints, a wisdom that
is much more than a mere accumulation of historical knowledge

and facts. It is, rather, a way of life, a spirituality lived gratefully

each day, one day at a time.
Let us turn now to those early Celtic soul friends, allowing
them to become guides to the spiritual heritage which is ours and
to the best which lies within us. As friends and mentors of our
souls may they help us become more conscious and appreciative
of the ancient spiritual traditions in which we stand, so that we

43
might begin to pray not only with our Hps and our intellects, but
out of the very roots of our lives. Most of all, may they show us
wisdom, a Christian wisdom that continues to flourish, like
Ciaran's tree growing in the middle of Ireland, capable of teaching
all sorts of people, including those of us who live far across the

Irish Sea.

44
s and
sqyings
 ......
Lindisfarne, the small island off the coast of northern England
located between present-day Berwick-on-Tweed and Hamburgh.
A native of Ireland, he was born in the latter part of the sixth
century and became a monk of lona, where St. Columcille had
established his monastery earlier. When King Oswald of Nor-
thumbria requested a bishop pagan
to help convert his subjects,
Aidan was consecrated and arrived in Northumbria in 635. He
made his headquarters on Lindisfarne. From there he evangelized
and founded missionary outposts, including a monastery at Mel-
rose. Among his many Anglo-Saxon proteges were Hild of Whitby
and Cuthbert.
His biographer, the Venerable Bede, wrote more affection-
ately of Aiden than possibly any other saint — except Cuthbert.
The qualities that appealed to Bede were the very ones that
contributed to Aiden's appeal as a teacher: passionate love of
goodness tempered with humility, warmth, and gentleness.
Stories of Aidan also clearly reflect one of the most ancient
and enduring traits of authentic Christian spirituality: concern for
and love of the poor and strangers. Scholar Dom Gougaud calls
Aidan the "true apostle of England,'' for it was Aidan's missionary
outreach in Northumbria that had such a lasting effect upon the
conversion of the Saxons. The statue of Aidan which stands on
Lindisfarne today, near the medieval abbey ruins, shows him
holding the torch of faith he brought to that part of England. Aidan
died in 651. His feast day is celebrated August 31.
/

Aidan's Move to Lindisfarne

As soon as Oswald had come to the throne, he was deter-
mined that the whole race under his rule should be filled with the
grace of the Christian faith. He therefore sent a special request to
the Irish elders, from whom he and his men had received the
sacrament of baptism when he was in exile, asking that they send
a bishop by whose teaching and ministry the English race over
whom Oswald ruled might learn the privileges of faith and receive
the sacraments. Oswald's request was immediately granted. The
elders sent him Bishop Aidan, a man of outstanding gentleness,
devotion, and moderation, who was passionate about God.
When the bishop arrived, the king gave him, according to his
wishes, a place for his episcopal see on the island of Lindisfarne.
As the tide ebbs and flows, this place is twice daily surrounded
by the waves an island and twice, when the shore
of the sea like
is mainland once again.
dry, attached to the
The king humbly and gladly listened to the bishop's advice
in all matters, conscientiously seeking to build up and extend the
church of Christ in his kingdom. Truly, it was a beautiful sight
when the bishopwas preaching the gospel to see the king acting
as interpreter of the heavenly word for his men, for Aidan was not
completely familiar with the English language, while the king had
learned Irish perfectly during his long exile.

The Grace of Discretion

There is a story that when King Oswald asked the Irish for a
bishop to minister to him and his people, another man of a more
rigid disposition was sent first. This man preached to the English
for some time unsuccessfully. When he realized that the people
were unwilling to listen to him, he returned to his native land. At
a meeting he told the elders that he had made no progress instruct-
ing the people to whom he had been sent, because they were
intractable, stubborn, and barbaric. Along discussion followed as
to what ought to be done, for the elders were anxious to give that
people the help it asked for. They regretted that the preacher they
had sent had not been accepted.
Then Aidan, who was present at the conference, said to the
priest: "It seems to me, brother, that you have been unreasonably
harsh concerning your ignorant hearers. You did not first offer
them the milk of simpler teaching, as the apostle recommends, so

50
that gradually, as they grew strong on the food of God's word, they
were capable of receiving more elaborate instruction and of carry-
ing out the higher commandment of God." All eyes were turned on
Aidan when they heard these words and everyone present careful-
ly considered what he had said. They then agreed that Aidan was
worthy to be made a bishop and that he was the man to send to
instruct those unbelievers, for he had proved himself to be
preeminently endowed with the grace of discretion, the mother of
all virtues. So Aidan was consecrated and sent to preach to the

English. As time passed he proved himself to be outstanding not

only for moderation and good sense, which the elders had first
observed in him, but for many other virtues as well.

Aidan Teaches by Example

Aidan taught the clergy many lessons about the conduct of
their lives. Above all he gave them a most beneficial example of
abstinence and self-control. The best thing about his teaching to
everyone was that he taught no other way of life than that which
he himself practiced among his colleagues. Aidan neither sought
after nor cared for worldly possessions. Rather, he was happy to
hand over to any poor person he met the gifts he had received
from kings or the rich of the world. He used to travel everywhere
he went, in town and rural areas, not on horseback but on foot,
unless he was forced to do otherwise because of some urgent
necessity. He did this so that, whenever he saw people whether
rich or poor, he might approach them at once. If they were un-
believers, he could strengthen them in the faith, encouraging them
by word and deed to practice almsgiving and good works.
Aidan's life was in great contrast to our modem laziness. All
who accompanied him, whether they were ordained or laity, had
to engage in some form of study; that is, they had to occupy
themselves with reading the scriptures or learning the psalms. If
it happened, as it rarely did, that Aidan was summoned to feast

with the king, he went with one or two of his clergy. After eating
a little food, he hurried away either to read with his people or to
pray. Neither respect nor fear forced him to remain silent about
the sins of the rich, whom he would correct with a stem rebuke
when necessary. Aidan never gave money to powerful men of the
world, but only food on those occasions when he entertained
them. He distributed gifts of money he received from the rich

51
either for the use of the poor, as we have said, or for the redemp-
tion of those who had been sold into slavery unjustly.

A Gift-Horse Returned, and a Spiritual Friendship

Another king^ King Oswin, gave Aidan an excellent horse so
that, though the bishop normally walked, he could ride if he had
to cross a river or if he had urgent business. A short time later
Aidan was met by a beggar who asked for alms. Aidan dis-
mounted from his horse imniediately and offered it to the beggar,
for he was extremely compassionate, a friend of the poor, and a
real father to the unfortunate. The king was told of this and, when
he met the bishop as they were going to dinner, he said, "My lord
bishop,why did you give a beggar the royal horse intended for
you? Do we not have many less valuable horses or other things
which would have been good enough to give to the poor without
allowing the beggar to have the horse which I had specially chosen
for your own use?" The bishop replied at once, "King^ what are
you saying? Surely this son of a mare is not dearer to you than that
son of God?" After these words were exchanged bet^veen them,
they went in to dine.
The bishop sat down in his own place and the king^ having
just come in from huntings stood with his men warming himself
by the fire. Suddenly he remembered the bishop's words. He at
once took off his sword, gave it to a retainer, and then running to
where the bishop sat, threw himself at his feet and asked his
forgiveness. "From now on," he said, "I will never speak of this
again. I will not form any opinion as to what wealth of mine or
how much of it you should give to the people of God." WTien the
bishop saw this he was greatly alarmed. He got up immediately,
raised the king to his feet, and declared that he would be perfectly
satisfied if only the king would forget his sorrow and sit down to
the feast.
The moved by the bishop's requests and commands,
king^
recovered his spirit. The bishop, on the other hand, grew sadder
and sadder and at last broke into tears. A priest then asked Aidan
in his native tongue (which neither the king nor his men under-
stood) why he was weeping. The bishop answered, 'T know that
the king will not live long, for I never before saw such a humble
king. Therefore, I think that he will soon be taken from this life,
for this nation does not deser\'e to have such a ruler/' Not much

52
later the bishop's gloomy forebodings were fulfilled. Bishop
Aidan himself only lived for twelve days after the murder of the
king whom he loved.
Aidan's Tears of Compassion
Another memorable miracle is told about Aidan by those
who were in a position to know. During the time of his episcopate
a hostile Mercian army under the leadership of Penda had been
cruelly devastating the entire kingdom of Northumbria. After
Penda had reached the royal city named after a former queen
Bebbe [Bamburgh], he could not capture it by assault or siege, so
he attempted to set it on fire. He pulled down all the fortifications
in the neighborhood of the town and brought there a vast supply
of beams, rafters, walls of wattles, and thatched roofs. He then
built them up to an immense height around that side of the city
facing him.
At that time Bishop Aidan was staying on Fame Island, less
than two miles from the city. He often retired there to pray in
solitude and silence; in fact, the site of his solitary cell can still be
seen on the island. When Aidan saw the tongues of flame and the
smoke being carried by the winds above the city walls, he raised
his eyes and hands toward heaven and said tearfully, "O Lord, see
how much evil Penda is doing!" As soon as he had uttered those
words, the winds turned away from the city and carried the flames
in the direction of those who had lit them. As a result, some of
those men were hurt, while all of them were so terrified that they
stopped making any further attempts on the city, realizing that it
was divinely protected.

Aidan's Death and Burial

At the time when death came to Aidan he was on a royal
estate, not far away from the city of which we have been speaking.
Here he had a church and a cell where he frequently stayed while
travelling about in the neighborhood to preach. He did the same
at the other royal estates, for he had no possessions of his own
except the church and a small piece of land around it. His fol-
lowers erected a tent for him during his illness at the west end of
the church, with the tent itself attached to the church wall.

53
 So happened that Aidan breathed his last while leaning
it

against the buttress which supported the church on the outside.

He died August 31, in the seventeenth year of his episcopate.
Shortly afterward his body was transferred to the island of Lin-
disfame and buried in the cemetery of the brothers. Some time
later, when a larger church had been built there and dedicated in
honor of the most blessed chief of the apostles, Aidan's bones were
transported to it and buried on the right side of the altar, with the
honor due to so great a bishop.

54
 BRenDAo
OF Cl_OnF6K.-C
 —

robably the most widely known Celtic

saint, after Patrick and perhaps Brigit, is Brendan the Navigator.
Though his life is associated with fabulous legends, it is certain
that he was a real person who lived from 486 to 578. Born on the
west coast of Ireland, he had St. Ita as his foster-mother for five
years. Another important mentor. Bishop Ere, not only baptized
Brendan as an infant but ordained him when he had reached
manhood.
Brendan began his travels shortly after becoming a priest,
and although we have no absolute proof of the places he eventual-
ly visited, scholar James Kenney believes that Brendan made a
voyage to the Scottish isles and perhaps to the Strathclyde,
Cumbria, or Wales. Brendan's main center of activity was probab-
ly western Ireland where several places and landmarks are named
after him, including Mount Brandon on the Dingle Peninsula. The
monastery at Clonfert, founded about 559, is the most important
establishment linked with Brendan. At its site today one can see a
magnificent ninth- or tenth-century Irish Romanesque doorway,
which contains many stone heads of the saints.
The personality of St. Brendan which emerges from the fol-
lowing stories is that of an adventurer willing to take risks. He
only does so, however, after consulting with his fellow-monks
certainly a sign of his collaborative nature and his willingness to
include others in any major decision that had to be made. Brendan
is said to have died at the home of his sister and to be buried at

Clonfert. The widespread cult that developed after Brendan's

death owed much to the famous Voyage of Brendan, a romance of
the tenth or eleventh century. It became one of the most popular

stories of the Middle Ages. Brendan's feast day is May 16.

The Amazing Birth of Brendan

Brendan was bom in the time of Oengus, son of the king of
Munster. His noble, devout, and faithful father was Findlug, who
lived with his wife in lawful wedlock under the rule of Bishop Ere.
Now the mother of Brendan saw a vision before he was bom in
which it seemed that her bosom was full of pure gold cind that her
breasts shone like snow. When she told Bishop Ere of this vision,
he said that she would give birth to a wondrous child who would
be with the grace of the Holy Spirit.
filled
On the night of Brendan's birth thirty cows bore thirty calves
to Airdi, a very wealthy man who lived some distance away He
went looking for the house in which the little child was bom, and
when he found it, prostrated himself devoutly before the child and
offered him the thirty milk cows and thirty calves. These were the
first alms Brendan received. Then the landowner took the child in
his arms and said, "He shall be my fosterling forever."
The same night Bishop Ere saw Brendan's birthplace all in
one great blaze as was never seen before and a great gathering of
angels in shining white garments all around that land. Then
Bishop Ere rose early the next morning, went to the house of
Findlug, and took the child in his arms, saying: "O man of God
and destined servant of God, accept me as your own monk;
though many are joyful at your birth, my heart and my soul are
even more joyful."
Mobi was the original name given the child by his parents,
but when a fair drop fell upon him from heaven, they changed his
name to Braenfiend ("fair drop") or Brendan. He was called fair
because he was all fair of body and soul.

The Rule of the Irish Saints and Brendan's Desire to Travel

After learning the canon of the Old and New Testaments,
Brendan wished to write out and leam the mle of the saints of
Erin. Bishop Ere gave him permission to go and leam this mle, for
he knew it was from God that this desire had come to him. He said
to Brendan, "Come back to me, and bring the mles with you, that
I may ordain you when you return."

58
 Brendan went to consult his foster-mother, Ita, who also
encouraged him to leam the rule of the saints of Ireland. So then,
after writing the rules of the saints, their customs, and their
devotions, Brendan returned to Bishop Ere and was ordained.
It was after this that a great love for the Lord grew in his heart,

and he yearned to leave his country, his parents, and the in-
heritance of his ancestors. Brendan begged the Lord to give him
some unknown country to visit, far removed from humankind.

Barinthus's Tale of a Mysterious Island

A certain holy man came to Brendan.
His name was Barin-
thus, and he was King As Brendan was asking
Niall's grandson.
him many questions, the man prostrated himself on the ground
mourning and weeping. Brendan raised him to his feet, kissed
him, and said, "It is better to rejoice than to mourn, and by God's
passion I command you to speak of God and satisfy our souls."
After some further conversation between them, the holy man
began to tell Brendan of a certain island: "I had a son named
Memoc who fled from me because he did not wish to remain in
the same place with me. He found an island near a certain moun-
tain, and sometime later, when I heard that he had many monks
with him and that many miracles were manifested through him,
I went to visit him. When I had been traveling for three days, my

son came to meet me with the brothers of his community, for God
had revealed my coming to him.
"My son and I traversed the island, and after we had gone
over it, he took me with him to the shore where there was a boat.
Then he said to me: 'Dear father, get into the boat so that we may
go and see the island that is called The Land of the Saints, which
God will promise to those who come after us.' When we had
entered the boat, a mist fell upon us, so that we could hardly see
the prow of the ship. About an hour later a great light came upon
us, and we saw a beautiful island, full of fragrant blossoms and
apples. Every herb or tree on the island was laden with fruit. We
landed, and for fifteen days we walked the island without finding
any end to it. The stones of the island were all jewels.
"Oh, Brendan," said Barinthus, "I remained a fortnight in
that place with my son, without eating or drinking. At the end of
forty days I returned to my own brethren and my own cell."

59
 When Brendan and his followers heard this, they bowed their
heads to the ground, praised God greatly, and said, "Blessed is
God in his own gifts, and holy in all his works, because he has
revealed so many miracles to his servants, and has fed us this day
until we are filled with spiritual food."

Brendan's Decision-Making and Setting Sail

When
Barinthus had departed, Brendan collected fourteen
monks from his community and went with them to a secluded
spot. There he told them: "Beloved brothers, I am asking your
advice and help, for my heart and thoughts are fixed on one single
desire, if it be God's desire, and that is to seek the land of which
Barinthus told us, the land God has promised to those who come
after us. What do you think?"
They all said with one voice: "Beloved father, whatever you
wish is our desire. We are ready to face death or life together with
you. There is but one other thing to do. Let us seek to discern the
will of God, and to fulfill it."
So Brendan with his family decided to fast for forty days and
nights, so that God would help them, and guide them.
Brendan slept after this, and heard the voice of an angel from
heaven saying, "Arise, Brendan, for what you have requested
from God, you shall receive; you will visit the Land of Promise at
last."
Brendan cirose, and his heart rejoiced at the answer of the
angel. He went by himself to a solitary place. Scanning the ocean
on every side, he saw a wondrous and fair island with angels
hovering about it. Brendan remained in that place some time and
slept once again. Again the angel of God came to converse with
him, and said, "From now on, I will be with you, and I will show
you one day the fair island which you have seen, and which you
hope to visit." Brendan wept tears of joy at the angel's words and
gave thanks to God.
Then Brendan set forth with fourteen companions, travelling
westward. The wind carried them to the port of Aran. Brendan
said farewell to Enda and the other saints of Aran and left a
blessing with them. Then they sailed due west across the ocean. It
was summer, and they had a favorable brisk wind behind them,
so they did not have to row. After they had spent ten days in this
way, the wind lowered its loud voice and whistling. With its force

60
spent, they were compelled to take up the oars. Brendan spoke to
them, saying: "Do not be afraid, for we have our God as our guide
and helper. Put up your oars, and do not toil anymore; God will
guide this boat and company as God pleases."

A Liturgical Cycle Repeated Each Year

After many adventures, the company saw an island in the
distance.Brendan said, "Over there is the island on which we were
lastyear on the day of the Lord's Supper." When they had landed,
the holy man whom they had previously met on this island came
to them with great joy, kissed their feet, and began loudly to praise
the Lord. He speedily prepared a bath for them, clothed them all

in new garments, and they celebrated the Lord's Passion until

Easter Eve. When they had celebrated the service for Saturday, the
man said to Brendan: "Embark, and celebrate Easter as you did
last year. And from Easter on, go to the Paradise of Birds, and take
what you need in food and drink. I will pay you a visit on the
second Sunday that is coming." The monks departed as the holy
man had recommended and celebrated Easter on the island where
they had been the previous year.
From there they went where they
to the Paradise of Birds
stayed until the octave of Pentecost. The holy man came to them as
he had promised and brought with him all the things they needed.
They greeted one another joyfully, as they had done before.
At the moment they sat down to eat, a bird alighted on the
prow of the ship and made music as sweet as an organ with its
wings, beating them on the sides of the boat. Then Brendan
perceived that it was telling them something, and he listened as
the bird spoke: "On this journey four seasons have been deter-
mined for you; that is, the day of the Lord's Supper is to be
celebrated with the holy man, Easter on the island, which is really
the back of a sea monster, and from Easter to Pentecost with us on
Paradise Island, and Christmas on the Island of Ailbe up to Mary's
feast of Candlemas. At the end of the seventh year you will reach
the land you are seeking, and you will be there forty days and then
borne back to your homeland." On hearing this Brendan lay on
the ground, wept, and gave praise and thanks to God, the Creator
of all things. The bird returned to its own place, the holy man
departed leaving his blessing with them, and Brendan and his

61
men stayed until the time had come for them to leave as well. Then
they set out upon the ocean.

Brendan's Return and Ita's Advice

Now when Brendan had been on this voyage five years,
following the cycle of feast days that had been prescribed, he
returned to his own country. The people of his land and tribe came
to meet him, and asked what things he had brought back on his
boats. Some gave gifts and treasures to him, and many of them
decided to follow Christ. Brendan performed many mighty
miracles there. Sick folk were healed, prisoners set free, demons
and vices expelled. He then spoke with his foster-father. Bishop
Ere, and next went to the place where his foster-mother, Ita, lived.
He asked her what he should do with reference to his voyaging.
Ita welcomed him as she would have welcomed Christ and his
apostles and said to him: "Ah, dearly beloved son, why did you
go on your journey without seeking advice from me first? For the
country you are seeking from God you will never find on these
soft, dead skins, for it is a holy consecrated land and no human
blood was ever shed on it. Build boats made of timber, and you
will find the land that you are searching for." So Brendan went
into the Connacht region and built an excellent and very large
boat. He then embarked with his company and people. They took
with them various herbs and seeds to store on board, as well as
craftsmen and smiths who had begged Brendan to let them go
along. Then Brendan and his company went back again over the
surface of the sea and the great ocean.

A Second Voyage and the Land of Promise

One day when Brendan and his company were traversing the
sea, they finally happened upon the little country they had been
seeking for seven years; that is, the Land of Promise. As it says in
the proverb, "He who seeks, finds." When they approached the
land and were entering its harbor, they heard the voice of a certain
elder speaking to them: "O holy pilgrims, tired men who have
searched for this country for so long, remain where you are a little
while and rest from your labors." When they had done so, the
elder said, "Dear brothers in Christ, do you not see that this is
glorious and lovely land on which human blood has never been

62
 —

shed? Leave everything that you have in your boat, except the few
clothes you are wearing, and come on shore." When they had
landed, each of them kissed the others, and the elder wept tears
of great joy. "Search and see the borders and regions of Paradise
where you will find health without sickness, pleasure without
contention, union without quarrel, feasting without diminution,
meadows filled with the sweet scent of fair flowers, and the
attendance of angels all around. Happy indeed is he whom Bren-
dan, son of Findlug, shall summon here to join him, to inhabit
forever and ever the island on which we are now."
When they saw Paradise in the midst of the ocean waves,
they marvelled at the wonders of God and his power.

Homecoming atAran
After this, Brendan and his monks proceeded
to their boat
and departed from Paradise. Nothing unusual is narrated of their
journeying until they came to eastern Aran after two years on this
voyage and five on the former voyage. It was thus seven years in
all that it took them on the two voyages to reach the Land of

Promise. As a poet said:

Seven years in all were they

—
On the voyage fair was the band
Seeking the land of promise
With its flocks, a strong subtle turn.

And they found it at last

In the high meadows of the ocean.
An island rich, everlasting, undivided.
Abounding in salmon, fair and beauteous.

When they reached Aran, they received a great welcome such

as Christ and his apostles might receive. They related the story of
many adventures to the people of Aran, from first to last.
their
When Enda and his companions heard the story, they wept ex-
ceedingly, possessed as theywere with great joy. The people tried
to detain Brendan, but he told them, "Here is not my place of
resurrection." He and his monks stayed one more month, tired
from their rowing. At the end of that time they left Aran and
proceeded to Ireland, where they dropped anchor in the sea near
Limerick.

63
 Brendan's Visit to Britain, and His and
Brigit's Mutual Confession
One day Ita advised Brendan to cross the sea: "A foreign land
is calling you, so that you can instruct the souls of those over there.
Go now, depart from here." Brendan left immediately for the land
of Britain. It was winter when he arrived there, at the place where
Gildas the Briton was. Gildas told his people to prepare a great
feast for Brendan and his companions. They stayed there for three
days and three nights. After Brendan had blessed the monastery
of Gildas and the neighboring tribes, they departed. The people
and the tribes wept greatly, for they loved Brendan as if he had
been their father.
One day Brendan was on a lofty crag on the Isle of Ailec, near
Britain, when he saw two sea monsters coming from the depth of
the sea and fighting desperately together, trying to drown each
other. Then one of the sea monsters tried to fly, and the other
pursued it. The flying monster said with a human voice: 'T beseech
you in the name of St. Brigit to let me be!" The other monster left
it immediately and went into the depth of the sea.

Brendan was astonished at this. He returned to his com-

panions, and said to them: "Let us depart quickly for Ireland, so
that we can speak with St. Brigit." When he reached the place
where Brigit was, he told her of the conversation between the two
monsters and asked her, "What is it that you do for God more than
I, since monsters call upon your name, though you are absent,

rather than mine, though present?"

Brigit said to Brendan: "Make your confession, O cleric, first,
and I will afterward." "I declare," said Brendan, "that since I first
became a monk, I never crossed seven furrows without turning
my mind to God." "Good is your confession," said Brigit. "So now
make your confession to me," replied Brendan. "I confess," said
Brigit, "that since I first fixed my mind on God, I have never taken
it from him, and never will until Doomsday. You, however, so

constantly face the dangers of sea and land that you must give
your attention to them; it is not because you forget God that your
mind is fixed on him only at every seventh furrow."
"It seems to us, O nun," said Brendan, "that the monsters are
right to give honor to you."

64
 Brendan and a Young Harpist
After this Brendanand his company returned to Ireland and
proceeded until theyhad reached Clonfert. Brendan was there on
Easter Day in the seventh year before his death. The canonical
hours had been celebrated in the church, the sermon preached,
and Mass said. When midday came the monks went to the refec-
tory, while Brendan was left alone in the church. As they ate, a
young cleric who had a little harp in his hand began to play to
them. They blessed him for it.
"I would be very happy," he said to them, "if Brendan
would allow me to play three strains for him in the church." "He
will not let you," said the monks. "For the past seven years
Brendan has never smiled, nor listened to any music in the
world. Two balls of wax with a thread are always
tied together
on the book in front of him, and whenever he hears any music,
he puts them into his ears." "Still, I will go to play the harp for
him," the young cleric replied.
So the young man approached the church with his already
tuned harp in his hand. "Please open the door," he said. "Who is
there?" asked Brendan. "A young cleric to play the harp for you,"
said he. "Play outside," said Brendan. "If you do not mind," the
cleric replied, "I would be very happy if you would admit me into
the church." "Very well, " Brendan said, "open the door." The
young cleric set his harp on the floor between his feet. Brendan
put the two balls of wax into his ears. "I do not want to play for
you," the cleric said, "unless you take out the wax." "I will do as
you like," Brendan told him, and put the balls on the book in front
of him. Then the cleric played three strains on the harp. "A
blessing on you, young man," said Brendan, "and the music of
heaven for you hereafter."
Then Brendan put the wax back into his ears, for he did not
care to listen to any music of this world. "Why do you not listen to
music?" asked the young cleric. "Is it because you consider it so
bad?" "No," Brendan replied, "not that, but seven years ago this
very day in this church after Mass, all the young clerics had gone
to the refectory and I was left here alone. A great yearning for the
Lord seized me after communion, and while in that state of fear
and trembling, I saw a bird move from the window and settle on
the altar. I could not look upon it, for beams of light like the sun

65
surrounded it. Then the bird said to me, 'Give me your blessing/ I
said, 'May God bless you! But who are you?' 'Michael the angel,'
said he. 'I have come to speak with you.' 'I thank God,' said I, 'but
why are you here?' 'To play for you, and for the Lord.' 'You are
welcome to do so,' said I. TTien he drew his beak across his wing,
and I listened until the same hour on the following day when he
said farewell."
Here Brendan drew his bookmark across the neck of the
young cleric's harp and asked, "Does that seem pleasing to you,
young man? I declare before God that the sweetest music in the
world, compared with that music, is no more than the noise
made by this bookmark. But take my blessing, and may heaven
be yours in return for playing for me." This place in Clonfert
where the young cleric played his harp for Brendan became
Brendan's Hermitage.

Brendan's Visit to His Sister, and His Death

After this Brendan went to visit his sister Brig at the fort
which is now called Enach Duin. After traversing the great perils
of sea and land, after raising dead men, healing lepers, the blind,
deaf, and lame, and all kinds of sick folk, after founding many
cells, monasteries, and churches, after preeminence in pilgrimage
and ascetic devotion, and after performing mighty works and
miracles too numerous to mention, Brendan drew near to the day
of his death. When Brendan had received the body and blood of
Christ at Mass on Sunday, he said: "God is calling me to the eternal
kingdom. My body must be taken to Clonfert, for angels will be
in attendance there and there is my place of resurrection. Make a
small chariot, and let one of you go with it to convey my body If
it were a large wagon with numerous attendants, the tribes would

notice it and dispute over my body."

When he had finished, he blessed his sister Brig and all the
brethren, and upon reaching the threshold of the church, he said,
"In manus tuas, Domine" ("Into your hands, O Lord"). Then, after
completing ninety-three years on earth, he sent forth his spirit. The
next day Brendan's body was placed on the chariot, as he had said,
and a single brother went with him to Clonfert. There his body
was buried with great honor and reverence, with psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs in honor of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.

66
 ^^^Ft. Brigit is the most famous female leader
of the early Celtic church, a soul friend with whom that ancient
tradition of spiritual guidance is very much identified. She lived

in Ireland from about 452 to 524, governing both women and men
in her double monastery at Kildare. Nuns at her monastery are
said to have kept an eternal flame burning there, a custom that
may have originated with female druids residing at that spot long
before the saint arrived. Their leader supposedly was a high
priestess who bore the name of the goddess Brigit or Brighid ("the
exalted one"), a deity of wisdom, poetry, fire, and hearth. Like
other Celtic goddesses who sometimes appear in groups of threes,
the goddess Brigit was associated with two sisters by the same
—
name one who was patron of healing, and the other of the
smith's craft. These attributes were eventually identified with
Brigit, the saint, whose feast day, February 1, came to be celebrated
on the same day as that of the pagan goddess. Early hagiographers
also portray crucial turning points of Brigit's life and ministry as
touched with fire. It is clear that St. Brigit stands on the boundary
between pagan mythology and Christian spirituality.
Brigit was called "the Mary of the Gael" and considered
during the Middle Ages as the patron saint of travellers and
pilgrims. In Ireland she is still prayed to as the guardian of farm
animals, of healers, and of midwives. Except for a round tower
and a restored medieval cathedral, little remains now at Kildare.
Even though the holy fires have long been extinguished, the
reputation of Brigit as a spiritual guide remains. She is known for
many leadership traits: patience, prayerfulness, inclusivity, and
most of compassion. The latter quality was the basis of her
all,

spiritual power and of her ministry as a soul friend.

Brigit, Daughter of a Slave

Brigit was the daughter of Dubthach, son of Demre, son of
Bresal. Before she was bom, Dubthach bought a slave woman
named Broicsech. Dubthach had intercourse with that slave, and
she became pregnant by him. Jealousy of the slave seized
Dubthach' s wife, and she said to Dubthach, "Unless you sell the
slave so that she is far from here, I will take my dowry from you
and I will leave you." Dubthach, however, did not want to sell
the slave.
Dubthach and the slave went in a chariot past the house of a
certain druid. When the druid heard the noise of the chariot he
went to meet Dubthach and asked whose was the woman with
him in the chariot. "Mine," said Dubthach. The druid asked if she
was pregnant by anyone. "She is pregnant by me," Dubthach
replied. The druid then prophesied: "Marvelous will be the child
that is in her womb. No one on earth will be like her." "But my
wife wants me to sell this slave," Dubthach sighed. "Never mind,"
the druid said, "for the offspring of your wife shall serve the
offspring of the slave, for this slave will bring forth a wonderful,
radiant daughter who will shine like the sun among the stars of
heaven." Dubthach was thankful for that answer, for until then no
daughter had been born to him.

Born on the Threshold in a Druid's House

Dubthach sold Broicsech to a poet because of his wife's
jealousy. On the night that the poet reached his home, a holy man
happened to be in the house entreating the Lord and praying. He
saw a flame and a fiery pillar rising from the place where Broicsech
was living. A certain druid went to the poet's house, and the poet
sold the slave to him but did not sell the offspring that lay in her
womb. Then the druid took Broicsech home.
When the slave went at sunrise with a vessel full of milk in
her hand, she put one of her two feet over the threshold of the
house, while leaving the other foot inside. At that moment she
brought forth her daughter, Brigit. The maidservants washed
Brigit with the milk that was still in her mother's hand.

70
 On a certain day the slave went to milk her cattle, and left the
girl alone sleeping in her house. Neighbors saw the house on fire,
as if a single flame reached from earth to heaven. When they came
to rescue her, the fire disappeared, but they saw it as a sign that
the girlwas full of the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Then this holy virgin grew to be a young woman, and every-
thing which her hand touched increased. She tended the sheep,
she satisfied the birds, she fed the poor. Once when the druid was
sleeping, he saw three clerics in shining garments who poured oil
on the girl's head and completed the ritual of baptism in the usual
manner. Those were really three angels. The third angel told the
druid that the name of the girl was Sancta Brigida, that is. Saint
Brigit. The druid arose and related what he had seen.

She Gives Away Her Father's Sword

Then Brigit went with her mother to her father's house.
Whatever her hands would find or would get of her father's wealth
and food and property she gave to the poor and needy of the Lord.
A leper came to her one day and asked Brigit to give him
something in God's name. She handed down from the chariot her
father's sword. When her father returned, he asked Brigit what
she had done with his sword. Brigit said, "I gave it to a poor man
who came to beg of me." Dubthach was extremely angry with her
for having given the sword away and took her to the king to sell
her. When Brigit came before the king, he said, "Why did you steal
your father's property and wealth, and, what is worse, why have
you given the sword away?" Brigit said, "The Virgin Mary' s Son
knows, if I had your power, with all your wealth, and with all your
Leinster, I would give them all to the Lord of the Elements." Said
the king to Dubthach: "It is not right for us to deal with this young
woman, for her merit before God is higher than ours." Thus was
Brigit saved from bondage.

Brigit Is Ordained a Bishop

Brigit and
certain virgins went to take the veil from Bishop
Mel. He was very happy to see them. Because of her humility,
Brigit held back so that she might be the last to whom a veil should
be given. A fiery pillar rose from her head to the roof of the church.
Bishop Mel said to her: "Come, holy Brigit, that a veil may be

71
placed on your head before the other virgins." Then, it happened
that, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, the form of ordaining a
bishop was read over Brigit. Mac Caille, Bishop Mel's assistant,
said that a bishop's rank should not be conferred on a woman.
Bishop Mel replied: "But I do not have any power in this matter.
That dignity has been given by God to Brigit, beyond every other
woman." Therefore, the people of Ireland from that time to this
give episcopal honor to Brigit's successor.

Brigit's Ministry as a Wounded Healer

At another time Brigit was afflicted by a disease of the eyes,
and her head seemed exceedingly weary. When Bishop Mel heard
of this he said: "Let us go together to seek a physician, that your
headaches may be healed." As they were on the road, Brigit fell
out of her chariot and hit her head against a stone. She was
severely wounded and the blood gushed out. Two women who
were lying on the road were healed by that blood. When the leech
(physician) saw Brigit's wound, he said: "You should not seek any
other physician from this time forward, except the Physician who
healed you on this occasion, for, even if all the doctors of Ireland
would attend to you, they could do nothing better." In that way
Brigit was healed.
Brigit went to The
a certain church to celebrate Easter.
prioress of the church said to her maidens on Maundy
that
Thursday one of them should minister to the old men and to the
weak and feeble persons who were living in the church. Not one
of the womenvolunteered for that ministry. Brigit, however,
said, "Today will minister to them." There were four sick
I

persons in the church: a consumptive man, a lunatic, a blind

man, and a leper. Brigit ministered to these four, and they were
healed from their diseases.
Brigit's desire was to satisfy the poor, to expel every
hardship, to spare every miserable person. Her heart and her mind
were a throne of rest for the Holy Spirit. She was dedicated to God,
compassionate toward the wretched, and splendid in miracles
and marvels. Thus her name among created things is Dove among
birds.Vine among trees. Sun among stars.

72
 She Founds Her Monastic City at Kildare
Brigit went to Bishop Mel so that he might come and mark
out her city for her. When they came to the place in which Kildare
stands today, Ailill, son of Dunlang, chanced to be coming at the
same time with a hundred loads of wood drawn by horses. Brigit's
women went to him to ask for some of the wood, but Ailill refused
to give them any. Immediately his horses were struck to the
ground beneath the wagonloads of wood. Even when stakes and
rods were taken from them, they could not rise until Ailill had
offered the hundred wagons to Brigit. Brigit' s great house in
Kildare was then built, and Ailill fed the builders and paid them
their wages. So Brigit blessed him and promised that his descen-
dants would inherit the kingship of Leinster until Doomsday

Anyone Without a Soul Friend

A young cleric of the community of Ferns, a foster-son of
Brigif s, used to come to her with wishes. He was often with her
in the refectory to partake of food. One time, after coming to
communion, she struck a bell. "Well, young cleric there," said
Brigit, "do you have a soul friend?"
"I have," replied the young man.
"Let us sing his requiem," said Brigit, "for he has died. I saw
when you had eaten half your portion of food that that portion
was put in the trunk of your body, but that you were without any
head. For your soul friend has died, and anyone without a soul
friend is like a body without a head. Eat no more until you get a
soul friend."

The Wild Fox and Brigit's Compassion

On another occasion a foolish man saw a fox walking toward
the castle of the king, and thought it was a wild animal. Dimwitted
as he was, he was ignorant of the fact that the fox was tame, a
frequent visitor to the king's court, trained in various skills. It was,
in short, a grand and distinguished mascot of the king and his
nobles. While a huge crowd watched, the poor fool killed the fox.
At once the man was denounced by those who had witnessed the
deed, put in irons, and dragged before the king. When the king
learned what had happened, he was enraged. He ordered the man
to be killed unless a fox, as clever as his own, were given to him

73
in recompense. The king also ordered the man's wife, his children,
and all that he had to be reduced to slavery.
When holy and venerable Brigit learned what had happened,
she felt great compassion for the miserable fool and ordered her
chariot to be prepared. Grieving in her innermost heart for the
poor unfortunate who was unjustly condemned, she rode along
the road that led to the castle of the king, pouring out prayers to
God as she passed over the flat plain. There was no delay, for the
Lord heard Brigit as she prayed so fervently He commanded one
of his wild foxes to go to her. When the fox approached the
speeding chariot of holy Brigit, it leaped up lightly and landed
inside. Then, nestling up under the fold of Brigif s garment, it sat
tamely in the chariot with her.
When Brigit arrived at the king's castle, she began to beg that
the poor fool who was being held be freed of his bonds. The king
was unwilling to listen to her pleas, swearing that he would not
free the man unless he were recompensed with a fox as gentle and
as clever as his had been. At this point Brigit brought forth her fox
into the center of the court. The fox played before the eyes of
everyone in exactly the same way as the other fox had done, acting
before the king and all those gathered there with the same ges-
tures, cleverness, and docility as the first. When the king saw this,
he was satisfied and, acknowledging the resounding approval of
the multitudewho were in admiration of this wondrous event, he
ordered the man released.
Not much later, when Brigit had returned to her home, the
same fox, sad and tormented by the crowds, fled quickly through
the remote forests and reached its own cave unharmed.

Brigit's Last Days

The Lord performed many miracles and marvels for Brigit,
so many that no one could declare them all unless Brigif s own
soul or an angel of God should help them.
Now Nindid Pure-hand came from Rome during Brigit's last
days, after she had founded many cells and churches and after she
had performed miracles and marvels as numerous as the grains
of sand on the seashore or the stars in the heavens. He was called
Nindid Pure-hand because he never put his hand to his side when
Brigit prayed an Our Father with him. After she had received holy
communion from him, she sent her spirit to heaven. Her relics

74
remain on earth with great honor and dignity, with many miracles
and marvels. Her soul is like a sun in the heavenly kingdom
among the choirs of angels and archangels. Although her honor
is great here on earth, greater by far will it be when she shall arise

like a shining lamp in completeness of body and soul at the great

assembly of Doomsday. She will arise in union with cherubim and
seraphim, in union with the Son of Mary the Virgin, in the union
that is nobler than every union, in the union of the Holy Trinity,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
I beseech the mercy of Almighty God, through holy Brigit's
intercession, that we may all deserve that unity, may we attain it,
may we dwell with it forever!

75
OF
CAHAIR
BAnUR-V BAV
 ittle is known about this Irish woman
solitary, except what appears in a medieval hagiography of St.
Senan, a holy monk who lived on Scattery Island, off the western
Irish coast. In that account Canair (or Cannera) lived and prayed
for many years in a cell she had built near Bantry Bay. Shortly
before her death she decided to visit Senan's island home. Con-
sidering her words to Senan about his lack of hospitality, she may
well have been the first Irish feminist! She also evidently had a

positive effect on the older man, for early legends say that Aidan
of Lindisf ame was a disciple of Senan, and he certainly, as we have
seen, was a significant mentor for both women and men.
Canair died about the year 530. Her feast day is January 28.
The site of her partially submerged grave is marked with a simple
flag and can still be seen in the waters off Scattery Island. A
sixteenth-century poet invoked her as patron of seamen, and Irish
sailors throughout the centuries have saluted Canair 's grave
before setting sail.

Canaifs Persistence
Canair the Pious, a holy woman living in the south of Ireland,
set up a hermitage in her own territory. One night, while she was
praying, all the churches of Ireland appeared to her in a vision. It

seemed as if a tower of fire rose up to heaven from each of the

churches. The highest of the towers of fire, and the straightest
toward heaven, was that which rose from Inis Cathaig (Scattery
Island). "Fair is Senan's cell," Canair said. "I will go there, that my
resurrection may be near it." She went immediately, without
guidance except for the tower of fire, which she saw continuing
to blaze day and night until she arrived. Now, when she had
reached the shore, she walked upon the sea as if she were on
smooth land until she came to Inis Cathaig. Senan knew that she
was coming, and he went to the harbor to meet and welcome her.
"Yes, I have come," Canair told him.
"Go to your sister who lives on the island to the east of this
one, so that you may be her guest," said Senan.
"That is not why I came," said Canair, "but that I may find
hospitality with you on this island."
"Women cannot enter on this island," Senan replied.
"How can you say that?" asked Canair. "Christ is no worse
than you. Christ came to redeem women no less than to redeem
men. He suffered for the sake of women as much as for the sake
of men. Women as well as men can enter the heavenly kingdom.
Why, then, should you not allow women to live on this island?"
"You are persistent," said Senan.
"Well then," Canair replied, "will I get what I ask for? Will
you give me a place to live on this island and the holy sacrament
of eucharist?
"Yes, Canair, a place of resurrection will be given you here
on the brink of the waves," said Senan. She came on shore then,
received the sacrament from Senan, and immediately went to
heaven.
Because of Canair's holiness, God grants that whoever visits
her church before going on the sea shall not be drowned.

78
Ciaran of Clonmacnois lived from about 512 to 545. He was one
of the great monastic founders called the "Twelve Apostles of
Ireland" educated by Finnian at Clonard. Following in his
mentor's footsteps, Ciaran established one of the largest, richest,
and most important monastic centers of learning in the entire
Celtic church. His father, Boite, was a carpenter, craftsman, and
chariot-maker in the midland kingdom of Mide, Meath. When he
found the taxes too oppressive, he and his wife crossed over the
Shannon to Magh Ai in northern Roscommon where Ciaran was
bom. There are numerous references in Ciaran' s hagiography to
his love of learning, which may have been a direct inheritance
from his maternal grandfather who was a bard, poet, and his-
torian. Ciaran also seems to have had a great capacity for
friendships. He had a broad network of soul friends scattered
throughout the early Irish church, including Columcille of lona (a
fellow student), Finnian of Clonard (his tutor), Enda of the Aran
Islands (a mentor), Senan of Scattery Island (a colleague), and
Kevin of Glendalough (a close friend).
Ciaran founded the monastery of Clonmacnois on the banks
of the Shannon River in late 544. Less than a year later, on Septem-
ber 9, 545, he died unexpectedly at the age of thirty-three, perhaps,
like his former tutor Finnian, a victim of the yellow plague.
Clonmacnois today has some of the finest monastic ruins and high

79
crosses in of Ireland. It is visited by many tourists
all and pilgrims
each year. Ciaran's feast day is September 9.

Soul Friend and Lamp of Wisdom

Other virtues may
Chcirity is the proper virtue of Christians.
belong to both good and evil people, but only a good person has
charity. That is why Jesus, the peacemaker of God and the savior
of the whole world, said: "This is how all will know that you are
my disciples, that you love one another as I have loved you." Now
a multitude of sons and daughters of life, from that time to this,
have fulfilled the advice Jesus gave them and loved as he loved.
Special recognition has been given to the high-priest and apostle
holy Ciaran, son of a craftsman, for his tremendous charity.
This Ciaran has been called venerable, a soul friend, a
wonderworker, a man whose brilliance in miracles and marvels,
virtues and good deeds, lit the Western world. Regarding his
heavenly genealogy, he was the son of the Carpenter who made
heaven and earth and all that is. According to his earthly geneal-
ogy, he was the son of a carpenter who built chariots and practiced
other arts besides. For the delight of the souls of the faithful, we
set forth a brief record of the miracles and of the marvels of that
holy man, who ranked as one of Christ' s apostles in this world.
Columcille described him as a lamp, blazing with the light of
wisdom, whose founding of a lofty church brought wisdom to all
the churches of Ireland.

Ciaran's First Tutor and the Tale of a Fox

After Ciaran was born he was baptized by deacon Justus,
for it is only right that the righteous should be baptized by a
righteous one.
was the work that his parents gave him to do: to herd
This
same way as David, son of Jesse, had herded sheep.
cattle in the
For God knew that Ciaran would be a wise leader over a great
herd, that is, the herd of the faithful.

Something marvelous happened while he was watching the

cattle some distance from the home of his foster-father, deacon
Justus, at Fidarta. Even though there was a great distance between
them, he was able to hear what his tutor had to say as if they were
side by side.

80
 One day a fox came out of the forest and approached Ciaran,
and Ciaran treated it gently. It then visited him quite often, until
finally Ciaran asked the fox to do him a favor, namely, to carry his
psalter back and forth between him and his tutor, deacon Justus.
For when it was said at Fidarta, "In the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," Ciaran at one location could hear
the entire lesson of his tutor at another until he was done. So the
fox used to wait patiently beside Justus until the writing of the
lesson on wax had come to an end and then carry it to Ciaran.
Once, however, his natural inclinations overcame the fox, and he
began to eat the book, for he was greedy about the leather straps
that were wrapped around it on the outside. While he was eating
the book, Oengus, son of Crimthann, came toward him with a
band of men and with greyhounds. They hunted that fox, and he
could not find shelter in any place except under Ciaran' s cowl.
God's name and Ciaran's were magnified not only by the book
being saved from the fox, but by the fox being saved from the
hounds. That book is today called Polaire Ciarain (Ciaran's Tablets)
There is a lesson in this, for there are wicked people who live
near the church and benefit from it by receiving baptism, com-
munion, food, and instructions. Nevertheless, they do not stop
persecuting the church until a king persecutes them, or they face
their own mortality, or an unknown illness comes their way. Only
then do they seek protection from the church, just as the fox hid
under Ciaran's cowl.

Ciaran's Move to Clonard

When it was time for Ciaran to go as a scholar to Finnian of
Clonard in order to learn wisdom, he asked his mother and his
father for a cow, so that he might take her with him. Ciaran's
mother said she would not give him the cow. So he blessed a cow
of the herd, who from that time on was called Odhar Ciarain
(Ciaran's Dun-Cow). She, with her calf, went with Ciaran to
Clonard. There he drew a line between them with his staff, for
there was no fence to separate them, and the cow was licking the
calf. After that, neither of them would come over that line. That
cow's milk was divided among Finnian's proteges, the "Twelve
Apostles of Ireland," along with their households and with their
guests, and it used to be enough for all of them. As the poet said:

81
 Full fifty and a hundred
Ciaran's Dun used to feed.
Both guests, and the poor.
And folk of the refectory and upper room.
Now the Dun's hide is still in Clonmacnois, and whoever dies
and is on that hide will obtain eternal life.
laid
These were the twelve bishops of Ireland who lived at
Finnian's school in Clonard, as a poet said:

Two Finnians, two chaste Columcilles,

Ciaran, Cainnech, fair Comgall,
Two Brendans, Ruadan the handsome one,
Ninnid, Mobi, Nat-fraich's son, that is,

Molaise of Devenish.

This is the rule they had: each bishop on a certain day was to
take his turn grinding meal at the mill. But angels used to grind
at the mill for Ciaran on the day that was his.

Ciaran's Helpful Stag and His Generosity

to a Fellow-Scholar
At the school of Clonard a stag used to visit Ciaran, and he
would put his book on the deer's horns. One day when Ciaran
heard the bell, he rose suddenly at its sound, and even more
swiftly the stag arose, running away with the book on his horns.
Though it rained that day and that night as well, not a single letter
in the open book was moistened. The next day, when the cleric
arose, the deer came to him with the unharmed book.
To that same school, Ninnid Slant-eye came to study with
Finnian, and he had no book. "Ask for a book," Finnian told him.
Ninnid made the rounds of the school but could not obtain a book
from any of the scholars. "Did you go to the tender youth who is
north of the green (an open field)?" asked Finnian. "I will go now,"
Ninnid said.
When Ninnid arrived at his cell, Ciaran had reached the
middle text of Matthew's gospel: "Omnia quaecumque vultis ut
faciant homines vobis ita et vosfaciatis illis" ("All those things which
you want people to do for you, you also must do for them"). "I
have come to borrow a book," Ninnid told him. "Mercy on us!"
Ciaran replied. "It is for this I read, since the text says to me that I
should do to every one what I desire to be done to me. Take this

82
book." His companions asked him the next day where his book
was. "He gave it to me/' Ninnid announced. One of them in the
school then said, "Let Ciaran Half-Matthew be his name." "No,"
said Finnian, "let us rather call him Ciaran Half-Ireland, for half
of Ireland will be his, and ours will be its other half."

Ciaran Sets Limits in a Relationship

and Bakes Some Fabulous Bread
After that, the school experienced a time of famine. It be-
came necessary for each of them to protect the sack of grain that
was carried to the mill. It happened to be Ciaran' s turn to carry
a sack of oats to the mill. When opening the sack he said, "O
Lord, I should like be beautiful wheat, that it would bring
this to
great, pleasant, and delightful satisfaction to the elders." So it
came to pass. An angel of God was sent down to the mill while
Ciaran was singing his psalms with purity of heart and mind,
and the oats that were put in were changed, when they came out,
into choice wheat.
When the grinding of the grain was finished, four sacks of
consecrated wheat were found there, through the grace of God
and of Ciaran. When he reached home with his wheat, he baked
bread for the elders, the best that they had ever eaten. From the
time that the mystical manna was found by the children of Israel,
nothing like that food has ever been found. Its taste was so good
with both mead and wine that it satisfied and healed them all.
Every sick person in the monastery who ate it became at once
perfectly whole.
While the grain was being milled, the daughter of the master
of the mill arrived seeking Ciaran. She found him very attractive,
for he was physically more handsome than anyone else his own
age. "It is difficult, I know," said Ciaran, "but this is not what
should concern you. Consider, rather, this transitory world and
Judgment Day, and what you must do to avoid the pains of hell
and to obtain the rewards of heaven." When the young woman
had gone home, she told this to her father and to her mother. They
then came and offered her to Ciaran. "If she offers her virginity to
God," Ciaran said, "and if she serves him, I will be her friend for
life." So the girl offered her virginity to God and to Ciaran, and all

her household pledged their continual service to Ciaran.

83
 An Exchange of Gifts
When Finnian asked Ciaran about the miracles that had
happened, Ciaran told him about everything, from the beginning
to the gift of the mill and of the land that had been given to him
as an offering. "And all that land is for you, Finnian," said Ciaran.
Finnian then gave Ciaran his blessing, and said:

O Ciaran, O little heart.

For your holiness I love you, my dear one,
Grace will come to you, my dear one.
May you have an abundance of heritage and land.
O noble Ciaran, so famous!
May every answer enrich you.
So that there is in your wonderful church
An abundance of dignity and wisdom.
So, because of Finnian's great affection for Ciaran and be-
cause of the Spirit's inspiration, Ciaran was given that special
blessing. Half of the love, dignity, and wisdom regarding the
people of Ireland was left to Ciaran and to his monastery.
Ciaran also left treasures with Finnian, and in his
monastery those gifts are called Ana Findein (Finnian's
treasures). The grain Ciaran gave Finnian supported Finnian's
community for fortydays and forty nights. A third of it was put
it healed every ailment. Neither mouse nor
aside for sick folk, for
any other beast dared to spoil it. This grain lasted a long time,
until it was finally made into a clay that healed every disease,
upon whomever it was smeared.
Then, after learning scholarship and wisdom, it was time for
Ciaran to leave Clonard.

The Vision of the Great Tree

Ciaran went to the island of Aran to commune with Enda.
Both of them saw the same vision of a great fruitful tree growing
beside a stream in the middle of Ireland. This tree protected the
surrounded Ireland, and
entire island, its fruit crossed the sea that
the birds of the worldcame to carry off some of that fruit. Ciaran
turned to Enda and told him what he had seen. Enda, in turn, said
to him: "The great tree you saw is you, Ciaran, for you are great
in the eyes of God and of all humankind. All of Ireland will be

84
sheltered by the grace that is in you, and many people will be fed
by your fasting and prayers. Go in the name of God to the center
of Ireland, and found your church on the banks of a stream/'

Ciaran Travels to Isel and then to Hare Island

Ciaran went to Isel to see his monastic brothers. Near Isel
there was a lake, and in the lake was an island on which heathens
and other rabble lived. The shouting and noise of those people
used to disturb the clerics.Ciaran entreated the Lord that the
island be moved from where it stood, and it was. Many people
still remember that miracle, and one can still see the place in the

lake where the island once was.

Now the brethren became envious of Ciaran's greatness and
charity. "Go from us," they said, "for we cannot endure you any
—
longer." So Ciaran put his books on a stag one that used to
accompany him wherever he went. This stag led him to the island
of Inis Angin (Hare Island), where Ciaran decided to live for a
time. Brothers from all over came to him, including a certain
bishop named Daniel. This man was from Britain, and the devil
encouraged him to envy Ciaran. Ciaran gave Daniel a royal cup
with three golden birds as a token of his forgiveness of him. The
bishop was awestruck by Ciaran's generosity, repented of his sin,
and prostrated himself before Ciaran. Then he left the island.
Once when Ciaran was in Inis Angin, he heard a noise in the
harbor. Speaking to the brethren, he ordered, "Go to meet him who
will be your abbot." When they reached the harbor they found no
one there but a heathen youth. They informed Ciaran of this.
"Nevertheless," the saint said, "go back for him, since his voice
has made it clear to me that it is he who will be your abbot after
me." Then the young man was brought onto the island and to
Ciaran. Ciaran tonsured him, and he studied with Ciaran. This
was Enda Mac-Hui-Laigsi, a holy man pleasing to the Lord. He
became abbot after Ciaran.
It happened that Ciaran's gospel was dropped into the lake

by a certain careless brother, and it remained for a long while

under the water. On a certain day in summertime cows went into
the lake, and the strap of the gospel stuck to the foot of one of the
cows. From beneath the waves, she brought the gospel with her
dry to the harbor. When the gospel was opened, it appeared a
bright shade of white, was dry, and not a letter had been

85
destroyed. This was all due to the grace of Ciaran. To thisday in
Inis Angin the harbor is called Port of Sosceoil, that is. Harbor of
the Gospel.

Ciaran Founds His Monastery of Clonmacnois

Three years and three months Ciaran lived on Inis Angin.
After that he came to Ard Manntain, located on the banks of the
Shannon. When he saw the beauty of that place he said, "If we
tarry here we will have abundant wealth of the world, but few
souls will go to heaven." So he moved on to Ard Tiprat (Height of
the Well). "Here we will stay," he said, "for many souls will go to
heaven from here, and in this place there will be communion with
God and God's people forever."
On the eighth of February Ciaran set up his monastery in
Cluain. Marvelous was that monastery which Ciaran set up with
his eight companions after they had crossed the water just as —
Noah reclaimed the world with his ark after surviving the waves
of the deluge. Ciaran planted the first stake in Cluain, and Diar-
mait, son of Cerball, was with him. Ciaran said to Diarmait when
setting the stake, "O warrior, let your hand be over my hand, and
you shall have sovereignty over the men of Ireland." "I agree,"
Diarmait said, "provided you give me some sign." Ciaran replied,
"I will promise you this: Though today you are alone, at this hour
tomorrow you will be king of Ireland." Ciaran's words came true,
for the king of Ireland was killed that very night, and Diarmait
took the kingdom of Ireland the next day. The new king offered
Ciaran a hundred churches as his own.

Ciaran's Death and Communion with Kevin

Ciaran died at the age of thirty-three. When the time of his
death drew near, he said, "Let me be carried to a small height."
When he looked up at the sky and the vast open air above his
head, he said, "Terrible is the way of dying." "No, it cannot be
terrible for you," the monks said. "Yes it is, for I do not know
what commandment of God I may have transgressed," Ciaran
replied, "and even David, son of Jesse, and Paul the Apostle
dreaded way."
this
Then angels went to meet his soul, filling as they did all the
space between heaven and earth. He was carried back into his little

86
church, and raising his hands, he blessed his people. Then he told
the brethren to shut him up in the church until Kevin should come
from Glendalough. After three days Kevin arrived, but he did not
immediately receive the hospitality of the monks, for they were in
grief and in great sorrow at Ciaran's death. Kevin cursed them,
"A look of moroseness be on you always!" Great fear seized the
elders, and they opened the little church to him. At once Ciaran's
spirit returned from heaven and re-entered his body so that he
could commune with Kevin and welcome him. The two friends
stayed together from the one watch to another, engaged in mutual
conversation, and strengthened their friendship. Then Ciaran
blessed Kevin, and Kevin blessed water and administered the
eucharist to Ciaran. Ciaran gave his bell to Kevin as a sign of their
lasting unity. Today this is called Coimgen's Bohan (Kevin's Bell).

87
coLumciLLe
OF Io n/K
 ^ ^ olumcille^ or Columba as he is known in
Britain,was foimder and first abbot of lona, a tiny island located
off thewestern coast of Scotland. He was bom into a royal clan in
Donegal, Ireland, December 7, 521. His name means "dove of the
church." Like Ciaran, Columcille was a student of Finnian of
Clonard.
After his ordination Columcille founded numerous
monasteries in Ireland, including Derry in 546, Durrow in 556, and
probably Kells. All of these had oak groves, the favorite trees of
druids, growing on their original sites. Columcille himself is said
to have addressed Christ as "my druid."
According to legends, Columcille was condemned by a
synod in 561, possibly because of a copyright dispute. Whatever
the reason for his exile, he left Ireland at the age of forty-two and
moved to the island of Hy (lona) in 563. A poet, scholar, and writer
who obviously loved solitude, he was at the same time highly
involved in pastoral ministry as head of his religious community
on lona and as a missionary to the Picts in Scotland. From the
poetry and stories about him which have survived, it seems he
never got over his homesickness for Ireland, especially his
beloved Derry. He made at least one journey back to Ireland,
visiting his monks in Durrow and other monasteries, before he
died on lona in 597.
Columcille isknown as one of Ireland's greatest poets,
writers, and storytellers. He is certainly one of the most talented
leaders of the early Celtic church, a man of compassion and
hospitality. A sixth-century poem describes him as a gentle sage
"with faith in Christ" and states that "being a priest was but one
 Of the monasteries associated with him, lona has
of his callings."
a restored medieval abbey that is home to an ecumenical com-
munity today; Kells has a number of fine high crosses and a small
stone oratory; and Derry has a beautiful Long Tower Church. The
most pleasing of Columcille's holy places, however, is the site at
Durrow where a magnificent high cross stands serenely in the
midst of ancient trees and graves. Columcille's feast day is June 9.

The Dream ofColumcille's Mother and His Three Requests

Columcille's birth was foretold to Ireland's elders in visions
and in dreams. His mother, Ethne, dreamed that a great cloak was
given to her; this cloak reached from one part of Ireland to Scot-
land and contained every color of the rainbow. In her dream a
youth received the radiant cloth and took the cloak from her,
which caused Ethne to be very sad. Then it seemed to her that the
same youth returned to her and said, "Oh, good lady, you have
no need of grief or sorrow, but rather, for joy and delight. The
meaning of this dream about a cloak is that you will bear a son,
and Ireland and Scotland will be full of his teaching." Wonderful
was the child, Columcille, who was bom there, a child of the king
ofheaven and earth, son of Fedlimid, son of Fergus, son of Conall
Bulban, son of Niall of the Nine Hostages. He was baptized by
Cruthnechan, son of Cellach, the archbishop, who fostered him
afterward. The angels of God had told him to do this.
Columcille offered himself to the Lord of the Elements and
begged three gifts of God: chastity, wisdom, and pilgrimage. The
three were fully granted to him.

Columcille Builds His Cell at Clonard

and Finnian's Vision
Columcille went to Finnian of Clonard. He asked Finnian in
what place he should build his cell. "Make it in front of the
church," said Finnian. So Columcille built his cell there.
Each of the bishops at Clonard used to take turns grinding
meal at the mill. However, an angel from heaven would grind on
behalf of Columcille. That was the honor the Lord rendered to him
because of the eminent nobility of his race.
Once a vision appeared to Finnian in which two moons arose
from Clonard, a golden moon and a silvery moon. The golden

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moon went into the north of the island, lighting Ireland and
Scotland. The silvery moon went on until it reached the Shannon,
lighting the center of Ireland. The first, Finnian realized, foretold
Columcille's wisdom and the grace of his noble kin; the second
had to do with Ciaran's monastery at Clonmacnois and his many
virtues and good deeds.

He Founds Monasteries at Derry and Durrow

Columcille then moved to Derry. One day he sent his monks
into the forest to cut wood to build a church. The wood was cut
in the territory of a certain warrior who lived near the church. He
was angry that the wood was cut on his land without his own
consent. When Columcille heard he said to his household,
that,
"Take what his wood is worth in barley-grain, and tell him to plant
it Now at that time it was past midsummer, but when
in the earth."
the grain was taken to the warrior and he cast it into the ground,
it grew and was ripe on harvest-day.

While he was in Derry, Columcille thought of going to Rome

and to Jerusalem. Later, at another time, he went to Tours and
brought back the gospel that had lain on Martin's breast a hundred
years in the earth. That gospel was left in Derry. The Lord wrought
many marvels and miracles for Columcille in Derry. He loved that
city greatly, and said:

For this do I love Deny,

For its smoothness, for its purity.
Because it is full of white angels
From one end to the other.

Then Columcille went to the king of Teffia, who gave him the
place today called Durrow. Columcille built a church in Durrow.
When bitter apples were brought to him, he blessed them so that
they became quite sweet. Columcille journeyed on to the place
now called Cennannus, where he laid out the city and blessed it.
There was a great oak tree under which Columcille lived while he
was in that place (it remained there for many years until it fell to
the ground from the force of a mighty wind). After Cennannus
Columcille went on to Monasterboice.
Many, then, were the churches he marked out and the books
—
he wrote a total of three hundred churches and three hundred

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books. A
book of gospels that he wrote was long under water, yet
itdid not have a single letter washed out.

Planting Roots on lona and His Missionary Journeys

When Columcille had made a round of all Ireland, sowing
faith and belief,he baptized many people, founded numerous
churches and monasteries, and left leaders, reliquaries, and relics
with each. Then the determination to go on pilgrimage, which had
been with him from his earliest days, returned to his mind. So he
decided to travel across the sea to preach God's word to the people
of Scotland. He took with him twenty bishops, forty priests, thirty
deacons, and fifty students.
With full sailshe set forth until he reached the place that
today is called Hi og Colomb Cille (Columcille's lona). He reached
iton the night of Pentecost. Two bishops who lived on the island
came to expel him from it, but God revealed to Columcille that
they really were not bishops. They left the island when he told
them of their duplicity.
Then Columcille said to his household, "It is well for us that
we plant our roots here in this soil."
When Columcille had founded lona, he went on a preaching
tour through Scotland, Britain, and Saxonland. After many
miracles, and after raising the dead, he brought the people to faith
and belief in Christ.

Columcille's Love of Study, Joy in Living,

and Powerful Prayer
Columcille never could spend the space of even one hour
without study, or prayer, or writing, or some other holy occupa-
tion. So incessantly was he engaged night and day in the exercise
of fasting and watching that the burden of each of these ascetic
practices would seem beyond the power of all human endurance.
Still in these activities he was beloved by all, for a holy joy shown

continuously on his face, revealing the joy and gladness with

which the Holy Spirit filled his inmost soul. By virtue of his prayer,
and in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, he healed several
persons suffering from various diseases. He alone, by the assis-
tance of God, expelled from lona innumerable hosts of malignant
spirits. These spirits, which he saw with his own eyes, assailed

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him and began to bring deadly dispositions on his monastic
brotherhood as well. Partly by mortification and partly by a bold
resistance he subdued, with the help of Christ, the furious rage of
wild beasts. The surging waves, at times rolling as high as moun-
tains in a great storm, also quickly became at his prayer quiet and
smooth, and the ship, in which he then happened to be, reached
in perfect calm the haven he sought.

The Loch Ness Monster

One time when Columcille was living for some days in the
province of the Picts, he was obliged to cross the river Ness. When
he reached the bank of the river, he saw some of the inhabitants
burying an unfortunate man who, according to the account of
those who were burying him, had been seized a short time before
as he was swimming and been bitten most severely by a monster
that lived in the water. His wretched body was taken out with a
hook by those who came to his assistance in a boat. Columcille,
on hearing this, directed one of his companions to swim over and
row across the cable that was moored at the farther bank. Lugne
Mocumin obeyed without the least delay, taking off all his clothes
except his tunic and leaping into the water. But the monster, far
from being satiated, was only roused for more prey. Lying at the
bottom of the stream, it felt the water disturbed above by the man
swimming, and so suddenly rose to the surface. Giving an awful
roar, it plunged after him, with its mouth wide open, as the man
swam in the middle of the stream.
Columcille observed this, raised his holy hand — while all the
rest,brethren as well as strangers, were stupefied with terror—
and invoking the name of God formed the saving sign of the cross
in theair. He commanded the ferocious monster, saying to it, "You

will go no further; do not touch the man; go back with all speed."
At the voice of the saint, the monster was terrified and fled
more quickly than if it had been pulled back with ropes, though
it had just gotten so near to Lugne that there was not more than

the length of a spear between the man and the beast. Seeing that
the monster had gone back, and that their comrade Lugne
returned to them safe and sound, the companions were struck
with admiration and gave glory to God in the holy man. Even
the strangers who were present were forced by the greatness of

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this miracle, which they themselves had seen, to glorify the God
of the Christians.

His Miracles and Companionship with Angels

While returning from the country of the Picts, where he had
been for some days, Columcille hoisted his sail when the breeze
was against him in order to confound the druids, and he made as
rapid a voyage as if the wind had truly been favorable. On other
occasions contrary winds were changed into fair because of his
prayers. In that same country he took a white stone from the river
and blessed it for the working of certain cures; contrary to the law
of nature, that stone floated like an apple when placed in water.
This divine miracle was performed in the presence of King Bruded
and his household.
In the same country Columcille also performed a still greater
miracle by raising to life the dead child of a humble believer and
restoring him in life and vigor to his father and mother. At another
time, while the blessed man was yet a young deacon in Ireland
and living with the holy bishop Findbarr of Cork, the wine re-
quired for the sacred mysteries failed, and through his prayer,
Columcille changed pure water into true wine. An immense blaze
of heavenly light was on many occasions seen by some of the
brothers to surround Columcille in the light of day as well as in
the darkness of night. He was also favored with the sweet and
most delightful company of holy angels. The Holy Spirit often
revealed to him the souls of some just people carried by angels to
the highest heavens, as well as certain reprobates being carried to
hell by demons. Columcille frequently foretold the future of many
persons, sometimes joyful and sometimes sad, while they were
still living.

The Story of the Crane

While Columcille was living on lona, he called one of the
brothers to him and said: "Three days from now, in the morning,
you must sit down and wait for a crane on the shore on the western
A stranger from the northern region of Ireland,
side of this island.
ithas been driven about by various winds. This crane will come,
weary and fatigued, after the ninth hour. It will lie down before
you on the beach quite exhausted. Treat that bird tenderly and take

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it some nearby house where you can kindly and carefully nurse
to
it and feed it for three days and three nights. When the crane is

refreshed after three days of rest and is no longer willing to stay

with us, it will fly back with renewed strength to the pleasant part
of Ireland from which it originally came. I entrust this bird to you
with special care because it comes from our native land."
The brother obeyed Columcille, and on the third day, after
the ninth hour, he watched as he had been told for the arrival of
the expected guest. As soon as the crane came and alighted on
the shore, he gently picked up the weak and hungry bird and
carried it to a dwelling that was nearby, where he fed it. On the
man's return to the monastery that evening, Columcille, without
inquiry but rather as if stating a fact, said to him, "God bless you,
my son, for your kind attention to this foreign visitor. It will not
remain here for very long, but will return within three days to its
old home."
It happened exactly as the saint predicted, for after being

nursed carefully for three days, the bird flapped its wings and
gently rose to a great height in the sight of its hospitable host.
Then, on that calm day, it made its way through the air homeward,
flying straight across the sea to Ireland.

Angelic Light on a Winter's Night

One winter's night a monk named Virgnous, burning with
the love of God, entered the church alone to pray. The others were
asleep. He prayed fervently in a little side chamber attached to the
walls of the oratory. After about an hour, the venerable Columcille
entered the same sacred house. Along with him, at the same time,
a golden light came down from the highest heavens and filled that
part of the church. Even the separate recess of the side chamber,
where Virgnous was attempting to hide himself as much as he
could, was also filled, to his great alarm, with some of the bril-
liance of that heavenly light. As no one can look directly at or gaze
with steady eye on the summer sun in its midday splendor, so
Virgnous could not at all bear the heavenly brightness he saw
because the brilliant and unspeakable radiance overpowered his
sight. This brother, in fact, was so terrified by the splendor, almost
as dreadful as lightning, that no strength remained in him. Finally,
after a short prayer, St. Columcille left the church.

95
 The next day he sent for Virgnous, who was very much
alarmed, and spoke to him these consoling words: "You are crying
to good purpose, my child, for last night you were very pleasing
in the sight of God by keeping your eyes fixed on the ground when
you were overwhelmed with fear at the brightness. If you had not
done that, son, the bright light would have blinded your eyes. You
must never, however, disclose this great manifestation of light
while I live."
This incident, therefore, so wonderful and so worthy of
recording, became known to many only after the sainfs death
through this same Virgnous.

Columcille's Approaching Death and the White Horse

A true prophet, Columcille knew long before his death when
he would die. One day during the month of May the old man,
worn out with age, went in a chariot to visit some of the brethren
who were at work. When he had found them on the western side
of lona, he beganto speak to them, saying, "With great yearning
during the Paschal solemnities this past April, I desired to depart
to Christ the Lord, and he gave me permission to do so, if I wished.
But rather than have a joyous feast turned for you into mourning,
I thought it better to put off for a little longer the time of my
departure from the world." The beloved monks hearing this sad
news were greatly affected, but he tried as well as he could to cheer
them with words of consolation. Then, having done this, he turned
his face to the east, still seated as he was in his chariot, and blessed
the island with its inhabitants. From that day to the present, the
venomous reptiles with the three-forked tongues could not harm
man or beast.
On his way back to the monastery, Columcille rested half way
at a place where a cross was later erected. The cross is standing to
this day, fixed into a millstone, and can be observed on the
roadside. While the saint, bowed down with old age, sat there to
rest a little, a white packhorse came up to him. It was the same
willing servant that used to carry the milk vessels from the cow-
shed to the monastery. As it came up to the saint, it laid its head
on his bosom — inspired by God to do so, since each animal is
gifted with the knowledge of things according to the will of the
Creator. Somehow knowing that its master was about to leave, and
that it would see him no more, this white horse began to neigh

96

!
plaintively and, like a human being, shed copious tears on the
to
saint's chest. When his attendant saw this, he began to drive the
weeping mourner away, but the saint forbade him, saying: "Let it
be, Diormit. Since it is so fond of me, let it shed its tears of grief on
my chest. Consider this: since you are human and have a rational
soul, you cannot know anything of my departure, except what I
myself have just told you. But to this humble beast, devoid of
reason, the Creator himself has evidently in some way revealed
that its master is about to leave it." Saying this, the saint blessed
the horse, which sadly turned away from him.

Columcille's Death and the Calming of the Sea

Leaving this spot, Columcille climbed the hill that overlooks
the monastery and stood for some little time on its summit. As he
stood there with both hands uplifted, he blessed his monastery,
saying: "Small and humble though this place is, yet it will be held
in great and unusual honor, not only by Scottish kings and people,
but also by the rulers of foreign and barbarous nations and by their
subjects. Even the saints of other churches will regard it with great
reverence." After these words he descended the hill and returned
to the monastery, where he sat in his cell transcribing the Psalter.
When he came to that verse of Psalm 34, where it is written, "Those
who seek the Lord will desire nothing," he said: "At the end of the
page, I must stop. What follows let Baithene write." Indeed
Baithene succeeded Columcille, as was recommended by him, not
only in teaching, but also in writing.
When Columcille had written the verse at the end of the
page, he went to the church to the nocturnal vigils of the Lord's
Day. As soon as this was over, he returned to his room and spent
the rest of the night on his bed, where he had a bare quilt for his
couch, and for his pillow a stone, which stands to this day as a
kind of monument beside his grave. While reclining there, he
gave his last instruction to the brethren in the hearing of his
attendant alone: "These, O my children, are the last words I
address to you: be at peace, and have genuine charity among
yourselves. If you follow the example of the holy fathers, God,
the comforter of all good, will be your helper, and I, abiding with
him, will intercede for you. He will not only give you enough to
supply the needs of this present life, but will also bestow on you

97
the good and eternal rewards which are laid up for those that
keep his commandments."
After these words, as the happy hour of his departure
gradually approached, the saint became silent. When the bell
tolled at midnight, he rose and went to the church. Running more
quickly than the rest, he entered it alone and knelt down in prayer
beside the altar. At the same moment his attendant Diormit, who
followed him more slowly, saw from a distance that the whole
interior of the church was filled with a heavenly light in the
direction of the saint. As he drew near to the door, the same light
he had seen, and which was also seen by a few more of the brethren
standing at a distance, quickly disappeared.
Diormit entered the church and cried out mournfully,
"Where are you, father?" Feeling his way in the darkness, since
the brethren had not yet brought in the lights, he found the saint
lying before the altar. Raising Columcille up a little, Diormit sat
down beside him and laid his holy head on his bosom.
Meanwhile the rest of the monks arrived with their lights,
and seeing their dying father, burst into lamentations. The saint,
opened his eyes wide and looked round him from side to side with
a countenance full of wonderful joy and gladness, no doubt seeing
the holy angels coming to meet him. Diormit then raised the holy
right hand of the saint, so that he might bless his assembled
monks. The venerable father himself moved his hand at the same
time, as well as he could. Having blessed them in this way, he
immediately breathed his last. After his soul had left the taber-
nacle of the body, his face continued to shine, brightened in a
wonderful way by his vision of the angels, to such a degree that
he had the appearance not so much of one dead as of one alive
and sleeping. Meanwhile the whole church resounded with loud
lamentations of grief.
When his holy soul had departed and the matin hymns were
finished, his sacred body was carried by the brethren, chanting
psalms, from the church back to his room. His obsequies were
celebrated with all due honor and reverence for three days and as
many nights. When these sweet praises of God were ended, his
venerable body was wrapped in a clean shroud of fine linen and
placed in the coffin prepared for it. He was buried with all due
veneration, to rise again with lustrous and eternal brightness.

98
 During the three days and nights of his obsequies, there arose
a storm of wind without rain. It blew so violently that it prevented
every one from crossing the sound. Immediately after the intern-
ment of the holy man, the storm stopped at once, the wind ceased,
and the whole sea became calm.

99
C7 F 1_ 1 n 6 I 3 F A T2J1 e
 ^^^uthbert is considered northern England's
most popular saint and one of Christianity's greatest spiritual
guides. He was a monk and bishop of Lindisfame, where Aidan
had settled when he journeyed from lona and founded his monas-
tic community. Although little is known about Cuthberf s early

life,he was probably born about 634 into a fairly well-to-do

Anglo-Saxon family somewhere near the River Tweed in southern
Scotland. Despite his Saxon origins, he was very much a Celt by
temperament and deeply influenced by Celtic spirituality. The
monks of Durham, where his relics eventually found a home,
claimed that he was of royal Irish blood and was probably born
in Ireland. An Irish hagiography of the saint even professed that
his mother was an Irish princess called Sabina and that after her
father's death, she entered a monastery at Kells, where Cuthbert
was bom.
In 651 Cuthbert joined the Celtic monastery at Melrose. In
676, after twenty-five years of intense pastoralinvolvement with
the local people, as well as serving as guestmaster at Ripon and
prior at Lindisfarne, Cuthbert moved to Inner Fame Island, not
far from Lindisfarne. There he attempted to live as a solitary. After
building a cell and settling into his own soul-making, however,
great numbers of people sought him out for spiritual guidance. In
684, against his own wishes, he was elected a bishop, but only
agreed to accept that office after the king himself sailed to his
island retreat and begged him to do so. The following year Cuth-
bert was consecrated bishop of Lindisfarne, and once again as-
sumed a very active ministry. In 687 he resigned as bishop and
retumed to his beloved Inner Fame, where he died.
 Bede's stories about Cuthbert portray a humble and joyful
saint who successfully handled the tension between his love of
people and passion for solitude. He is buried behind the high altcir
in Durham Cathedral, one of England's most beautiful churches.
Bede's tomb is at the opposite end of the church, in the Galilee
Chapel. It seems fitting that these two, who had so much in
common, share a common place of pilgrimage. Cuthbert' s feast
day is celebrated March 20.

Cuthbert's Childhood
When Cuthbert was a child, he was privileged to see and talk
with an angel. One time his knee suddenly began to hurt. A great
tumor swelled up, causing the muscles of his kneecap to contract.
At first he was able to hop with his foot off the ground, but
eventually the swelling increased so that he could hardly walk at
One day the servants carried him outside to lie in the fresh air.
all.

Looking up he saw a horseman approaching from a great distance.

The man was dressed in white, with a noble appearance, and
riding a horse of unparalleled beauty. The man rode up, saluted
Cuthbert courteously, and asked, almost jokingly, if he would
mind ministering to such a guest as himself. Cuthbert replied: "I
am only too willing to show you hospitality, but I am unable to do
so because of this disease of my leg. For a long time now I have
been troubled with it, and there is no doctor anywhere with
enough skill to cure it."
The horseman got down from his horse, looked intently at
the knee, and ordered, "Boil some wheat flour in milk and bathe
the tumor with it hot, and you will be healed." Then he mounted
and rode off.
Cuthbert did as he was told and within a few days was well
again. He knew that it was an angel that had given him the remedy,
sent by the same power who had sent the Archangel Raphael to
cure Tobias' eyes. This appearance of an angel on horseback
reflects the history of the Maccabees, where angels on horseback
come to defend both Judas Maccabaeus and the Temple itself.
From then on the boy devoted himself to God, and as he
would later tell his friends, when he prayed for help against
frequent and pressing difficulties, he frequently had angels sent
to defend him. Cuthbert was heard by God, who listens to the cry

102
of the poor and delivers them from all their tribulations, because
he in turn was kind enough to pray for others in similar dangers.

Cuthbert's Discernment of Vocation

Cuthbert was up in the hills tending a flock of sheep com-
mitted to his charge. One night when his companions had gone to
sleep and he was keeping watch and praying as was his custom,
he suddenly saw light streaming from the skies, breaking the long
nighfs darkness, and choirs of angels coming down to earth.
These angelic hosts quickly took a human soul, shining brightly,
into their ranks. Then they returned to their home above. Cuthbert
was so moved by this vision that he decided to give himself to
spiritual discipline in order to gain eternal happiness with the
powerful people of God.
Immediately he began to thank God and in a brotherly way
to exhort his companions to praise him. "How wretched we are,
given up to sleep and laziness so that we never see the glory of
those who watch with Christ unceasingly! What miraculous
things I have seen after so short a vigil! The gate of heaven
opened and a band of angels led in the spirit of some holy man.
While we are still in deepest darkness, that man has the happi-
ness of forever looking on the halls of heaven and their king. I
believe that he must have been some sort of holy bishop or
layman of great distinction, since he was led in with such splen-
dor and light by numerous angels."
Thus Cuthbert made the hearts of the shepherds excited
about the love and honor of God. The next day he was told that
Aidan, bishop of Lindisfarne, a man of outstanding holiness, had
passed into heaven at the time of his vision. Cuthbert returned the
sheep to their owners and decided to enter a monastery.

Cuthbert's Mentor, Boisil, at Melrose

Encouraged by his heavenly vision of the joys of eternal
happiness, Cuthbert was ready to suffer hunger and thirst in this
life in order to enjoy the banquets of the next. He was aware that

the community of Lindisfarne was filled with holy monks, under

whose example and teaching he might make good progress. It
was, however, a priest of Melrose by the name of Boisil and his
reputation for extraordinary virtue that led Cuthbert to enter

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there.By chance Boisil was standing at the monastery gates
when the young man arrived and thus saw him first. Cuthbert
dismounted, gave his horse and spear to a servant, and went to
the church to pray. Boisil intuited the high degree of holiness to
which the boy would rise and said just a single phrase to the
monks with whom he was standing, "Behold the servant of the
Lord." In that way, he imitated him who, at the approach of
Nathaniel, exclaimed, "Behold an Israelite indeed, one in whom
there is no guile."
Boisil said no more, but graciously welcomed Cuthbert.
—
When the latter had explained the purpose of his visit to leave
—
the world behind him Boisil received him with great kindness
into the community. A few days later the priest Eata arrived. At
that time Eata was abbot of Melrose; later he became abbot and
bishop of Lindisfame. Boisil told him about Cuthbert, explained
how well disposed he was, and gained permission for him to
receive the tonsure and become one of the community.
Once Cuthbert was admitted, he was careful to keep up with
the rest in observing the rule. He excelled them, however, in zeal
for strict discipline, and he watched, prayed, worked, and read
harder than anyone else. Like Samson the Nazarite he carefully
abstained from all alcoholic drink. Still, he was not too severe with
himself regarding the food he ate, since he did not want his work
to suffer. Cuthbert was robust and strong, fit enough to carry out
everything to which he put his hand.

Cuthbert's Self-Disclosure and the Death of His Mentor

A few years later when King Alhfrith, in order to save his
soul, gave Abbot Eata ground at Ripon to build a monastery, the
abbot transferred some of the monks there, under the same rule
as they had at Melrose. Cuthbert was one of them, and he was
appointed guestmaster. Angels would frequently appear and con-
verse with him, and when he was hungry he would be refreshed
with food by the special gift of God.
Cuthbert was a very pleasant, affable man. He generally
restricted himself to citing the lives of the fathers when he wanted
to find models of holy living for his brother-monks. At times,
however, he would mention his own spiritual graces in all
humility. Sometimes he did this openly; sometimes he talked in
the third person as though it were someone else. His audience

104
 —

always knew that he was speaking like St. Paul, who often would
recount his virtues openly, and at other times as though speaking
of another as when he said: "I knew a man in Christ, about
fourteen years ago, such a person caught up even to the seventh
heaven" (2 Cor 12:2).
Cuthbert enthusiastically followed the words and actions of
Boisil. One time he was struck down by a plague, which was
ravaging up and down the countryside. When Cuthbert was
better, Boisil prophesied that he would never again be afflicted by
the same illness. "At the same time," said Boisil, "I warn you not
to lose the chance of learning from me, for death is close to me. By
next week my body and voice shall have lost their strength."
Cuthbert knew that Boisil was telling the truth, and said,
"Then tell me what is the best book to study, one that can be got
through in a week."
"St. John the Evangelist," Boisil answered. "I have a com-
mentary in seven parts. With the help of God we can read one a
day and perhaps discuss it if we want."
It was done as Boisil said. They were able to finish quickly

because they did not discuss the profound arguments but the
simple things of "the faith that works by love." On the seventh
day, when the reading was finished, illness overtook Boisil, and
he entered into the joy of eternal bliss. He is believed to have told
Cuthbert all about his future during that week, for he was a
prophet and a very holy man.

Cuthbert's Administrative and Pastoral Ministries

On Boisil's death Cuthbert became prior at Melrose, an office
which he enthusiastically held for many years. In the monastery
he coimseled the monks on the religious life and set a high
example of it himself; outside, in the world, he tried to convert
people for miles around from their foolish ways to a delight in the
promised joys of heaven. Many Christians had profaned their
faith by their actions. While the plague was raging, some had
forgotten the mystery given to them in baptism and fled to idols
as if incantations or amulets or any other diabolical rubbish could
possibly help them. To bring back both kinds of sinners Cuthbert
often did the rounds of the villages, sometimes on horseback,
more often on foot, preaching the way of truth to those who had
gone astray. Boisil had done the same in his time, as had Aidan.

105
 Among the English people at that time, it was customary that
ifa priest or cleric came to a village everyone would obey his call
and gather to hear him preach. They would willingly listen and
even more happily put his words into practice as far as they
understood them. So exceptional was Cuthbert's skill in teaching
and his ability to make a point, and so gloriously did his face shine
like an angel's, one dared keep from him even the greatest
that no
secrets of his or her heart. They openly confessed every sin (for
they truly believed that he would know if they held anything
back!) and made amends by "fruits worthy of repentance," as he
commanded. Cuthbert frequently visited even those steep rugged
places in the hills that other preachers dreaded to approach be-
cause of their poverty and squalor. This, to Cuthbert, was a labor
of love. He was so eager to preach that sometimes he would be
away for a whole week, two weeks, or even a month, living with
the rough hill folk, preaching, and calling them to heaven by his
example.

His Friendship with Women,

and How Otters Warmed His Feet
Inside the monastery Cuthbert performed more and more
signs and wonders, and his reputation increased. A certain nun
called Aebbe was in charge of the convent of Coldingham. Aebbe
was honored for both her piety and her nobility, for she was King
Osw^s sister. One day she sent a message to Cuthbert asking if
he would come and exhort the community. The holy man came
and stayed a few days, showing them the way of salvation in deed
and in word.
It was Cuthbert's custom to rise in the dead of night, while

everyone else was sleeping, and to go out and pray, returning

just in time for morning prayers. One night a monk watched him
sneak out, and then secretly followed him to see where he was
going and what he was about. Cuthbert went down toward the
beach below the monastery and out into the sea until he was up
to his arms and neck in deep water. Waves splashed all during
his vigil throughout the dark hours of the night. At daybreak
Cuthbert came out of the water, knelt down on the sand, and
prayed. Suddenly two otters jumped out of the sea, stretched
themselves out before him, warmed his feet with their breath.

106
and even tried to dry him with their fur. When they had
finished, they received his blessing and sHpped back to their
watery home. Soon he was home and back in choir with the rest
of the monks at the proper time.
One day during his travels Cuthbert came to the house of a
holy woman who was known for her good works. He often visited
her because she was his old nurse; in fact, he always called her
Mother. This woman lived west of the village. No sooner had he
entered the place than a house in the eastern quarter of the town
caught fire through carelessness and began to blaze. A wind
sprang up, from the same direction, tore away portions of blazing
straw from the roof, and scattered them far and wide. As the fire
got hotter it kept back the men who were attempting to throw
water on it, finally forcing them to retreat. This holy woman, filled
with fear, ran back to her home to find Cuthbert and implore him
to pray; otherwise the whole village would be destroyed, and her
house along with it. "Do not worry. Mother, keep calm," Cuthbert
told her. He then went out and lay full length on the groimd in
front of the door. Before he had finished praying, the wind had
changed to the west, putting the house Cuthbert had entered
completely out of danger.

Cuthbert's Zeal for Prayer and Tears of Compassion

When the respected servant of God had lived many years in
the monastery at Melrose, where he had distinguished himself by
many signs of spiritual power. Abbot Eata transferred him to the
monastery at Lindisfame. Cuthbert was sent as prior to teach the
true rule of monastic life and to illustrate it by his own perfect
example. When he came to the church and monastery of Lindis-
farne, he kept up his custom of frequent visits to the common
people in the neighborhood, so as to encourage them to seek and
to be worthy of the rewards of heaven. Cuthbert became famous
for miracles, for his prayers healed all kinds of disease and afflic-
tion. He cured some people who were harassed by unclean spirits
by laying his hands directly on them, exhorting and exorcising
them. Others he healed from a great distance, merely by praying
or predicting their cure.
Such was Cuthbert's zeal for prayer that sometimes, it was
rumored, he would keep vigil for three or four nights straight,
without ever sleeping in his bed. Whether praying alone in some

107
secret place or saying his psalms, he always did manual work to
drive away the heaviness of sleep. Other times he would travel
round the island and kindly inquire how things were going,
relieving the tedium of his long vigils and psalm-singing by
walking about.
Cuthbert was so filled with sorrow for sin, and so aflame with
heavenly yearnings, that he could never finish Mass without
shedding tears. As was only fitting, he would imitate the sacred
ritual that he was celebrating by offering himself to God with a
contrite heart. His people were encouraged to lift their hearts and
give thanks to the Lord God more by the yearnings of his own
heart than by the sound of his voice, more by his sighs than by his
preaching. He readily challenged wrongdoers because of his thirst
for justice, but his gentleness made him quick to forgive penitents.
Often he would be the first to burst into tears, tears of compassion,
as they were pouring out their sins. Though he himself did not
need to do so, he would show them how to make recompense for
their sins by doing the penance himself. He wore ordinary clothes
which were neither remarkably neat nor noticeably dirty. For
many years the monastery followed his example. The monks were
discouraged from wearing expensive dyed cloth and were ex-
pected to be content with natural wool.

Cuthbert's Search for Solitude

At last, after many years living in the monastery, Cuthbert
entered joyfully and with the goodwill of the abbot and monks
into that remoter solitude he had so long sought after, thirsted for,
and prayed for. He was exceedingly happy that after a long and
spotless active life he should be considered worthy to ascend to
the stillness of divine contemplation.
In order to learn the first steps of the hermif s life, he retired
to a more solitary place in the outer precincts of the monastery
Only after he had gained victory over the devil through prayer
and fasting did he take it upon himself to seek a remote battlefield
farther away from his colleagues. The Fame is an island far out to
sea, unlike Lindisfame, which strictly speaking is an island only
twice a day, when it is cut off by the tide. The Fame lies a few miles
to the southeast of Lindisfame, and is cut off on the landward side
by very deep water and, on the other side, faces out toward the
limitless ocean. This island was haunted by devils, and Cuthbert

108
was the first man brave enough to live there alone. When he had
routed the enemy, he built a structure almost circular in plain, from
four to five poles in diameter, with the walls on the outside higher
than a man. There were two buildings, a small church and another
for living in. Cuthbert finished the walls inside and out by digging
away a lot of the soil. The roofs were of roughhewn timber and
straw. Near the landing there was a bigger house for visiting
monks, with a spring nearby.
Cuthbert's dwelling place, built on almost solid rock, had no
water supply. So one day Cuthbert summoned the brethren (for
he had not yet cut himself off from his visitors) and said: "As you
can see, the place I have chosen lacks a well. Pray with me, I beg
you, so that God may open a spring of water for us." They dug a
pit and the next morning found it full of water gushing up from
underneath. No doubt it was the prayers of the saint that had
brought forth water from the driest, hardest kind of soil.
Once the brethren had helped him to build the place, Cuth-
bert lived completely alone, shutting himself within the her-
mitage. Tlius he learned to live a hermit's life of prayer and fasting.

Cuthbert as a Confessor and Spiritual Guide

Great numbers of people, attracted by his reputation for
miracles, came to Cuthbert at the Fame —
not just from Lindisfame
but even from the remote parts of Britain. They confessed their
sins, confided in him about their temptations, and acknowledged
to him the common troubles of humanity they were laboring
—
under all in the hope of gaining consolation from so holy a man.
They were not disappointed. No one left imconsoled; no one had
to carry back the burdens with which he or she had come. He
could warm spirits chilled with sadness to hope with a comforting
word. He could bring those who were overcome with anxiety to
thoughts of the joys of heaven. Cuthbert revealed to them that
both good fortune and bad were transitory in this world. To those
who were afflicted with temptation he would skillfully disclose
all the cleverness of the devil and explain that a soul lacking in

love for God or humanity is easily caught in the devil's snares,

while one that is strong in faith can, with God's help, brush them
aside like so many spiders' webs.
Cuthbert frequently emphasized that people should not mar-
vel at his way of life, as though it were especially exalted. "You

109
ought to stand in awe of the monastic lifestyle, for in that life

everything is subject to the abbot. I have known many abbots who

have far surpassed my poor self by their purity of mind and the
—
depth of their prophetic power Boisil, for example, was such a
man to be honored and venerated. He was old and I but a youth
when he brought me up in the monastery of Melrose. While he
was teaching me, he accurately prophesied my whole future. One
of those prophecies, however, has yet to happen; would to God it
might not."
Here Cuthbert referred to Boisil' s prophecy that he would
someday be a bishop. His desire for a more secluded life made
him tremble at the thought.

Cuthbert Becomes Bishop and Later Returns to Inner Fame

Not much later there was a great synod presided over by
Archbishop Theodore of Canterbury in the presence of King
Ecgfrith. At it Cuthbert, by general consent, was elected bishop of
Lindisfarne. Letters and messengers were repeatedly sent to him,
but he refused to move. Finally the king himself and that most
holy bishop, Trumwine, sailed across with numerous devout and
influential officials, knelt down, and earnestly entreated him in
the name of the Lord. They wept and pleaded with him until at
last he came forth from his beloved hiding place, his eyes filled
with tears, and was taken to the synod. Very reluctantly he yielded
to their unanimous decision and submitted to the yoke of the
episcopacy.
In the second year of his episcopate Cuthbert knew^ that his
end was near. He laid aside his pastoral duties and as soon as
possible went back to his beloved life as a solitary. He was given
almost two months to rediscover the delights of the quiet life
before being suddenly felled by disease.

Cuthbert' s Death
"When went in to him about the ninth hour," the priest
I

Herefrith said, "I found him lying in a corner of the oratory

opposite the altar. 1 down beside him. He said very little, since
sat
it was hard for him to speak. When I asked him rather urgently
what advice he was going to leave us as his last testament, how-
ever, he launched into a brief but significant discourse on peace

110
and humility: "Always preserve divine charity among yourselves,
and when you come together to discuss your common affairs let
your principal goal be to reach a unanimous decision. Live in
mutual harmony with all other servants of Christ. Do not despise
those faithful who come to you seeking hospitality. Receive them,
put them up, and set them on their way with kindness, treating
them as one of yourselves. Do not ever think yourselves better
than the rest of your companions who share the same faith and
follow the monastic life."

Cuthbert passed the day quietly until evening and peacefully

continued praying throughout the night. Then, strengthened by
the eucharist in preparation for the death he knew was now
imminent, he raised his eyes to heaven, stretched his arms aloft,
and with his mind praising the Lord sent forth his spirit to the joy
of paradise.

Ill
is the patron saint of Wales. He was bom about 520, the son of
Sanctus, a Welsh king, and Non, one of the great female saints of
the early Celtic church. David became the founder of numerous
monasteries, including the monastery called Cell Muine in the
southwestern corner of Wales. (The town where the monastery
was located now bears his name.)
David appears in numerous Celtic hagiographies as a soul
friend and mentor of many saints, including Maedoc of Ferns.
Such famous Irishmonastic founders as Finnian of Clonard,
Senan of Scattery Island, Findbarr of Cork, and Brendan of
Clonfert visited him at his Welsh monastery. David himself,
according to his hagiographer, was a pilgrim to Jerusalem,
where he went with two other saints to be consecrated
archbishop. Although the story is probably historically inac-
curate, it does refer to the highly popular practice of pilgrimage
to the Holy Land during medieval times. It also expresses the
hagiographer 's attempt to portray St. David's bishop-successors
in the eleventh century as politically and religiously inde-
pendent of church leaders in Canterbury and Rome.
David was nicknamed the Waterman, probably because of
the strict monastic rule, including abstinence from alcohol, which
he enforced at his Welsh monastery. Still, despite his asceticism
and hard work, his spirituality was evidently not devoid of hap-
piness, especially when we take into account his last words to his
community and neighbors. Day-to-day life in his monastery,
which is recounted in the stories about him, can be considered
"real history," according to scholar E. G. Bowen; they provide us
with "the best and most vivid description of life in an early Celtic
Christian monastery that we possess."
David died in either 589 or 601. Years after his death his body
was transferred from the rustic monastery church to the grand
Saint David's Cathedral, where his relics can be seen today. Gerald
of Wales, the peripatetic medieval churchman, pilgrim, and
storyteller is also entombed there. St. David's feast day is
celebrated March 1.

Prophecy of David's Greatness

Although our Lord has loved and known his own before ever
he created the world, there are some whom he makes known
beforehand by many signs and revelations. That saint who was
named David in his baptism, but Dewi by the common people,
was not only foretold by authentic prophecies of angels thirty
years before his birth (first to his father, and then to St. Patrick),
but was also proclaimed as one who was enriched with mystic
gifts and endowments.
On a certain occasion his father, Sanctus by name and merits,
and in full enjoyment of royal power over the people of
Ceredigion, heard in a dream the voice of an angel forewarning
him: "Tomorrow you will awake and go hunting. You will kill a
stag near the river, and in that place you will find three gifts,
namely, the stag you will pursue, a fish, and a hive of bees. Now,
of these three, you will set aside the honeycomb and a portion of
the fish and of the stag. These you will send to Maucannus's
monastery, there to be preserved for a son who will be bom of
you." These three gifts foreshadowed David's life. The
honeycomb declared his wisdom, for just as the honey lies em-
bedded in the wax, so he perceived the spiritual meaning within
a literal statement. The fish proclaimed his abstinence, for as the
fish lives by water, so David rejected wine, fermented liquor, and
everything intoxicating. He led a blessed life for God on bread and
water only; thus he was called "David who lives on water." The
stag signified his power over the ancient serpent. For as the stag,
after feeding on the snakes it has destroyed, longs for a spring of
water, so David selected his own well of life with a ceaseless flow
of tears.

114
 David's Childhood, Ordination,
and Healing of His Teacher
After his birth, David was baptized by Ailbe, a bishop of the
Munstermen. A spring of very clear water suddenly burst forth at
that spot, which provided the waters for his baptism. The child
miraculously opened the eyes of blind Movi, who held him and
whose eyes the water splashed, revealing to him the light of day
he had never known.
The boy was then reared in the place called Vetus Rubus, and
he grew up full of grace, and pleasing to behold. There he was
taught his letters, and learned the church practices, and his fellow
pupils saw a dove teaching him and singing hymns with him. As
time passed his virtues and his merits increased, and, keeping his
body free from a wife's embraces, he was ordained to the dignity
of a priest. He then left there and went to live with Paulinus on an
island. This Paulinus was a disciple of Germanus and a teacher
who led a life pleasing to God.
Holy Dewi remained there many years, reading and fully
assimilatingwhat he read. It so happened that Paulinus was
troubled with his eyes during that time. He called the students
together and asked that each bless his eyes and touch them, so that
they might be healed by the prayers and blessings. After the other
pupils had taken their turn touching the master's eyes and signing
them with the sign of the cross, holy Dewi was asked to do so. He,
however, replied: "Until now I have never looked into my
master's face. For although I have been here reading with him for
ten years, I have never seen his countenance." For David had been
overwhelmed with shyness and modesty. Then his master said to
him, "Without looking, raise your hand and touch my eyes, and I
shall be healed." When David had done this, the light of day was
clearly revealed to his teacher, darkness was driven from his eyes,
and he regained that sight of which he had been deprived. Thanks
were then given to God, and holy Dewi was indeed praised and
blessed by one and all.

David Founds His Monasteries

David left Paulinus and founded twelve monasteries. First
he reached Glastonbury in England and built a church. Next he
went to Bath, where he changed the foul water to healthy by

115
blessing it, endowing with a continuous heat that made it
it

suitable for the bathing of bodies. Aftenvard he founded other

monasteries in different locales. These monasteries he founded in
the usual way, distributing to each the articles required by canoni-
cal order and laying down the rules of monastic conduct.
He then returned to the place he had left behind when he set
forth on his journeying. His uncle. Bishop Guisdianus, lived there.
When they were bringing solace to each other in holy conversa-
tion, Dewi said to him, "My angel companion has told me, 'From
the place where you intend to serve God, scarcely one out of every
hundred will gain his heavenly reward. But there is another place
nearby, where scarcely one of those buried in the cemetery in the
saving faith will pay the penalties of hell.'"
One day his three most faithful disciples, Aidan, Eliud, and
Ismael, came to David. They were accompanied by a group of their
fellow disciples. One in mind and heart, they went to a place
previously foretold by an angel where, in the name of God, they
lit a fire. The smoke lifted high into the sky and filled and encircled

the whole island as well as Ireland. There at Menevia, on the site

the angel had previously shown them, the community built a
noble monastery in the Lord's name. When this was all completed,
such an asceticism did David decree in his zeal for the monastic
system that every monk toiled at daily labor and spent his life
working with his hands for the community. "For who does not
work," says the apostle, "let him not eat" (2 Thes 3:10). Knowing
that idle rest was the source and the mother of vices David bowed
down the shoulders of the monks with pious labors, for those who
give in to idleness develop a spirit of instability and apathy with
restless lustful urges.

The Daily Routine of the Monastery

David's monks eagerly worked with feet and hands. They
placed the yoke upon their shoulders, dug the earth imwearied-
ly with mattocks and spades, and carried in their holy hands
hoes and saws for cutting. With their own efforts, they provided
for all the necessities of the community. They scorned posses-
sions, rejected the gifts of the wicked, and abhorred riches. They
brought in no oxen to help themselves or the brethren. No
complaint was heard; in fact, there was no conversation beyond

116
that which was necessary. Each one performed his task prayer-
fully and meditatively
When labor in the fields was finished they returned to the
cloisters of themonastery and spent the whole of the day until the
evening in reading, writing, or praying. When evening came, and
the stroke of the bell sounded, whether only the tip of a letter or
even half the form of the same letter was written, they rose quickly
and left what they were doing. In silence, without empty talk or
chatter, they went to the church. When they finished chanting the
psalms, with voice and heart in complete harmony, they humbled
themselves on bended knees until the appearance of the stars in
the heavens brought the day to a close. After they left the church,
the father remained alone to pour forth his prayer to God in secret
for the welfare of the church.
At length they assembled at table. Every one restored and
refreshed his weary limbs by partaking of supper, but not to
excess, for too much, though it be of bread alone, engenders
self-indulgence. All took supper according to the varying condi-
tions of their bodies or age. They did not serve courses of different
flavors, or the richer kinds of food; their food was bread and herbs
seasoned with salt, while they quenched a burning thirst with a
temperate kind of drink. For the sick, those advanced in age, or
those wearied by a long journey, they provided some dishes of
tastier food.
When thanks had been returned to God, they went to the
church in accordance with canonical rule, and there they gave
themselves up to watchings, prayers, and genuflections for about
three hours. While they were praying in the church, no one dared
to yawn, no one to sneeze, no one to spit.
Then they composed their limbs for sleep. Waking up at
cock-crow, they applied themselves to prayer on bended knees
and spent the remainder of the night until morning without sleep.
In the same way they served throughout the other nights. From
Saturday evening until daybreak at the first hour of Sunday, they
gave themselves to watchings, prayers, and genuflections, except
for one hour after matins on Saturday
They also revealed their thoughts to the father and obtained
his permissioneven for the requirements of nature. All things
were in there was no "mine" or "thine," for whoever
common;
should say "my book" or "my anything else" was immediately

117
subject to a severe penance. They wore clothes of simple quality,
mainly made from animal skins. There was unfailing obedience
to the father's command. Great was their perseverance in the
performance of duties; great was their uprightness in all things.
It was the custom that anyone who yearned for this manner

of saintly life and asked to join this monastic community first

remained for ten days at the door of the monastery, as if rejected
and also silenced by words of abuse. If he put his patience to good
use and stood there until the tenth day, he might be admitted and
first put to serve under the elder who had charge of the gate. After
he had toiled there for a long time, and many conflicts within his
soul had been reconciled, he was finally judged fit to enter the
brethren's society.
There was no superfluity. Voluntary poverty was loved, for
David accepted nothing for the use of the monastery of any
entrant's worldly wealth— not even one penny. Naked, as though
escaping from a shipwreck, candidates were received, so that they
should not in any way extol themselves or esteem themselves
above the brethren, or on grounds of wealth refuse an equal share
of toil. Further, if emyone decided to leave the monastery, there
was no way that person could forcibly extort what he had left
behind, thus turning the monks' patience into anger.

David's Ascetic Practices in Imitation of the Desert Monks

David himself, overflowing with daily fountains of tears and
radiant with a twofold flame of charity, celebrated eucharist daily.
After matins he proceeded alone to speak with the angels and
then, immediately following, he plunged himself into cold water,
remaining in it sufficiently long to subdue all the ardors of the
flesh. The whole of the day he spent, inflexibly and unweariedly,
in teaching, praying, genuflecting, and in care of the brethren. He
also fed a multitude of orphans, wards, widows, needy, sick,
feeble, and pilgrims. Thus he began; thus he continued; thus he
ended his day. He imitated the monks of Egypt and lived a life like
theirs.

Findbarr's Visit to David and David's Miraculous Horse

One time the most faithful abbot, Findbarr of Cork, became
a pilgrim, yearning passionately to visit the shrines of St. Peter and

118
St. among others. When he had accomplished this, he turned
Paul,
back toward his own monastery, stopping off first to see David.
There he stayed for some time in godly conversation with the holy
man. His stay was further prolonged because the ship prepared
for his return to his own country was held back by lack of wind.
Afraid that the bond of charity would be weakened among the
brethren in his absence, and that disputes, quarrels, and brawls
would arise (just as bees, when their queen dies, pull apart and
break up the honeycomb cells which they had fastened together
with firmly binding wax), Findbarr anxiously searched for and
found a wonderful way to return. He begged for David's horse,
the one the holy man used to ride on church business. David
granted him his request. Receiving the abbot's blessing, Findbarr
reached the harbor and plunged into the sea, all the while putting
his trust in David's blessing. Using the horse instead of a ship to
carry him, he was taken through the towering waves as though
on a level field.
As he travelled farther out into the sea, Findbarr came to
where St. Brendan was leading a fabulous life on the back of a sea
monster. When St. Brendan saw a man riding the sea on horse-
back, he cried in amazement, "Wonderful is God in his saints."
The horseman approached so that they could exchange greetings.
•Then St. Brendan asked where he had come from, and how it was
that he rode the sea on horseback. Findbarr told him of his
pilgrimage and said, "Because my ship's delay was keeping me
away from my brethren, the holy father Dewi presented me with
his own horse, and thus fortified by his blessing, I ventured on
such a road as this." "Go in peace," said Brendan to him, "I will
come and see him."
Findbarr reached his country without mishap and told the
brethren all that had happened to him. They kept the horse in the
service of the monastery until its death, after which they made a
statue in the shape of a horse to commemorate the miracle.
Covered with gold, it remained on the island of Ireland and
became famous for its many miracles.

David's Pilgrimage to Jerusalem

Dewi increased in holiness and in the esteem of good people.
One night an angel appeared to him and said, "Tomorrow gird
yourself and put on your sandals and set out to travel to

119
Jerusalem. This is the journey you have yearned to make. I will
also summon two others to accompany you, Eliud and Patemus."
But David, amazed at the authoritative command, asked in
amazement, "How shall this be? For those whom you promise as
companions are three or more days' journey from here and from
each other. There is no way that we can come together by tomor-
row." The angel said to him, "This very night I will go to each of
them, and they will come to the meeting place I will now show
you." Without delay David disposed of the contents of his cell and,
with the blessings of the brethren, set forth in the early morning.
When he reached the meeting place, he found the brethren there,
according to the angel's promise, and together they began their
journey. As fellow pilgrims they were equals; no one thought
himself superior to another, and while each of them was servant,
so each was master too. They prayed diligently, and with tears
they watered their way. Their merits increased with every step
they took. They truly had but one mind, one joy, one sorrow.
They sailed across the English Channel and came to Gaul,
where they heard foreign languages spoken by different peoples.
At length they approached the outskirts of Jerusalem, the city of
their desire. The night before their arrival an angel appeared to
the patriarch of Jerusalem in his sleep and said, "Three Christian
men from the lands of the West are coming. Receive them with
gladness and a hospitable welcome, and bless them and con-
secrate them bishops for me." The patriarch then prepared three
thrones of the greatest distinction. When the saints reached the
city,he rejoiced, and welcomed them warmly, and led them to the
thrones prepared for them. Refreshed with godly conversation,
they rendered thanks to God. Then, sustained by God's choices,
the patriarch ordained David an archbishop. All things now com-
pleted, the three of them returned to their own land.

David's Last Days

Afterward, blessed and extolled by all, David was made
archbishop of the entire British race by the unanimous consent of
the bishops, kings, princes, nobles, and those of every rank. His
city was also declared the metropolis of the whole country, so that
whoever ruled it would be regarded as archbishop. Later,
throughout all parts of the land the brethren built monasteries and
churches. Everywhere voices were raised to heaven in prayer;
 —

everywhere virtue existed; everywhere charitable offerings were

distributed to the needy. The holy bishop Dewi was the supreme
overseer, the supreme protector, the supreme preacher. From him
all received their standard and pattern of living virtuously.
Eight days before the first day of March the brethren were
keeping the hour of matins when an angel clearly spoke to David,
"The day you have long desired is now close at hand." The holy
bishop, recognizing the voice of a friend, rejoiced exceedingly and
said to him," Lord, take your servant in peace." His brethren,
however, hearing only the sound and not being able to make out
—
the words for they had heard David and the angel conversing
fell to the ground in terror. Then the entire place was filled with

angelic songs and fragrant perfumes. The holy bishop, with his
mind fixed on heaven, cried with a loud voice, "Lord Jesus, receive
my spirit." Then the angel spoke a second time, so that the
brethren understood, "Prepare yourselves, for on the first day of
March our Lord Jesus Christ, accompanied by a great host of
angels, will come to meet you."
When the brothers heard this, they burst into tears. A
profound sadness arose, and the city was filled with their weeping
and with the words, "Holy bishop, take away our sorrow." David
soothed and sustained them with consoling and comforting
words, "Brothers, be steadfast, and bear to the end the yoke you
have accepted." From that hour until the day of his death he
remained in the church, preaching.
The report of this spread through the whole of Britain and
Ireland, borne by an angel who said, "Do you know that in this
coming week the holy bishop Dewi will depart to heaven?" Then,
just like bees making for their hives on the approach of a storm,
the assemblage of saints from both lands hastened to visit the holy
father. The city overflowed with tears, the wailing echoing up to
the stars, asyoung men mourned as if for a father and old men as
if for a son. The following Sunday, in front of a vast multitude,

David preached a most memorable sermon, and with undefiled

hands, consecrated the Lord's body. Immediately after celebrating
the eucharist he was seized with pains and became ill. He blessed
the people and addressed them in these words: "Be joyful,
brothersand sisters. Keep your faith and do the little things that
you have seen and heard from me. On the third day, the first day
of March, I shall go the way of my fathers. As for you, I say

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goodbye in the Lord's name." From that Sunday night until the
fourth day after his death all who had come remained weeping,
fasting, and keeping watch.
When the third day arrived, the place was filled with the
most delightful fragrance, as well as choirs of angels singing
melodiously. At the hour of matins, while the monks were singing
hymns at divine service, our Lord Jesus Christ appeared for
David's consolation, as the angel had promised. On seeing him,
David was filled with joy and said, "Take me with you." With
these words, and with Christ as his companion, he gave up his life
to God. Then, attended by an escort of angels, David sought the
portals of heaven. His body, borne on the arms of his brethren, was
committed to the earth with all honor and was buried on the
grounds of his own monastery. His soul, set free from the bonds
of this transitory life, was crowned for all ages without end.

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Cruachain in Ireland was the site of the palace of the pagan
kings of Connacht until Tara became the political capital. When
Patrick was converting the island. King Loiguire's two beautiful
young daughters lived there. As we know from Patrick's
autobiographical Confessio, women were his primary supporters
when he returned to Ireland as a missionary-bishop, and Ethne
and Fedelm were evidently among his first converts. Little is
known about them except the story that appears in the seventh-
century hagiography by Tirechan, a monk from County Mayo.
His account reveals that their druid mentors were also converted
to the Christian faith. It also contains an ancient baptismal for-
mula that was probably used in the Celtic churches. The ques-
tions the young women ask about God and Patrick's response to
them surely rank as one of the most moving pieces of literature
of the early Celtic church.
Ethne's and Fedelm's feast day is celebrated January 11.
There is a wonderful stained-glass window portraying their con-
version in the Catholic cathedral of Armagh. Contrary to modern
beliefs, their deaths so soon after their baptism were not con-
sidered by Christian believers to be all that tragic. Certainly there
was room for tears of grief, but in terms of eternity, union with
God, not length of years, is the greatest reward any of us can
receive. This is what the two women desired, and this is what they
were given almost immediately.

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 At the Well Called Clebach
Patrick and his clerics went at sunrise to the well called
Clebach on the slopes of Cruachain. Fair-haired Ethne and red-
haired Fedelm, the daughters of Loiguire, son of Niall, went
early, as they customarily did, to the well to wash. Beside the
well the young women found the assembly of the clerics in white
garments, with their books before them. They wondered at the
shape of the clerics, and thought that they were men of other
worlds or possibly apparitions. So they asked Patrick, "Who are
you, and from where do you come?" Patrick said to them, "It
would be better for you to believe in God than to inquire about
our race." The elder daughter responded, "Who is your God,
and where does he live? Tell us about him, how he is seen, how
he is loved, how he is found. Tell us if he is youthful or very old;
if he lives forever; if he is beautiful; if many people have fostered

his son; if his daughters are recognized by men of the world as

dear and beautiful."
Patrick, filled with the Holy Spirit, answered, "Our God is
the God of all things, the God of heaven and earth and sea and
river, the God of sun and moon and all the stars, the God of high
mountains and lowly valleys, the God over heaven and in heaven
and under heaven. He has a dwelling in heaven and earth and sea
and all that dwell within them. He inspires all things; he gives life
to all things; he surpasses all things. Our God kindles the light of
the sun and the light of the moon. He made springs in arid land
and dry islands in the sea; he appointed stars to minister to the
greater lights. He has a Son coeternal with him and, like a son,
very similar to his father. But the Son is not younger than the
Father, nor is the Father older than the Son. And the Holy Spirit
breathes in them. Father and Son and Holy Spirit are not divided.
I desire to unite you to the Son of the heavenly king, for you are

daughters of a king of earth."

The two young women said as if with one mouth and one
heart, "How will we be able to believe in that king? Teach us so
that we can see the Lord face to face. Teach us the way, and we will
do whatever you tell us."
Patrick said to them, "Do you believe that through baptism
you cast off the sins of your father and mother?" They answered,
"We believe." "Do you believe in penance after sin?" "We believe."

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"Do you believe in life after death, and in the resurrection on the
last day?" "We believe." "Do you believe in the unity of the
church?" "We believe," they replied. So they were baptized with
a white garment over their heads. Then they demanded to see the
face of Christ. Patrick said to them, "Unless you taste death and
unless you receive the sacrament, you cannot see the face of
Christ." They answered, "Give us the sacrament so that we may
see the Son, our bridegroom." They received the eucharist of God
and immediately fell asleep in death. Their friends placed them
on one bed, covered them with their garments, and began to
lament and keen greatly.
The druid Caplit, who had fostered the one daughter, came
and wept, and Patrick preached to him and he believed. The hair
of his head was shorn off. Then his brother Mael came and said,
"My brother has believed Patrick, but I will not; instead I will bring
him back pagaiusm." Then he spoke harsh words to Patrick.
to
Patrick preached the faith to him and converted him to the
penance of God, and his hair was shorn off, that is, the hair cut in
the druid fashion. When the days of mourning for the king's
daughters came to an end, the young women were buried by the
well of Clebach, and Patrick blessed their remains.

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The Irish saint Findbarr, or Bairre, was founder of the monastery
and city of Cork. He was born about 560, son of a master smith or
craftsman who impregnated a royal slave girl. His parents settled
with Findbarr in the region of Macroom where the new child was
baptized. Findbarr studied under Bishop MacCuirb at Macroom.
Another significant mentor was David of Wales, with whom he is
said to have travelled to Rome. Findbarr preached in various parts
of southern Ireland and lived for a time as a hermit on a small island
called Gougane Barra.Although he founded other churches, his
greatest accomplishment was the foundation of the monastery at
Cork. This monastery attracted many disciples and its school be-
came famous all over southern Ireland. In one of the stories about
Findbarr and the anamchara ministry, we find a theological prin-
ciple first enunciated by the desert fathers and mothers: even
though a person may have different spiritual guides in his or her
life, the ultimate anamchara or guide is the Holy Spirit.

The year of Findbarr's death has been variously calculated

as 610, 623, 630, or 633. His cult in Ireland was based upon his
teaching skills (he founded at least one monastic school, which
included both female and male students) and his healing abilities.
Findbarr died at Cloyne, and his body was taken for burial back
to his church in Cork. This is now a magnificent cathedral. Today
his island retreat at Gougane Barra is a popular pilgrimage site
with a wooden cross marking the original place of Findbarr's

126
hermitage and a small chapel with stained-glass windows telling
the stories of other Irish saints. His feast day is September 25.

Findbarr's Illegitimate Conception and Amazing Birth

Findbarr's ancestors originated in Connacht, but settled in the
district of Muscriage Mitine (west County Cork) where Amairgen,
the father of Findbarr, owned land. Amairgen was a notable smith,
in fact chief smith to Tigemach, the king of Rathlenn. There was a
beautiful female slave in the house of this king, and Tigemach in-
formed his entire household that none of them should have inter-
course with her. Amairgen did not hear this, however. The smith
and the young woman came together secretly, and their affair be-
came known shortly thereafter when she conceived by him. After
this King Tigernach summoned the woman and asked her by
whom she was pregnant. She admitted truthfully that it was by
Amairgen. Then the king ordered that they should both be bound,
that a great fire be lit, and that the couple should be cast into it.
However, because Findbarr was dear to God even before he was
bom, God did not allow the king to do this. He sent lightning and
thunder and heavy rain so that they could not light the fire. Then
the infant himself spoke from his mother's womb, and said: "O
King, do not do this wicked deed, for it will not deepen your
friendship with God." The king then said to his household, "Wait
a while, so that we may see and know who is addressing us." Then
the lightning and thunder and rain ceased, and Amairgen and the
young woman were saved from being bumed.
Soon after the woman gave birth to the wondrous boy,
Findbarr. Immediately after his birth he addressed the king, telling
him that his father and mother should be released to him. The king
set them free at the child's request and surrendered himself and
his posterity to Findbarr forever. After this the child did not speak
again until the proper time.

His Fosterage by Three Clerics,and Name Change

Amairgen and the woman moved to Achad Durbcon, taking
the little child with them. There the child was baptized by Bishop
MacCuirb. The original name given to him was Loan. For seven
years he was nurtured in his home.

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 There were three clerics of Munster who were on pilgrimage
On that journey they went to visit their
in Leinster at that time.
own country. They came to the house of Amairgen and saw the
beautiful little lad. The eldest of the three said: "Fair is that little

boy, and the grace of the Holy Spirit shines in his face. It would be
a pleasure for us to teach him." "If it be your pleasure," Amairgen
responded, "take him with you, but wait until we return from a
trip into Leinster."
The same three returned to the house of Amairgen in the
summertime and took the boy with them. When they reached the
hill called Muincille, the little boy became thirsty and cried, asking
for a drink. The elder said to his servant: "Go to that doe there on
the hill and bring from her a drink for the boy." The servant went
and obtained a vessel full of milk from her, and it was given to the
little boy. Then the elder said, "The place in which God wrought

this wonderful miracle for the boy is a proper place for his instruc-
tion to begin, for his hair to be cut, and his name to be changed."
And so it was done. The man who cut his hair said, "Beautiful and
fair (find) is the crest (harr) on Loan." Added the elder, "You have
spoken well. From now on this will be his name: Findbarr."

Findbarr's Love of Snow and His Becoming

a Soul Friend at an Early Age
The three clerics mentioned above later came into the district
of Leinster, and Findbarr accompanied them. He marked out the
church of Mac Cathail in Gowran Pass, and there Findbarr read
his psalms. Once, while Findbarr was reading his psalms, a heavy
snowstorm left a hood of snow aroimd the cell in which he was
studying his lessons. Findbarr said to his tutor, Lochan, "I would
like this hood to remain around my cell until I have finished my
psalms." God heard his prayer, for the snow melted from the
earth, but the snow around Findbarr 's cell remained until he had
finished his psalms.
Once a certain rich man, Fidachby name, arrived at Findbarr 's
cell in order to ask Lochan to be his soul friend. Lochan said to
Fidach,"Kneel to that little lad there, to Findbarr." Fidach resisted
his command, saying, "I think it is insulting to kneel before a young
boy." Lochan then told Fidach, "If I take Findbarr as my soul friend,
will you do the same?" Fidach said he would. Then the two of them

128
knelt before Findbarr, and Lochan offered his church to God and to
Findbarr, while Fidach offered himself and his descendants to him.
Findbarr told his tutor, "Receive this man and his descendants from
me in return for teaching me my psalms."

His Miracles and the Request of His Mentor

Findbarr went to Bishop MacCuirb. This MacCuirb was a
well-known man, a fellow pupil of David of Cell Muine. Both of
them had been pupils of Gregory of Rome. When Findbarr came
to Bishop MacCuirb, the king, Fachtna Fergach the Elder, ad-
dressed him, saying, "1 want you to bless my two children, my
blind son and my mute daughter." Findbarr blessed them both
and they were healed; the son could see again, and the daughter
could speak. As they were conversing together, Findbarr and the
king heard a great lamentation. "What is that?" asked Findbarr.
The king replied, "I believe my wife has just died!" Findbarr said
to him, "God is able to raise her from the dead." After this the saint
blessed water, and they washed the queen with it. She arose from
death, as if she were rising from sleep. As the two men resumed
their conversation, the king asked him, "Can you, Findbarr, per-
form any other miracles in my presence?" Findbarr replied, "God
is able to do them, if God pleases." Just then, even though it was

spring, ripe nuts fell from a hazel tree under which they were
standing, so that from their feet up to their chests they were
covered with them.
After this Findbarr studied the Book of Matthew and the Acts
of the Apostles with Bishop MacCuirb. When the bishop
demanded a stipend for his instruction, Findbarr asked, "What
fee do you demand?" Bishop MacCuirb replied, "This is my wish:
that the resurrection of us both may be in the same place on the
Day of Judgment." Findbarr responded," You will have your wish,
for you will be buried in the same place as I am, and we will have
our resurrection together."

Findbarr's School for Men and Women, and His Travels

Findbarr lived on Loch Iree, in Edergole to the east of the lake.
This was the school he started. Eolang was the tutor, and the male
students were Colman, Baichine, Nesan, Garban, Talmach, and
others. All these offered their churches to God and to Findbarr in

129
perpetuity. With him in Edergole were numerous women, includ-
ing Findbarr's own sister, who also offered their churches to God
and to Findbarr.
Some time later, with an angel guiding him, Findbarr came to
his own district and built a church. A cave is located there called
Cuas Barrai (Findbarr 's Cave) Nearby is a beautiful pool in which
.

every night Findbarr caught a salmon in his net. The angel said to
him, however, "This will not be your place of resurrection." So
Findbarr crossed the river to Cell na Cluaine (Gougane Barra)
where he built a church and remained for some time. Two pupils
of Ruadan, Cormac and Buichin, came to him there. They had
asked Ruadan where they should go, and Ruadan had said to them,
"Go with my blessing, and the place where your bell rings and the
strap of your book-wallet breaks, that will be your place of resur-
rection." When they came to Findbarr at Cell na Cluaine, all those
things happened to them as Ruadan had predicted. They were
depressed, however, thinking that the church would not be given
to them, but Findbarr assured them," Do not be sad or depressed. I
give this church and all its treasures to you and to God."
Findbarr built twelve churches before he came to Cork, and
he gave them all up out of humility and the greatness of his charity.

He Finds His Place of Resurrection

The angel guided Findbarr from Cell na Cluaine to the place
where Cork stands today and said to him, "Stay here, for here will
be your place of resurrection." Findbarr then fasted for three days,
until Aed, son of Comgall, came to him. Aed was seeking a cow that
had wandered away to give birth to her calf, and he found her with
three clerics. Aed asked, "What has brought you here?" Findbarr
answered, "We are seeking a place where we can pray to God for
ourselves and for the man who will give it to us." Aed said, "I give
you this place and the cow by which God has led you there."
After this the angel of God asked, "Do you wish to remain
here?" Findbarr replied, "Yes, if it is God's will." The angel told
him, "If you remain here, fewer sons and daughters of life will go
to heaven from here. Go a little further east to where there are
many waters and remain there on the advice of the Lord. Many
will be the sages and children of life of that place who will go to
heaven." The angel then led him to the place designated by God,

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and the angel marked out the church and blessed it. Findbarr
remained there.

His Pilgrimage to Rome and Consecration as Bishop

Maedoc of Ferns, and David
Findbarr, together with Eolang,
of Cell Muine, accompanied by twelve other monks, went to Rome
to receive episcopal orders. Gregory was successor of St. Peter at
that time. When Gregory raised his hand over Findbarr 's head to
consecrate him, a flame suddenly came down from heaven and
hit his hand. Gregory said to Findbarr, "Go home, and the Lord
himself will read the episcopal orders over you." And that is how
it happened.
When Findbarr arrived at his own church, the Lord himself
read the order over him at the cross in front of the church where
his remains were later buried. Oil flowed abundantly out of the
earth there, so that it rose up over his sandals and over the sandals
of the elders who were with him. That oil healed every ailment to
which it was later applied. Then Findbarr and his elders blessed
the church and the cemetery, praying that there would be an
abundance of wisdom in Cork forever.
After this Findbarr remained in Cork and had with him a
great school of saints, many of whom later became bishops and
offered their churches to God and to Findbarr.
Bishop MacCuirb said to Findbarr: "If my body is the first to
be buried here, and my soul goes straight to heaven, I will not
allow anyone who dies and is buried in this cemetery to go to hell."
The corpse of Bishop MacCuirb was the first to be buried in the
soil of Cork.

Findbarr's Search for a Soul Friend

After the death of Bishop MacCuirb, Findbarr was much
concerned at being without a soul friend. So he went to visit
Eolang, and God revealed to Eolang that Findbarr was coming to
see him. Eolang said to his monastic family, "Noble guests will
come to us today, and you must hospitably feed and bathe them."
Soon Findbarr arrived, and Eolang's guestmaster met him, wel-
comed him, and said, "Eolang is aware of your arrival. Please let
me take your clothes, so that you and your attendants can bathe
yourselves." Findbarr replied, "We would first like to see Eolang."

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The guestmaster went to confer with his master and told him of
Findbarr's response. Eolang said: "Let Findbarr bathe first, and
we will converse later. Let him go to his monastery tomorrow, and
I will come to him at the end of the week."

Eolang came to Cork as he had promised at the end of the

week. He immediately knelt before Findbarr and said the follow-
ing, "I offer to you my church, my body, and my soul." Findbarr
wept openly and said, "This was not my thought, but that it would
be I who would offer my church to you." Eolang said, "Let it be as
I have said, for this is the will of God. You are dear to God, and you

are greater than myself. One thing only I ask, that our resurrection
will be in the same place." Findbarr replied, "Your wish will be
fulfilled,but I am still troubled about the soul friendship." Eolang
told him, "You shall receive today a soul friend worthy of yourself."
This was done as he said, for Eolang in the presence of the angels
and archangels placed Findbarr's hand in the hand of the Lord
himself and said, "O Lord, take this just man to yourself." Then the
Lord took the hand of Findbarr and began leading him to heaven.
But Eolang cried out, "O Lord, do not take Findbarr from me now,
but wait until the time of his death when the soul leaves the body."
The Lord then released Findbarr's hand, and from that day no one
could look upon his hand because of its radiance. Because of this
he wore a glove on his hand continuously.

A Litany of Praise to Findbarr

The miracles and mighty works God wrought for St.
Findbarr are too numerous to recount. No one would be able to
narrate them all unless God himself or an angel of God should
come to relate them. Still, some mention of them may suffice as an
illustration of Findbarr's inner life and his daily conversation, his
humility, his obedience, his compassion, his sweetness, his
patience and gentleness, his love and pity and readiness to forgive,
his fasting and abstinence, his earnest prayer, his patient waiting,
and his heart continually set on God.
Findbarr was a just man with the transparency of a patriarch,
a true pilgrim like Abraham. He was compassionate, simple, and
forgiving of heart like Moses. He was a laudable and gifted
psalmist like David. He was a treasury of wisdom and knowledge
like Solomon, the son of David. Like Paul the apostle, he was a

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chosen vessel of righteousness; like the youthful John, he was a
man full of the grace and favor of the Holy Spirit.
was a lion of strength and power; he was a serpent
Findbarr
of cunning and wisdom in everything good; he was a dove in
gentleness and simplicity in the face of all evil. He was a fair
garden full of herbs of virtue. He was the crystal fountain through
whose teaching the sins of the people whom God entrusted to him
were washed away. He was also a heavenly cloud, a golden lamp
lighted by the Holy Spirit, a shining fire with heat to warm and
kindle love in the hearts of the children of life. He was the precious
stone with which the heavenly palace was adorned; the crystal
vessel in which the wine of the word of God was distributed; the
rich and prosperous husbandman of wisdom and knowledge who
paid the righteous poor with the abundance of his teaching. He
was a branch of the true vine, Christ, sent to satisfy and bring life
to the world. He was the true leech who healed sicknesses and
diseases of the body and soul of every believer in the church.

Findbarr's Death
After healing the blind and the leper, the lame, the deaf and
the dumb, and other sick folk of every kind; after founding many
churches and cells and monasteries for God; after ordaining many
bishops, priests, and people of every other rank for baptism,
confirmation, communion, confession, instruction, and the main-
tenance of the faith in those districts, Findbarr went to Cell na
Cluaine (Gougane Barra) to visit Cormac and Baithine. Fiama also
went to meet him na Cluaine, and they blessed each other
at Cell
as holy brothers. Findbarr said to them all, "It is time for me to be
released from the prison of the body and to go to the heavenly
king who is calling me now." After this, Findbarr took the
eucharist from the hand of Fiama, and by the cross in the middle
of Cell na Cluaine sent forth his spirit to heaven. His monks and
disciples and the synod of the churches of Desmond later came to
wake and honor the body of their master, St. Findbarr, and to bear
it with them to the place of his resurrection, Cork.

— —
This day the day of Findbarr's death was prolonged for
the elders. God did not allow the sun to go beneath the earth for
twelve days afterward. That was as long as the synod of the
churches of Desmond were busy preparing the body of their
master with hymns and psalms, with Masses and recitation of the

133
hours. Then the angels of heaven came to meet his soul and carried
it with them with honor and reverence to heaven where he shines

like the sun in the company of the patriarchs and prophets, in the
company of the apostles and disciples of Jesus, in the company of
the nine heavenly orders of angels who sinned not, in the company
of the divinity and the humanity of the Son of God, in the company
that is higher than any company, the company of the Holy Trinity,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

134
 m one of the great woman soul
ild of Whitby,
friends of Northumbria, was bom in 614. Although Anglo-Saxon,
she was a protegee of Aidan of Lindisfame, who encouraged her
to found a number of monasteries in northern England, including
the double monastery at Whitby. The monastic school established
there became known for its fine education of students, at least five
of whom later became bishops. It was also the home of the first

English poet, Caedmon, whose vocation as a writer was affirmed

by Hild.
Her reputation as a talented abbess and much-sought-after
spiritual guide certainly contributed to King Oswy's choice of
Whitby as the place to hold a council or synod in 664. This meeting
was called to decide questions in dispute between the Celtic and
Roman parties in the Northumbrian church related to the dating
of Easter, the tonsure, and other less explicit aspects of church
governance and spirituality. As Bede the Venerable makes clear,
Hild was definitely on the side of the Irish and their followers.
Bede tells us that Hild was a challenging director who was
not afraid of pushing those who sought her out or whom she ruled
as abbess. Hers was evidently the type of challenge, however, that
did not alienate. Bede states clearly that "all who knew her called
her mother" — a term of endearment that was commonly used
among the desert Christians for wise and holy female guides. Hild
had a great variety of competencies. She was not only able to
administer weU a large double monastery, but was also adept at
one-to-one guidance, as is clear by the number of royalty and
common folk who sought her out. It is interesting to note the
virtues Bede associated with her leadership and the order in which
he lists them: justice, devotion, chastity, peace, and love.
Hild died in the autumn of 680 after seven years of a painfully
lingering illness (probably tuberculosis). Besides the medieval
monastic ruins that today mark the spot of her original monastery
at Whitby, there is a wonderful carving of her on a modem high
cross overlooking the churning waves of the North Sea. Hild's
feast day is celebrated November 17.

Hild's Life and Career

Hild, abbess at the monastery of Whitby and a most devoted
servant of Christ, died on November 17 in the year of our Lord
680. She was sixty-six. After accomplishing many heavenly deeds
on earth, she departed this world to receive the rewards of heaven.
Her career falls into two equal parts: she spent her first thirty- three
years very nobly in the secular habit, then she dedicated an equal
number of years still more nobly to the Lord in the monastic life.
Hild was of noble birth, the daughter of Hereric, King Edwin's
nephew. With Edwin she received the faith and the mysteries of
Christ through the teaching of Paulinus, the first bishop of the
Northumbrians. She preserved that faith imdefiled until she was
counted worthy to see God.
When Hild decided to give up the secular habit and serve
only the Lord, she withdrew to the kingdom of the East Angles,
for she was related to a king of that land. Her desire was to leave
her home and all that she had, and cross over, if possible, to Gaul
in order to live as a stranger for the Lord's sake in the monastery
of Chelles. Thus she hoped to more easily obtain her eternal home
in heaven.
At that time her sister Hereswith, mother of Ealdwulf, king
of the East Angles, was living in the monastery under the dis-
cipline of the rule and awaiting her heavenly reward. Hild, in-
spired by her sister's example, continued to live for a year in the
kingdom of the East Angles with the intention of going abroad.
Then Bishop Aidan called her home, and she received a hide of
land on the north side of the river Wear. There she lived the
monastic life with a small band of companions for another year.

138
 Hild as Abbess and Counselor
After this Hildwas made abbess in the monastery called
Heruteu (Hartlepool). This monastery had been established short-
ly before by Heiu, a devout handmaid of Christ, who is said to
have been the first woman in the Northumbrian kingdom to take
the vows and habit of a nun. Heiu was consecrated by Bishop
Aidan. Soon after she founded the monastery, however, Heiu
retired to the town of Calcaria, which the English call Koelcacoes-
tir,where she made her home. Hild, the handmaiden of Christ,
was appointed to rule the monastery. She immediately set about
establishing there a rule of life which in many ways was similar
to that which she had learned from certain wisdom figures. Bishop
Aidan and others who knew her visited her often, instructed her
assiduously, and loved her with all of their hearts because of her
own innate wisdom and her dedication to the service of God.
When she had ruled over the monastery for some years,
entirely occupied with establishing a rule of life there, she decided
to either found or to set in order a monastery at a place called
Streanoeshalch (Whitby), a task, though imposed upon her, which
she carried out with great enthusiasm. She established there the
same rule of life as in the other monastery and taught the com-
munity to observe strictly the virtues of justice, devotion, chastity,
and other virtues. Above all, she wanted her monastic community
to continue in peace and charity. Like the primitive church, no one
at that monastery was rich, and no one was in need, for they had
all things in common and none had any private possessions. So

great was Hild's prudence that ordinary people as well as kings

and princes sought and received her advice when they were facing
difficulties. She encouraged those under her direction to devote a
certain amount of time to the study of the holy scriptures and to
the performance of good works.

The Dream of Hildas Mother and Hild's Works of Light

All who knew Hild used to call her mother because of her
outstanding devotion and grace. She was not only a model of the
holy life to all who lived in the monastery, but she also provided
an opportunity for salvation and repentance to many who lived
faraway and heard the story of her diligence and virtue. This had

139
to happen in fulfillment of a dream her mother, Breguswith, had
during the child's infancy.
While her husband Hereric was living in exile under the
British king Cerdic, where he was eventually poisoned, Bregus-
with had a dream that her husband was suddenly taken away and,
though she searched for him everywhere, no trace of him could
be found. Suddenly, in the midst of her search, Breguswith found
a valuable necklace under her garment, and as she gazed upon it
intently, it seemed to spread such a blaze of light that it filled all
Britain with its gracious splendor. This dream was fulfilled in her
daughter Hild, for her life was an example of the works of light.

The Easter Controversy and the Council of Whitby

When Bishop Aidan died, a great controversy arose over the

celebration of Easter. Those who had come from Kent or Gaul
stated that the Irish observance of Easter Sunday was contrary to
the custom of the universal church. One of the most passionate
defenders of the true Easter was Ronan, who, although Irish by
race, had learned the true rules of the church in Gaul or Italy. [Bede
agrees strongly with the Roman party on this matter.] In arguing
with Finan, Aidan' s successor at Lindisfame, Ronan set many
right or at least encouraged them to search more diligently for the
truth. He, however, could not get Finan to agree. On the contrary,
as he was a man of violent temper, Ronan made Finan the more
bitter by his reproofs and, indeed, turned him into an open adver-
sary of the truth. James, once the deacon of the venerable
Archbishop Paulinus, kept the true and catholic Easter with all
those whom he could instruct in the better way. Queen Eanflaed
and her people also observed Easter as she had seen it done in
Kent, having with her a Kentish priest named Romanus who also
followed the Catholic observance. Thus it is said that in those days
Easter was sometimes celebrated twice in the same year, so that
when the king had finished the fast and was observing Easter
Sunday, the queen and her people were still in Lent and observing
Palm Sunday. This difference in the celebration of Easter was
tolerated patiently by all while Aidan, who followed the Celtic
practice, was alive, because the people clearly understood that he
could not keep Easter other than according to the custom of those
who had sent him. However, when Finan, Aidan's successor, died
and Colman, who had also been sent from Ireland, became bishop.

140
conflict over this question of Easter, the tonsure, and other ec-
clesiastical matters became heated. It was decided to hold a coun-
cil to settle the dispute at the monastery called Streanoeshealh

(Whitby), a name that means "the bay of the lighthouse/' The

devout woman Hild was abbess there.

The Deliberations at Whitby and King Oswy's Decision

Two kings came to the council, father and son Oswy and
Alhfrith, as well as Bishop Colman with his Irish clergy, and
Agilbert with the priests Agatho and Wilfrid. James and Romanus
were on their side, while the Abbess Hild and her followers were
on the side of the Irish. The venerable Bishop Cedd also came. He
had been consecrated long before by the Irish and acted as a most
careful interpreter for both parties at the council.
King Oswy began by declaring that it seemed fitting that
those who served one God should observe one rule of life and not
differ in the celebration of the heavenly sacraments, since they all

hoped for one kingdom in heaven. Therefore, he said, they ought

to determine the truer tradition and then all follow it together. He
ordered Bishop Colman to explain the customs he followed and
their origins. Colman responded: "The method of keeping Easter
I observe I received from my superiors, who sent me here as a

bishop. It was the way that all our elders, men beloved of God, are
said to have celebrated it. This method is neither contemptible nor
blameworthy, since we believe the blessed evangelist John, the
disciple whom the Lord especially loved, celebrated it in this way,
together with all the churches over which he presided." After
Colman had explained all this and more to the same effect, the
king ordered Agilbert to explain the method he observed, its
origin, and the authority he had for following it. Agilbert
answered, "I ask that my disciple, the priest Wilfrid, speak on my
behalf, for we both agree with the other followers of our church
tradition who are present. He can explain our views in the English
tongue better and more clearly than I can through an interpreter."
Wilfrid, receiving permission from the king to speak, began in this
way: "The Easter we celebrate is the same as that universally
celebrated in Rome, where the apostles St. Peter and St. Paul lived,
taught, suffered, and were buried. We have found it in use
everywhere in Italy and Gaul when we travelled through those
countries for the purpose of study and prayers. We have also

141
 — I

learned that it is observed in the same way in Africa, Asia, Egypt,

Greece, and throughout the whole world, wherever the church of
Christ is scattered, among various nations and languages. The
only exceptions are these men and their stubborn accomplices —
—
mean the Picts and the Britons who in these, the two remotest
islands of the ocean and only in some parts of them, foolishly
attempt to fight against the whole world."
The argument continued between Colman and Wilfrid
with Colman finally stating that he and the Irish were following
the example of Columcille from lona and his followers, "men
beloved of God." Wilfrid condescendingly responded:
"Though your fathers were holy men, do you think that a
handful of people in one corner of the remotest of islands is to be
preferred to the universal church of Christ, which is spread
—
throughout the world? Even if that Columcille of yours yes, and
—
ours too, if he belonged to Christ was a holy man of mighty
works, is he to be preferred to the most holy chief of the apostles,
to whom the Lord said, 'You are Peter and upon this rock I will
build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,
and I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven'?"
After Wilfrid had finished, the king asked, "Is it true, Col-
man, that the Lord said these words to Peter?" Colman answered,
"King, it is true." Then the king asked another question: "Have
you anything to show that an equal authority was given to your
Columcille?" Colman answered, "Nothing." Again the king said,
"Do you both agree, then, that these words were addressed
primarily to Peter and that the Lord gave him the keys of the
kingdom of heaven?" Both men replied, "Yes." Thereupon the
king concluded, "Then, I tell you, since Peter is the doorkeeper, I
will not contradict him; I intend to obey his commands to the best
of my knowledge and ability in everything. Otherwise when I
arrive at the gates of the kingdom of heaven, there may be no one
to open them because the one who in your own estimation holds
the keys has turned his back on me." When the king had spoken,
all who were seated there or standing nearby, both high and low,

signified their agreement. They gave up their imperfect rules and

readily accepted those that they recognized to be better
Once the dispute was ended cind the assembly had disbanded,
Colman understood that his teachings had been rejected and that
his principles were despised. He then took those who wanted to

142
follow him, that is, those who would not accept the Catholic Easter
—
and the tonsure in the shape of the crown for there was a great
—
argument about that too and returned to Ireland.

Hild Helps the Poet Caedmon Discover His Vocation

In Hild's monastery there was a certain brotherwho was
especially close to God and who used to compose holy and
religious songs. Whatever he learned from the holy scriptures
through interpreters, he quickly turned into delightful and
moving poetry in English, which was his native tongue. Through
his songs many were inspired to despise the world and to yearn
for the heaverUy life. Although it is true that after him other
Englishmen attempted to compose religious poems, none could
compare with him, for he did not learn the art of poetry from any
group or individual, but freely received the gift of song by the
grace of God. Thus this man could never compose any foolish or
trivial poem, but only those concerned with spirituality. He had
lived as a layman until he was quite mature in years, but had never
learned any songs. Sometimes, in fact, at a feast, when everyone
took a turn singing, this man would get up when he saw the harp
approach, go out, and return home.
One time he left the place of feasting and went to the cattle
bam, since it was his turn to be in charge of them that night. Soon
he stretched himself out and went to sleep. He dreamed that
someone stood by him, greeted him, and called him by name:
"Caedmon," the dream figure said, "sing me something." Caed-
mon answered, "I cannot sing. That is why I left the feast and came
here." Again the speaker said, "Nevertheless, you must sing to
me." "What must I sing?" asked Caedmon. The dream figure said,
"Sing about the beginning of creation." Caedmon began to sing
verses he had never heard before in praise of God the Creator. This
is the general sense of what he sang: "Let us praise the Creator of

the heavenly kingdom, the power of the Creator and his counsel,
the deeds of the Father of glory; how he, since he is the eternal
God, was the author of all marvels and first created the heavens
as a roof for the human race and then, as the almighty Guardian
of humankind, created the earth." This is the sense but not the
exact content of what Caedmon sang as he slept, for it is impos-
sible to translate verses, however well composed, from one lan-
guage to another without some loss of beauty and dignity. When

143
Caedmon awoke, he remembered all he had sung while
that
asleep. Soon he added more verses in the same manner, praising
God in a suitable way.
The next morning Caedmon went to his master and told him
of the gift he had received. The man took him to Abbess Hild. He
was then told to describe his dream to a number of the more
learned men, and also to recite his song so that they might all
examine him and discern the nature and origin of the gift. It
seemed apparent to all of them that the Lord had granted him
heavenly grace. They then read to him a passage of sacred history
or doctrine, telling him make a song out of it, if he could, in
metrical form. Caedmon accepted the task and left. When he
returned the next morning, he repeated the passage he had been
given, which he had put into excellent verse.
Abbess Hild, recognizing the grace the man had received,
instructed him to renounce his secular habit and to take monastic
vows. She and all her people received him into the community
and ordered him to be instructed in the whole course of sacred
history. Caedmon learned all that he could by listening to his
teachers. Then, memorizing it and ruminating over it, like some
clean animal chewing the cud, he turned it into the most
melodious verse. As he recited it, it sounded so sweet that his
teachers in turn became his audience. Caedmon sang about the
creation of the world, the origin of the human race, and the whole
history of Genesis, of the departure of Israel from Egypt, the entry
into the promised land, and of many other stories taken from the
sacred scriptures. He sang of the incarnation, passion, and resur-
rection of the Lord, of his ascension into heaven, of the coming of
the Holy Spirit, and the teaching of the apostles. He also composed
songs about the terrors of future judgment, the horrors of the pains
of hell, and the joys of the heavenly kingdom, as well as many
other songs about God's mercies and judgments. In all of them he
attempted to turn his hearers away from the delight of sin and
arouse in them the love and practice of good works.

Hild's Lingering Sickness and Death

When Hild had administered her monastery for many years,
the blessed Author of our salvation subjected her holy soul to a
long physical illness so that, like the apostle Paul, her strength
might be made perfect in weakness. She was attacked by a fever.

144
which tortured her with its burning heat, and for six years she
suffered continually from that sickness. During all this time, how-
ever, she never stopped giving thanks to her Maker and to instruct
publicly and privately the flock committed to her charge. Taught
by her own experience, she admonished them all, when health of
body was given to them, to serve the Lord dutifully and, when in
adversity or sickness, always to return thanks to the Lord faithful-
ly In the seventh year of her illness Hild began to suffer internal
pain and her last day arrived. About cock-crow she received the
viaticum of the most holy eucharist and then summoned the
handmaidens of Christ who were in the monastery. She urged
them to preserve the gospel peace among themselves and toward
all others. While still exhorting them, she joyfully saw death

approach or rather, to use the words of the Lord, she "passed from
death into life."

The same night and in the same monastery in which this

servant of God died, her death was seen in a vision by one of the
devoted virgins of God who loved her dearly. This woman saw
Hildas soul ascend to heaven in the company of angels. She told
the servants of Christ who were with her about it at the time it
happened and encouraged them to pray for Hild's soul. This
happened even before the rest of the community knew of Hild's
death, for people were only informed of it when they met the next
morning. This nun was at the time with one other handmaiden of
Christ in the remotest part of the monastery, where the women
who had recently entered the monastic life used to spend their
novitiate until they were fully instructed and admitted into the
fellowship of the community.

145
la, or Hya, is the patron of the picturesque town of St. Ives in
Cornwall, which is located in southwestern England. According
to local tradition she was a religious woman of noble birth who
came to Cornwall as a missionary from Ireland in the fifth or sixth
century with the monks Gwinear, Fingar, and Piala. She was said
to be the sister of Euny, and to have journeyed later to Brittany
with 777 disciples. She was martyred there. The Life of St. Gwinear,
written about 1300 by Anselm, a monk living in Brittany, relates
how Gwinear and his companions, on leaving Ireland for
Cornwall, left la behind on the beach. The story that follows once
again demonstrates the persistence and faith of Irish women, and
in particular, la's trust in God to provide.
St. Ives parish church in Cornwall
is located near the harbor.

Ithas a medieval stone baptismal fount, a beautiful Lady's Chapel,

and marvelous paintings and wood carvings of the Celtic saints.
Considering the number of towns in Cornwall named after the
saints, a popular saying rings true: There are more saints in
Cornwall than there are in heaven. St. la's feast day is February 3.

la's Prayer and the Miraculous Leaf

Gwinear and his companions left Ireland for Cornwall. They
had not gone far when a virgin of noble birth, named la, came
down to the shore intent upon going with them. When she dis-
covered that she was too late, she was filled with grief and knelt

146
down on the beach to pray. As she did so, she noticed a little leaf
floating on the water. la touched with the rod she carried to see
it

if it would sink. Lo! it began to grow larger and larger as she

looked at it. Believing that it was sent to her by God, and trusting
in him, she embarked upon the leaf and was immediately wafted
across the Channel, reaching her destination before the others.

147
 la (also Ite or Ide) is, most
after Brigit, the
famous of Irish women soul friends. Her hagiographer even
describes her as "a second Brigit." A sixth-century abbess, Ita
founded a monastery in County Limerick at Killeedy (which
means Cell or Church of Ita). She came from the highly respected
clan of the Deisi, and her father, like Brigit' s, was resistant to her
becoming a nun. After gaining his permission, Ita left home and
settled at the foot of Sliabh Luachra, where other women from
neighboring clans soon joined her. There she founded a monastic
school for the education of small boys, one of whom was Brendan
of Clonfert. She evidently had many students, for she is called the
"foster-mother of the saints of Erin."
Ita's originalname, some claim, was Deirdre, but because of
her thirst (iota) became known as Ita. This quality
for holiness she
may have been what drew so many women to join her monastery
and families to send their sons to her. Ita wanted her students to
become acquainted with the saints as soul friends. Besides her
mentoring, Ita is associated with competence in healing and with
an asceticism that an angel had to warn her about. This story
seems to be saying that while fasting can be important, it should
not be taken to an extreme. She is portrayed in the following
stories as a powerful female confessor who is not afraid of giving
penances, and yet who is at the same time especially forgiving and
compassionate.
Ita died in approximately 570. Her grave, frequently
decorated with flowers, is in the ruins of a Romanesque church at
Killeedy where her monastery once stood. A holy well nearby,
almost invisible now, was known for centuries for curing
smallpox in children and other diseases as well. Her feast day is

January 15.

Ita's Qualities as a Child, and the Fiery Grace of God

Ita was bom in Ireland of noble lineage, that is, of the stock
of Feidhlimidh Reachtmiher, by whom was supremely
all Ireland
ruled for many years from the royal fort of Tara. He had three sons,
Fiacha, Cond, and Eochaid. Ita was bom of the people called the
Deisi, and from her baptism on she was filled with the Holy Spirit.
AH marvelled her childhood purity and behavior, and her
at
abstinence on the days she had to fast. She performed many
miracles while she was yet a small child, and when she could
speak and walk she was pmdent, very generous and mild toward
everyone, gentle and chaste in her language, and God-fearing. She
consistently attempted to overcome evil and always did what she
could to promote good. As a young girl she lived at home with
her parents.
One day while Ita was asleep in her room the whole place
seemed be on fire. When her neighbors came to give assistance,
to
however, the fire in her room seemed to have been extinguished.
All marvelled at that, and it was said that it was the grace of God
that blazed about Ita as she slept. When she arose from her sleep,
her whole appearance seemed to be angelic, for she had beauty
that has never been seen before or since. Her appearance was such
that her friends could hardly gaze upon her, and so all recognized
that it was the grace of God that bumed about her After a short
interval her original appearance retumed, which certainly was
beautiful enough.

Ita's Dream and the Angel That Helped

Discern Its Meaning
Another day when she went to sleep, Ita saw an angel of the
Lord approach her and give her three precious stones. When she
awoke she did not know what that dream signified, and she had
a question in her heart about it. Then an angel appeared to her and
said, "Why are you wondering about that dream? Those three
precious stones you saw being given to you signify the coming of
the Blessed Trinity to you. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Always in
your sleep and vigils the angels of God and holy visions will come

150
to you, for you are a temple of God, in body and soul." After saying
this, the angel left her.

Ita's Desire to be Consecrated to Christ,

and Her Parents' Resistance

Another day came to her mother and announced to her
Ita
the divine precepts the Holy Spirit had taught her. She asked her
mother to seek her father's permission so that she might con-
secrate herself to Christ. But her father was defiantly opposed to
what she desired. The request was also very displeasing to her
mother, and when others added their petitions, Ita's father vehe-
mently refused to give permission. Then Ita, filled with the spirit
of prophecy, said to all: "Leave my father alone for a while.
Though he now forbids me to be consecrated to Christ, he will
come to persuade me and eventually will order me to do so, for
he will be compelled by Jesus Christ my Lord to let me go
wherever I wish to serve God." And it happened as she had
predicted. This is how it came about.
Not long afterward, Ita fasted for three days and three nights.
During those days and nights, through dreams and vigils, it
became clear that the devil was waging several battles against Ita.
She, however, resisted him in everything, whether she slept or
watched. One night the devil, sad and grieving, left Ita with these
words: "Alas, Ita, you will free yourself from me, and many others
too will be delivered." That very night an angel of the Lord came
to Ita's father and said: "Why do you forbid your daughter to
accept the veil of virginity in Christ's name? For she will be a great
and famous virgin before God and his saints and will be the
protector of many on the Day of Judgment. You will not only allow
her to accept the sign of virginity, but you will let her go wherever
she wants in order to serve Christ. She will serve God in another
people, and she will be the mother of that people." Hearing this,
Ita's father came to her immediately and told her all that he had
heard. As the virgin had foretold, he gave her his permission to
leave, and also urged her to take the veil of virginity and to go
wherever she wished. That very day, having completed the three-
day fast, Ita went to the church to receive the veil.

151
 Ita Finds a Place for Her Monastery
As Ita was journeying, a great crowd of demons approached
her and began to attack her fiercely. The angels of God descended
from the heavens and fought strongly with the demons on Ita's
behalf. Overcome by the angels the demons fled in all directions
crying out and saying, "Woe to us, for from this day on we will
not be able to fight against this virgin." In the meantime, Ita,
consoled by the angels, came to a church where she was con-
secrated by the clerics at the angels' command and received the
veil of virginity.
Then Ita prayed to the Lord to show her the place where she
should serve him. An angel of the Lord came to her and said:
"Leave your native district and come to the area called Ui Conaill
and remain in the western part of it, near the foot of Sliabh
Luachra. There the angel of the Lord will come to you and will
show you the place where your convent will be. You will be the
patron of the people of Ui Conaill; God has granted that people to
you and to St. Senan." When Ita heard these words from the angel,
she went with her companions to that region and remained at the
foot of Sliabh Luachra, as the angel had told her. The angel came
to her immediately and assigned her the place where she would
serve God.
From there the fame of Ita travelled throughout the entire
Many virgins came to her from different places to serve
region.
God under her care. She received them all piously and cheerfully.
Having heard of her great holiness, the people of Ui Conaill came
with their chieftain and wanted to donate all the land around her
cell to her and to God in perpetuity. Ita, however, did not wish to
be involved in worldly concerns, and she accepted only four acres
as a vegetable garden. The chieftain and his followers were very
displeased by that and they said, "What you do not wish to accept
now, when you go to God's kingdom, will be bestowed upon
you." And so it happened. All the people of Ui Conaill took Ita as
their patron from then on, as the angel had foretold. Ita blessed
that people and their land with many blessings. They all returned
home with great joy, and it became their custom to bring many
gifts and alms to the monastery in honor of St. Ita for the use of
the holy virgins.

152
 An Angel Warns Her About Her Excessive Fasting
two or three successive days, and often for four
Ita fasted for
days. Then an angel of the Lord came to her one day when she
was worn out with hunger and said, "You are afflicting your body
with too much fasting; you should not do so/' But Ita did not wish
to lighten her burden, so the angel added: "God has given you this
grace: From this day until your death, you will be refreshed by
heavenly food. You will not be able to refuse to eat when the angel
of the Lord comes to you with a meal." Then Ita, bowing down to
the ground, thanked God, and she shared the meal with others
whom she considered worthy to receive it. And so Ita lived on the
heavenly food brought to her by the angel until her death.

Ita's Advice to a Holy Nun

One day a holynun came to Ita and spoke to her about the
divine commandments. When they were conversing together, that
virgin said to Ita: "In God's name, tell us why you are loved more
by God than any other virgin we know of in the world. We know
that food from heaven is given to you by God; that you heal all
illnesses by your prayers; that you prophesy about things past and
to come; that the demons everywhere flee from you; that angels
of the Lord speak to you daily; and that you persevere unhindered
in meditation and prayer to the blessed Trinity."
Ita replied: "You have answered your own question when
you say, 'you persevere unhindered in meditation and prayer to
the blessed Trinity.' If anyone acts in that way, God will be ever
with that person; if I have done so from my infancy, then all those
things you have said did happen to me." After hearing Ita's words
concerning prayer and meditation on God, that holy nun went
back rejoicing to her convent.

Ita's Ejfectiveness as a Confessor

A nun who had been under Ita's charge committed fornica-
tion. On the following day, Ita summoned her and said: "Why did
you not care, sister, to guard your virginity?" The nun, however,
denied that she had committed fornication. Ita said to her: "Did
you really not commit fornication yesterday in such-and-such a
place?" The nun saw immediately that Ita could prophesy about

153
things past and present. She admitted the truth and was healed,
doing penance according to Ita's command.
Another virgin, living far away from Ita in the province of
Connacht, secretly committed adultery. Full of the spirit of
prophecy, Ita knew this, and ordered St. Brendain to bring the nun
to her. St. Brendan made the woman go to Ita. Ita then described
to her, among other things, how she had conceived and given birth
to a son. When the woman heard her sin from Ita's mouth, she
made a fitting penance. Her soul was restored to eternal salvation,
and afterward she led a holy life.

Because of this, all of Ita's community and many others who

knew of her prophetic power respected her, whether she was
absent or present.

The Three Things That Most Please and Displease God

Brendan once asked Ita what were the three works most
St.

pleasing to God, and the three works most displeasing to him. Ita
answered, "Three things that please God most are true faith in God
with a pure heart, a simple life with a grateful spirit, and
generosity inspired by charity. The three things that most dis-
please God are a mouth that hates people, a heart harboring
resentments, and confidence in wealth." St.Brendan and all who
were there, hearing that opinion, glorified God in his chosen one.

Ita, the Confessor, Keeps Her Promise

A certain man killed his brother. Touched with remorse, he
came to Ita and did penance according to her command. Ita, seeing
his devout heart, said: "If you obey my words, you will not have
a sudden death, but you will go to eternal life." It happened
cifterward that he went with his chieftain to fight, for he was a
soldier, and the battle went against them, and he was killed. When
Ita heard that, she said: "I promised that man that he would have
a happy end to his life because he listened to my advice." She said
to her attendants: "Go, find him in the devastation, and call upon
him in God's name and mine. I believe he will rise and meet you."
They did as she said, and the dead man rose from the battle as if
he had never been killed. He ran toward those who were searching
for him and came with them to Ita. Afterward everything turned
out as Ita had promised.

154
 Ita Prepares Her Nuns for Her Death
One day Ita in her venerable old age told her nuns, gathered
before her, that her death was near. She spoke to them gently:
"MacNisse, the abbot of Clonmacnois, has sent messengers to me
that they might bring back water blessed by me for Abbot Aengus,
who is very ill. They are hoping he will get well, if he drinks that
water. So I will bless that water for them; and, though the mes-
sengers are sad, tell them that I have blessed it. For, you see, I will
die before they arrive here, and before they return home Aengus
will have gone to heaven." And so it happened.
Ita became and began to bless and counsel her convent and
ill

the clergy and people of Ui Conaill who had received her as their
patron. After attaining a great host of virtues, and after many holy
people of both sexes had visited her, this most glorious virgin, Ita,
happily departed this life in the sight of the holy Trinity and joined
the choirs of saints. The angels rejoiced as they came to meet her
on the fifteenth of January. Her holy body was buried, after the
celebration of Masses, in the monastery she had blessed, in the
presence of multitudes from near and far. Numerous miracles
were performed, then and later. So Ita, a second Brigit in merits
and life, was buried, with our Lord Jesus Christ, living and reign-
ing with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and
ever.

155
O F
Kevin
GLenDA L OUGh.
 ^k^evin, Coemgen, of Glendalough was
or
bom sometime in the sixth century. He was one of Ireland's many
abbots who was not a bishop, but rather an ordinary priest. He
stands in the forefront of the great company of saints of Ireland.
He was soul friend with a number of them, including Ciaran of
Clonmacnois whom, as we have already seen, he visited on his
deathbed. It was Kevin who founded the celebrated monastic city
and school at Glendalough, one of the four principal pilgrim sites
of Ireland.
Kevin was bom in Leinster and was said to have been of royal
lineage. As in the case of Maedoc of Fems, the Venerable Bede,
and other saints, Kevin's parents sent him at the age of seven to
be educated by monks. Following his ordination, he withdrew to
a place of solitude, probably near the Upper Lake by the cave now
called "St. Kevin's Bed," until an angel led him to the upper
reaches of Glendalough and the Valley of the Two Lakes. He lived
as a hermit in that wild region for seven years, clad only in animal
skins, sleeping on stones at the water's edge, and nourished on a
very fmgal diet. According to one version of his Life, such an
ascetic lifestyle had its compensations, for "the branches and
leaves of the trees sometimes sang sweet songs to him, and
heavenly music alleviated the severity of his life." A cattle farmer
eventually discovered him in a cave and persuaded him to leave
his solitude.
At Disert-Coemgen, where Refert Church now stands, Kevin
made a settlement for the disciples who joined him. He eventually
moved his community to the glen "where two sparkling rivers
meet." Here at Glendalough he made his permanent foundation.
The site,south of Dublin, is still popular with tourists and
pilgrims. Located in the shadows of the Wicklow Mountains and
surrounded by lakes and forests, it is very beautiful.
St. Kevin died about 618. He was a very popular saint in the

Middle Ages. Gerald of Wales once described Kevin as "a great

confessor of the faith, and abbot." As the story of the blackbird
reveals, Kevin was especially associated with the quality of
patience. His feast day is June 3.

Prophecies and the Coming of the

"Beautiful Shining Birth"
It was foretold that there would come a high saint, noble and

honorable, into Leinster at a place called Glendalough. This saint,

the prophecy said, would rescue people from paganism by preach-
ing the word of God; healing lepers, the blind, deaf, and lame, and
allkinds of sick folk; raising the dead, putting down the mighty,
and lifting up the wretched; driving away plagues; checking
thieves, crimes, and strange monsters; and instructing all kinds of
perverted folk who opposed the will of God. Patrick, son of Cal-
purnius, the chief apostle of Erin, prophesied of this Kevin thirty
years before his birth that he would build a great monastic city in
the glen for the refreshment of companies and strangers, guests and
pilgrims, and that he would bring with him to Glendalough some
of the earth and relics of the apostles and righteous who are at
Rome. It is written that for those who seek to obtain forgiveness of
their sins from God, visiting the relics and bed of Kevin with
penitence and humility of heart is the same as visiting Rome.
When all these prophecies were fulfilled, the promised one
came: Kevin, son of Caemlug and of Caemell, who was the mother
of four other children. At the time of Kevin's birth his mother did
not experience labor pains, for she bore an innocent, faithful, and
righteous offspring. The King of righteousness, the King of
heaven, sent twelve angels with golden lamps to Kevin's baptism.
And the angels gave him the name Coemgen, that is, "beautiful
shining birth."

His Baptism, Fosterage, and Ordination

The angels told the women to take the child to Cronan of
Leinster for baptism. Cronan took the child in his arms, baptized

158
him, and gave him the name of Kevin in accordance with the
angels'command. Cronan explained to the women that this was
an appropriate name for him:
Thisis the name which God fashioned in heaven.
Which shall cling to the child;
Consider, O women of fair attendance,
that this is his baptismal name, Kevin.

After the baptism, Cronan prophesied that kings and chiefs

would believe in Kevin, and that he would do mighty works and
miracles. After the baptism the women took Kevin with them to
the fort in which he had been bom, called the Fort of the White
Foimtain. He was nurtured there for seven years. God performed
great wonders in honor of Kevin, for no matter how great the frost
and snow on every side of the fort, it would never penetrate
within, and beasts and animals in winter habitually found grass
there. Besides this, a brilliantly white cow used to come for the
infanf s feeding. It was not known whence it came or where it
went. In times of fasting and abstinence the child would only suck
his mother's breasts once a day.
After seven years at the fort, an angel commanded Kevin to
enter an order of monks so that he could get an education and be
instructed in manners. He spent a considerable period of time
among them, until he was old enough to be a priest. One day when
Kevin's tutor was about to say Mass, he told Kevin (who was then
a young lad) to go and fetch fire to light the Mass candle. "Give
me a vessel in which to bring the embers," said Kevin. WThen his
tutor heard this he became angry and told him to bring the fire in
the corner of his mantle. Kevin did so, and when the monk saw
the red embers being brought to him in the mantle, without a
single thread of the mantle catching fire, he said, "Kevin, it is true
Holy Spirit lives in you; I am not worthy that
that the grace of the
you should wait upon me, but it would be more fitting for me to
wait on you." The name of God and of Kevin was magnified
through that miracle.

Kevin Chooses the Solitary Life

After Kevin was ordained, an angel told him to go into the
desert glen. As he was setting out, the angel came to guide him to
the crags located on the western side of the two lakes in Glen-

159
dalough. There he had no food but the nuts of the forest, the herbs
of the earth, and fresh water for drinking. For sleeping he had only
a stone for a pillow, a flagstone under him, and a flagstone on each
side. He did not even have a cell in which to live. His clothes were
the skins of wild animals. He would often go to the crag and to
the cave called Kevin's Bed, where he would pray long and
fervently to God. He would then return by the forest called Gael
Faithe to the north of the lake. He also spent a long time in the lake
up to his waist reciting the divine office, sometimes by day,
sometimes by night. For seven years he followed this solitary
routine, far from the companionship of others. Each day he would
cross the lake without any boat to the rock to say Mass and remain
there without fear or dread above the lake.
One Kevin had been in his place of solitude for a
time, after
while, he went into the lake at the end of a snowy night. As he was
reciting his psalms, the psalter fell into the lake and sank to some
depth. An angel came and said, "Do not grieve." Soon an otter
swam up from the bottom of the lake with the book in its mouth
and gave it to Kevin. Not a line or letter was blotched or blotted.
The angel told him to return to society to teach and preach
the word of God and not to hide himself any longer. But Kevin
resisted.

The Farmer Dimma and His Cow

It so happened that a farmer in Leinster named Dimma was
destined to help Kevin. Patrick prophesied long before the birth
ofKevin that a saint like himself would come to be the patron of
Glendalough; God granted that Dimma would discover him,
though Kevin continued to conceal himself from people. This is
the way it happened.
A herd of Dimma's cows was grazing in the forest in which
Kevin was hiding. One of the cows found her way to the hollow
in which the saint was being comforted by the angel. The cow kept
licking his feet all day. At evening, when she returned home with
the rest of the cows, as much milk was milked from her alone as
from half the rest of the herd. As often as the herd went into that
forest, the same cow would go and lick Kevin's feet, and after
coming home in the evening, would again yield a large quantity
of milk.

160
 When Dimma and all his company noticed this, they were
filledwith wonder. Dimma told the herdsman to observe the cow
the next day and follow her closely, so that he might discover the
location of the excellent pasture. The next day the herdsman
followed the cow straight to the tree in whose hollow Kevin was
hiding. When he found Kevin, the holy man was weak and feeble,
powerless to walk or to move because of his strict asceticism.
When he saw the herdsman, Kevin begged him not to reveal to
anyone in the world that he was in that hollow.
After the herdsman returned to Dimma, he tried not to tell
what he knew about the saint, but Dimma was angr}'^ at his
herdsman's reluctance to talk and threatened to put him into
chains. Finally the herdsman told him how he had discovered
Kevin in the hollow of a tree.
When Dimma heard this, great joy possessed him. He and
his children made a litter for the saint and set out through the
forest to bring him back. Since the road back was rough, Dimma
begged Kevin to pray to God to make a way through the woods.
Kevin prayed earnestly so that Dimma' s children might be able to
carry him to where he intended to build a church. The forest gave
way on either side, so that an easy passage was made through it.
It did so because an angel bent the trees in front of the litter, and,

as it passed, returned them to their natural position. Thus they

came to the bed of the glen, where the church of Kevin stands
today.

Kevin and the Blackbird

Because of the severity of his asceticism, Kevin was accus-
tomed to spend every Lent in a wattled hut with a gray flagstone
under him as a bed. His only food was the music of the angels.
One Lent a blackbird came from the woods to his hut and hopped
on his palm as he lay on the flagstone with his hand stretched out.
Kevin kept his hand in that position so the blackbird could build
her nest in it. He remained there until she had hatched her brood.
An angel came to visit Kevin, and ordered him to stop the
penance in which he was then engaged and to return to society
once more. Kevin said, "It is no great thing for me to bear this pain
of holding my hand under the blackbird for the sake of heaven's
king, for upon the cross of suffering Jesus bore every pain on
behalf of Adam's seed." "Come out of the hut," the angel insisted.

161
"I will not come," Kevin replied, "until I obtain from God the
freedom of my successors and my monks, and the maintenance of
my churches." The angel placed a little spear of red gold in Kevin's
hand and promised him what he requested. As the poet says:
God gave power to Kevin
Such as he gave not to every saint in the world:
On Doomsday to be strong in the assemblies
Where the children of Adam will be trembling.

Kevin's Pilgrimage to Rome

went on pilgrimage to
After settling at Glendalough Kevin
Rome. He was well-received by the pope, who gave him permis-
sion to establish Glendalough as a place of pilgrimage in per-
petuity. He also said that anyone who makes seven pilgrimages
to Glendalough would receive the same indulgences and profit as
a person who makes one pilgrimage to Rome. As the poet says:

Great is the pilgrimage of Kevin,

If people should perform it right;

To go seven times to that fair city is the same

As to go once to Rome.
When Kevin returned from Rome he brought back some of
Rome with him and sprinkled it in his
the earth of the church of
own church and in his cemeteries. Because of Kevin's holiness and
the rights of pilgrimage guaranteed to Glendalough, a great num-
ber of pilgrims began to visit his church from every part of Erin.
From then on the four chief places of pilgrimage in Ireland were
the Cave of Patrick in Ulster, Croagh Patrick in Connacht, Inis na
m-Beo (the Isle of the Living) in Munster, and Glendalough in
Leinster, where Kevin's church is.
It is obligatory for everyone who goes on pilgrimage there to

abstain from all fighting, quarreling, theft, and rape. Whoever

violates the numerous privileges of Kevin's church here below
will experience evil in the other world. Kevin left four evil conse-
quences in world for anyone who ravages his church: tumor,
this
and madness, without any remedy for them
scrofula, anthrax,
from herb or leech. However, the person who maintains the
privileges of Kevin's church will receive three advantages: health,
long life, and a happy death.

162
 —

Kevin's Shame at Not Having Enough to Give

One day as Kevin went to herd his sheep, a great throng of
poor people met him who were starved for food. They asked alms
of the good man for love of God. Kevin answered them regretfully,
saying that he had at that time no food with him there in the
wilderness. When the beggars were telling him goodbye, how-
ever, Kevin asked them to wait. He then killed seven sheep from
his flock and gave them to the beggars, who departed fully
satisfied. The next when Kevin went to visit his flock, he
day,
found that all were there; not a single one of them was
the sheep
missing to the glory of God. Thus Kevin was freed from the shame
that had possessed him when the poor of God asked a favor of
him and he had nothing to give them.

The Missing Otter

There was a monastery in Cell Iffin (Eithfin) to which an
otter — the one that had fished up Kevin's psalter from the lake
used to bring a salmon each day. One day when Cellach, son of
Dimma, saw the otter coming with the salmon in its mouth, he
came to the conclusion that the otter's skin would be profitable to
the monks and therefore decided to kill the otter. The otter imme-
diately dropped the salmon that was in its mouth, dived into the
river, and never showed itself to the monks again. As a conse-
quence, the monks experienced a scarcity of food, so much so that
they decided they must go their separate ways. When Kevin saw
this, he prayed earnestly to God to reveal why the otter had
forsaken the monastery. God heard his prayers and influenced
Cellach to go to Kevin and to confess, with regret and penitence,
that he was to blame. He admitted that he had had the intention
of killing the otter, and that it was at that time that the otter had
dived into the river and left the monks. When Kevin heard this he
sent Cellach away to do penance for the evil intention that had
caused so much harm.

The King's Son and the Fairy Witch; the Doe and the Wolf
occurred to the king of Ui Faelain to send his young son to
It

Kevin to be baptized and to have him also foster the boy. He sent
the child because every son that had been previously bom to him
had been destroyed by the bright people or fairy courts. When the

163
infant came to Kevin to be baptized, a fairy witch named Caineog,
along with her attendant women, followed the infant. They were
determined to destroy him as they had destroyed every other son
of the king of Ui Faelain. When Kevin noticed this, he cursed the
women, and they were turned into stones. They still remain in the
form of stones on the edge of the lake, which is in the glen.
Now, as to Kevin and the infant, there were neither cows nor
calves in the glen at that time, so that finding sustenance and milk
to nourish the infant was a great problem and a source of great
anxiety for the saint. However, as Kevin looked behind him, he
saw a doe with a little fawn following her. When he saw this, he
fervently prayed to God to tame the doe, so that she might come
and give her milk to the infant. Immediately the doe came to the
place, went gently up to Kevin, and dropped her milk into a
hollow stone both for the infant and for her own fawn. Every day
the doe came to drop her milk into the hollow stone, and every
day enough milk was obtained for the infant' s nourishment. From
then on, that place was called Innis Eilte (the doe's milking stand).
One day, when the doe came to graze in the woods, a wolf
came out of a cave, killed the doe's fawn, and devoured it. When
—
Kevin saw this, he ordered the wolf to go gently in place of the
—
fawn to the doe, and the wolf did this habitually So the doe
continued to drop her milk on the stone to feed the infant as she
formerly did for her fawn, though there was only a wolf standing
at her breast. Thus they were frequently together, and in this way
the child was nurtured and afterward became a disciple of Kevin.
So the name of God was glorified.

Pilgrims Murdered and a Boar Saved

One time when two women were coming on a pilgrimage to
Kevin's church, robbers met them at the pass, stripped them, and
beheaded them. When Kevin was informed of this, he went quick-
ly to see the women and immediately reattached their heads to
their trunks, so that they were restored to life by him. "O Kevin,"
said the women, "you have healed us, and we give ourselves to
you as long as we live." Kevin took the women with him and made
devout nuns of them. They remained in the convent, which was
near the church of Kevin, and lived the rest of their lives as
exemplars in devotion, prayer, and abstinence.

164
 Another time some hunters were hunting a wild boar with
their dogs in hot pursuit. As soon as the boar perceived the dogs
near him, he set off down the slope of the glen to seek Kevin's
protection. Kevin protected the boar and commanded the dogs to
stop following him. As he did so, the feet of the dogs stuck to the
ground, so that they could not move from that spot in any direc-
tion. Shortly after this the hunters came into Kevin's presence. On
seeing their dogs fastened to the ground and the boar under
Kevin's protection, they were astonished and filled with wonder.
Humbly and penitently they asked Kevin to release their dogs and
promised him that they would never again pursue this boar. So
Kevin let the boar run into the forest, and the name of God was
glorified.
Kevin was like this all his life, working miracles until he died
at an advanced age of a hundred and twenty-nine years.

165
Maedoc, also called Aidan or Mogue, of Ferns was bom in Ireland
in the last part of the sixth century. A bishop whom hagiographers
imaginatively portray as being ordained by the pope himself in
Rome, Maedoc is considered the founder of Irish monasteries at
Fern in County Wexford, Drumlane in County Cavan, and Ros-
sinver in County Leitrim. He is said to have been educated in
Leinster and at St. David's school in Wales. Tradition has it that
David and Maedoc were very close soul friends, and that David
died in the arms of his friend and former pupil.
It is Maedoc has, like the other Celtic saints, a great
clear that
capacity for making friends. In the stories that follow we find not
only that David is an important mentor to Maedoc, but that
Maedoc has close ties with Molaise of Devenish, probably his
closest friend, with Columcille, a colleague, with Ita of Killeedy,
and even with Brigit of Kildare. The story of his climbing a golden
ladder to say farewell to Columcille draws upon a symbol and
theme of spiritual progress that recurs often in the history of
—
Judeo-Christian spirituality from the dream of Jacob (Gn 28:12)
to Jesus's own allusion to it (Jn 1:51), on through the writings of
Origen, John Climacus, Walter Hilton, Luther, Calvin, and others.
Besides being a soul friend, Maedoc emerges as a powerful
saint with strong intuition and a great sensitivity toward those in
pain. He is named, as many Native Americans are, after an aspect
of nature: "son of the star," a poetic title of honor. A friend of many

166
kinds of animals, Maedoc seems especially to enjoy the company
of wolves.
Maedoc died about 626. Although no one knows with cer-
tainty where his bones now lie, relics of his are on display in the
Armagh Library (a bell) and in the National Museum, Dublin (a
shrine). At Ferns today the eucharist is celebrated amid medieval
monastic ruins, including the remains of a tower. Maedoc' s feast
day is January 31.

The Birth of ''Son of the Star''

A king succeeded to the province of Connacht whose name

was Setna, and his wife was Eithne. They had no offspring, so they
entreated God might have a son worthy to take their
that they
place after them. For this reason they frequently gave alms to the
poor and fasted. The saints and righteous friends joined in their
prayers, so that they might obtain their request from God. After
this the two of them were together, and Eithne saw a vision in
which a star fell down from heaven into her mouth. Setna saw the
same vision. When they arose, they told each other what they had
seen. Then they described the vision to certain wise men who told
the couple: "A star guided the kings to Christ to adore him, when
he was bom in Bethlehem. By the same sign, which has been
revealed, a noble son will be bom of you who will be filled with
the grace and favor of the Holy Spirit." That same night holy
Maedoc was conceived in his mother's womb, and it is for this
reason that he is called "son of the star."
Not long after, the woman gave birth to a son. On the place
where he was bom there rested for a long time a bright and
dazzling ray from heaven. The holy child was baptized by a
devout and chaste priest and by his guardian angel. He was
fostered by Ua Dubthaig, who nurtured him zealously and with
great affection and kept him from everything unlawful. His foster-
mother and nurses, as is the way of loving foster-mothers, gave
him a nickname, calling him "my little Aed" (mo Aed oc) The name
.

Maedoc stuck to him as a surname to the exclusion of other names.

The Prophecy of Finn Mac Cumaill

The grace of the mighty Lord rested on this child Maedoc
beyond all other children of his time. Long before his birth had

167
been foretold by the chief sage and prophet of Ireland, Finn Mac
Cumaill. For, just as he was being buried under the ground, Finn
put his thumb under his tooth of knowledge so that true
knowledge of the future might be revealed to him and ignorance
removed. ''By my word,'' said he, "it is good to be buried in a place
made holy by the number of harmonious bells, fair learned books,
and offerings of the eucharist, which will be celebrated over your
head until the world ends." Then he prophesied about Maedoc in
a poem:

Ath Fema (Fema's Ford or simply "Ferns")

The place where excellent Maedoc will be,
Though many today its litters of wolf cubs,
Many will be its heavenly cries.

Ath Fema of the green strand!

Excellent will be the man who will own it;

Soul friends will come from there;

It will be a place dear to God.

Maedoc with his company will come.

Like the sheen of the sun after showers;
The son of the star will come,
A star victorious forever.
It an angelic place,
will be
The place wherethe fair group will be cooking;
Maedoc with his company will come.
Welcome the king whose might}^ sepulchre it is.
He will be a strong wealthy prince.
He will be a flame of fierce doom;
Maedoc with his company will come.
He will be a wave over many fords.

Maedoc Wisdom and Compassion as a Student

s

WTien Maedoc's father and mother saw how much favor God
had conferred upon their son, they sent him to be educated. The
fame of his devotion, the excellence of his studies, his knowledge
and his deep wisdom became known to many people.
One day a number of holy men prayed to God to reveal to
them the place of their resurrection, for they wished to ser\'e God
there. An angel came to them and told them to go where Maedoc
was, and he would reveal to them the place of their resurrection.

168
They went to the saint at the angel's command. Maedoc asked
them, "Did you hear the sound of any bell as you came here?"
They said that they had not. "Come with me, then, so that I can
show you the place of your resurrection." They went with him,
and he informed them where their resurrection would be. They
remained at that place until their deaths, leading a life of mar-
velous happiness.
Another day Maedoc was praying deep in the forest when
he saw a stag pursued by hounds. The stag stopped by him, and
Maedoc threw the comer of his cloak over its horns to protect it
from the hounds. When they came running by, they could neither
see nor smell the stag, and after they had gone, it ran for safety
back into the forest.

The Parting of Friends

Maedoc and Molaise of Devenish were comrades who loved
each other very much. One day they sat praying at the foot of two
trees. "Ah, Jesus!" they cried, "is it your will that we should part,
or that we should remain together imtil we die?" Then one of the
two trees fell to the south, and the other to the north. "By the fall

of the trees," they said, "it is clear that we must part." Then they
told each other goodbye and kissed each other affectionately.
Maedoc went to the south and built a noble monastery at Ferns in
the center of Leinster, and Molaise went north to Lough Erne and
built a fair monastery at Devenish.

Maedoc Visits Rome and Is Ordained Bishop by the Pope

After the holiness and fame of Maedoc had increased, many
people came from every comer of Ireland seeking his guidance
and mle. Maedoc desired to leave his own land and country, for
he did not want to be honored in this way. He meditated about
going on pilgrimage to Rome in order to acquire knowledge and
expertise in divine scripture as other saints were doing at that
time. He decided to do so, and Caillan the ascetic, Molaise of
Devenish, and Ultan of Ardbrecken, among others, accompanied
him on this great journey.
When this devout and holy band reached Rome, God per-
formed a wonderful miracle: all of the bells of the place rang out
without any human help. The citizens of Rome were filled with

169
great wonder and astonishment and asked about these visitors.
The successor of Peter and Paul informed them of the devotion
and orthodoxy of this band of worthy saints from Ireland. Three
of them, Maedoc the wonderworker, Molaise the modest, and
Caillin the devout, were ordained bishops by the pope. It was on
this journey that Maedoc received two gifts from the Trinity, which
were handed down from heaven and left on the altar of Peter: a
crozier and a staff. As a poet said:

The crozier of Maedoc from the plain of heaven

The noble patron saint received.
And he received the staff of Brandub
From the fair starry vault.
For a whole year they stayed together in Rome acquiring
knowledge and receiving honor, respect, and authority from the
pope and his clergy and cardinals. Then they promised each other
mutual alliance and friendship, said goodbye, and returned to
Ireland.

Maedoc Travels to Wales

The Trinity guided Maedoc through the territory of Leinster
and from there to Britain, to the place where David of Menevia,
the holy bishop, lived. Maedoc was there with David for a long
time. During that time the Saxons invaded Britain with a great
army. The Britons assembled to oppose them and sent messengers
to David to ask him to send Maedoc to them to bless their army
and consecrate their battalion.
Maedoc went at David's bidding to where the Britons and
Saxons were confronting one another. In numbers, the Britons
were no match for the Saxons, but Maedoc prayed on behalf of the
Britons, and the Saxons fled with the Britons pursuing them. For
seven days the Britons slaughtered and butchered the Saxons, and
not one man of the Britons fell by the hands of the Saxons all that
time. Because of God's favor and Maedoc's miracles, no Saxons
invaded Britain while Maedoc was there.
After many miracles were performed in Britain, Maedoc
asked permission of David to return to Ireland. He then began his
return journey to Ireland together with his disciples. As he drew
near to the Irish coast, he saw robbers on one side of a road,
robbing and killing pilgrims. Maedoc told his companions, "Let

170
us hurry to the pilgrims/' Then he rang his bell and the robber
chief heard it. "That is the sound of a devout and holy man's bell,"
the robber said, "and he rings his bell to tell us to stop our work."
After that they let the pilgrims be.
Later, when Maedoc was walking by the ocean with his
comrades, he said to them, "I am sorry that I did not ask my
master, David, who should be my soul friend in Ireland." His
disciples began to prepare a ship, but the boatmen were not
willing to return to Wales. Maedoc leaped out of the boat and
walked from wave to wave until an angel met him. "You need no
soul friend but the God of the Elements," the angel said, "for he
understands the thoughts and secrets of every person." So
Maedoc returned again to Ireland and built a noble church where
he landed.

Maedoc's Compassion for Wolves

Maedoc built a church in the place called Disert nDairbre
(Oakwood Hermitage), and was there sometime with his dis-
ciples. The brothers had two cows and a calf there. One day
Maedoc was alone in his cell when he saw some wolves approach-
ing. They circled him gently, and he understood that they were
asking for food. He was moved to compassion for them and gave
the calf to them to eat it. But one of the brothers said to him, "The
cows will not give milk without the calf." Maedoc said to him,
"Bend your head toward me so that I may bless it. When the cows
see it, they will give their milk obediently to you." As so it was
that whenever the cows saw the head of the brother, they would
suddenly lick it and then give their milk to him..
On another occasion Maedoc came to the monastery named
Shanbo, at the foot of the hill called Mount Leinster. As he was
going along the road, a mother wolf, wretched, weak, and starv-
ing, happened to meet him. It came up to him gently as if seeking
his attention. Maedoc asked a lad who had joined him on the road
whether he had anything he could give the wolf. The boy said that
he had one loaf and a piece of fish. Maedoc took this from him and
threw it to the wolf. The boy was disturbed at seeing this and said
that he was afraid of what his master would do to him. Maedoc
said, "Bring me some of the leaves of the forest." The boy did as
he had been told. Then Maedoc blessed the foliage, and it was
turned into a loaf and a fish, which he gave to the lad.

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 Maedoc Receives the Gift of Ferns

Once the king of Ui Cennselaig was on a raiding expedition.

He met Maedoc and gave him alms and proceeded to his
monastery. Disease and a grievous illness, however, overtook the
king, so that it seemed to him as if his spirit departed from him.
He seemed to see hell and horrible animals attacked him. As one
of these dragged the king with its breath into its very mouth, he
saw the poor man, Maedoc, putting the alms he had given to him
into the beast' s mouth. Even that, however, did not stop the beast
—
from hanging on tightly until the saint brought his staff down
hard on the beast' s mouth.
The king awoke from this nightmare and told everyone what
he had seen. "Send for Maedoc," they said, "and you will learn
everything from him." "No, it is better that I should go to the
servant of God," the king said, and he went to where Maedoc was.
"This is the man to whom I gave the alms," the king said, "and
who freed me from the mouth of the beast." And the king gave
him Ferns in perpetuit)'; and he built a church there.
The inhabitants complained to Maedoc that the place was
waterless. "Dig at that tree yonder," said Maedoc, "and you will
find a spring." They did as he had said, and a thin bright stream
of green blue-edged water began to flow along the boundary of
the land.

Maedoc Visits Old Friends and Climbs the Golden Ladder

Sometime later Maedoc was in the district of Munster near
Ita's He had decided to go and visit his father-confes-
monastery.
sor Molua mac Oiche when he heard the bells of Ita's place ringing.
Maedoc asked why the bells were ringing, and a voice in the air
replied that a foster-child of Ita, a virgin who was dearly loved
and a favorite of hers, had just died.
Ita heard that Maedoc was in the neighborhood and sent a
messenger to him inviting him to come and restore the woman to
life. Maedoc told one of the disciples to go to the place, take

Maedoc's staff, and lay it on the woman's chest. This was done,
and she arose at once in the presence of all. Everyone who saw or
heard of this miracle gave glory to God and to Maedoc. Later
Maedoc went west to Clonmacnois to bind his alliance and
covenant with Ciaran and his monks.

172
 Sometime Maedoc was teaching a student by a high
later
cross at the monastery of Ferns. The student saw him mount a
golden ladder reaching from earth to heaven. Maedoc climbed the
ladder, and when he returned sometime later, the student could
not look in his face because of the brilliance of his countenance.
Maedoc told him, "Never tell anyone about what you have seen."
"If that is what you want," the student replied, "I will not tell
anyone." "Columcille has died," Maedoc told him, "and I went to
meet him with the family of heaven. He was my own soul friend
in this world, so I wanted to pay him my respects." The student
told this story only after Maedoc's death, when he had become an
adult and a holy man himself.

Maedoc's Death and His Appearance with Brigit

When Maedoc was at Ferns, an angel of the Lord revealed to
him that the end of his life was approaching. He told him to leave
his churches and his chosen sanctuaries and to go to the place of
his resurrectionand to the site of his burial. Maedoc did as he was
told, leaving Ferns in the hands of his successors. He went to
Drumlane and did the same, blessing the place and bidding
farewell. When he arrived at Rossinver, over 150 saints and holy
virgins came to the scene of his death and departure. He received
communion, and then, after healing folk of every affliction and
disease who came to him in the name of the Trinity, he sent his
spirit to heaven. Hosts of angels came to meet him and with
melodious songs to carry his soul to Paradise.
There was also a man in Leinster who had lain sick for thirty
years. He saw a vision of a chariot coming to him from heaven
with the aged cleric, accompanied by a virgin, standing in it. "Who
are you?" asked the man. "I am Maedoc," said the cleric, "and this
is Brigit. Tomorrow is my day, and the day after tomorrow is

Brigit' s day, and we come from on high to glorify Jesus on our feast
days. Be ready," the saint warned, "for you will die on the third
day, and your soul will obtain the heavenly kingdom." The holy
man, whose name was Fintan, went to Kildare, a church of Brigit' s,
and related to the people the vision he had seen. He died the third
day as Maedoc had predicted, and he passed to heaven.

173
Nothing is known of this courageous woman except the story of
her that appears in the seventh-century Life of Saint Patrick written
by Muirchu, a hagiographer at Armagh. The daughter of a British
king, she persisted in her search for God until her parents finally
brought her to Ireland, where she was baptized by Patrick.
Monesan is one of countless women who have contributed much
to the spread and vitality of Christianity and yet have received
little recognition.

Monesan's Passionate Search for God

At that time, when all of Britain was still frozen in the chill
Monesan,
of unbelief, a certain king's remarkable daughter, called
was filled with the Holy Spirit. When someone asked for her hand
in marriage, she did not consent. Not even when floods of water
were poured over her could she be forced to do what she did not
want. In the midst of beatings and drenchings with water she used
to ask her mother and her nurse whether they knew the maker of
the wheel by which all the world is illuminated. When she
received an answer that the sun's maker was he whose throne was
in heaven, and when she was repeatedly pressured to marry
someone, she would reply, enlightened by the shining advice of
the Holy Spirit, "I will never do that." For through nature she
searched for the maker of all creation, following in this the ex-
ample of the patriarch Abraham.

174
 Deliberating in their great sorrow, her parents decided to
follow a plan given to them by God. They had heard that a man
named Patrick was visited by the eternal God every seventh day.
So they travelled over to Ireland with their daughter and after
great effort met Patrick. He asked his visitors why they had come.
The travellers began to cry out and say: "It is because of our
daughter's passionate desire to see God that we have been forced
to come to you." Then Patrick, filled with the Holy Spirit, raised
his voice and said to her: "Do you believe in God?" Monesan
replied: "I do." Then he washed her in the holy baptism of water
and the Holy Spirit. Immediately afterward she fell to the ground
and gave up her spirit into the hands of the angels. She was buried
on the spot where she died. Then Patrick prophesied that after
twenty years her body would be removed with all honor from
there to a neighboring oratory. This is in fact what happened later,
and the relics of this woman from across the sea were venerated
there for many years.

175
Non, or Norma, the mother of St. David of Wales, was one of many
Celtic missionaries who travelled from Ireland and Wales through
Cornwall and on to continental Europe. Little is known about her
except what appears in a late eleventh-century Life of St. David by
Rhigyfarch, the eldest son of a bishop of St. David's. In that
hagiography we find that, despite the pious words used to
describe David's birth and early childhood, his mother, who may
have been a nun, was raped, and he was evidently raised father-
less. Both mother and son, however, went on to become the two
best-known and loved saints of Wales.
Non left her native land about 527 for Cornwall, where at
Alternon there is a beautiful church and holy well named after her.
A fine Celtic cross, similar to numerous others in Cornwall, stands
by the church gate. It probably dates back to the time of St. Non
herself. According to legends, she eventually died in Brittany,
where her tomb survives at Finistere. Her trust in God and her
courageous dedication to serving the church as a missionary are
two of her most admirable attributes.
Non's feast day is celebrated in Wales on March 3, two days
after her son's. At Alternon, in Cornwall, it is celebrated on June 25.

The Rape of Non and David's Birth

While Sanctus, king of the people of Ceredigion, was passing
through the Dyfed countryside, he met a maiden called Nonita

176
(littlenun) who was exceedingly beautiful, a modest virgin. In-
flamed with desire, the king raped her. She, neither before nor
after this occasion had intercourse with any man, but continued
in chastity of mind and body, leading a most faithful life. From
this time on, after conceiving, she lived only on bread and water.
A small meadow lay in that place where she was violated and
where she conceived. By divine favor this meadow was covered
with heavenly dew. At the time of conception, two large stones
also appeared in that meadow, one at her head and one at her feet.
Thus, the earth herself, rejoicing in the conceiving, opened its
bosom, both in order to preserve the young woman's modesty,
and also to declare beforehand the significance of her offspring.
Non, as her womb was growing, followed the usual custom
and entered a church in order to offer alms and oblations for the
child's birth. Here she met a certain teacher who was preaching
the word to the people. As Non entered, he suddenly became
dumb as if silenced by an obstruction in the throat. When asked
by the congregation why he had broken off his sermon and
become silent, he replied: "I can talk to you in ordinary conversa-
tion, but I am unable to preach. Go outside and allow me to remain
here alone to see if I can preach under those conditions." The
congregation went outside, but Non concealed herself and hid in
a comer. She stayed behind not intending to disobey the injunc-
tion, but because of an intense thirst for the word of life. She also
wished to assert the privilege of one so great as her offspring.
A second time the preacher, although striving with
wholehearted effort, could do nothing, as if he were prevented by
heaven. Terrified by this, he now cried with a loud voice, "I adjure
anyone who may be hiding from me, to reveal himself from his
place of concealment and to make himself known." Then Non said
in reply, "I am hiding here." Inspired by divine providence he said,
"Go out, and let the congregation re-enter the church!" They did
so, and he preached in his usual manner with unfettered tongue.
Non, when asked, confessed that she was pregnant. It was
clearly evident to all that the child she was about to bring into the
world was one who, in virtue of the privilege of his dignity, the
splendor of his wisdom, and the eloquence of his preaching,
would excel all the teachers of Britain. This was corroborated by
the excellences of David's subsequent life.

177
7

Meanwhile, there was a certain ruler living nearby. He

learned from the prophecies of his druids that a boy would be bom
within his realm whose power would extend over the whole
country. This man, intent only on earthly things and finding his
highest good in these lowest pursuits, was tormented by a mighty
hatred and jealousy. Discovering from the pronouncements of the
druids where the boy was to be bom, he said, "Let me keep watch
by myself upon that site for as many days as necessary, and
whomever I find resting there, even for a short time, will die, slain
by my own sword." As had been foreordained, the nine months
came around, and the time for the birth drew near.
One day Non went out along that very road, leading to the
place of the birth. The tyrant was keeping watch in accordance
with the druid's prophecy. Driven by the approaching time of the
birth, the mother sought the predicted place. Suddenly a great
storm arose, with such vivid flashes of lightning, such terrifying
peals of thunder, and so excessive a downpour of hail and rain,
that no one could go out of doors. The place where Non lay
groaning in labor, however, shone with so brilliant a light that it
glistened in God's presence as if lit by the sun, though it was
obscured by clouds. In her labor Non had a certain stone near her
on which she leaned with her hands when overtaken by her pains.
The marks of her hands, as though impressed on wax, have been
identified in that stone for those who have gazed upon it. It even
broke in half in sympathy with the mother's agony. On that spot
where David was born a church has been built, in the foundations
of which this stone lies concealed.

178
 PACRICK
O F R m
J>< A- C5r TL
 s
^^^^^t. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is the
most famous of the Celtic saints. He was born about 390 near the
west coast of England or Wales. Like many of the earliest saints,
we do not have a great deal of factual information about him. Two
autobiographical writings, however, have survived: Confessio,
which he wrote toward the end of his life to defend himself against
detractors at home who were questioning his integrity, and a Letter
to Coroticus, in which he protested the captivity and martyrdom

of some of his Irish converts by a Welsh chieftain. Both writings,

along with the stories written by hagiographers about him, give
us insight into his passionate personality and his great love of the
Irish, whom he adopted as his own sons and daughters.
Patrick's father was a deacon and his grandfather a priest.
While still a youth he was captured by pirates and taken to Ireland,
where he lived for six years as a slave. It was there, while tending
sheep in solitude, that he had a religious conversion. Helped by
inner voices and dreams, Patrick escaped and eventually returned
to his own country. Some years later he had another vivid dream
in which a figure named Victor brought letters from the Irish,
telling him to "come back and walk with us once more." Patrick
interpreted this dream as a genuine call from God revealing his
missionary vocation. Later generations identified his dream fig-
ure, Victor, with a guardian angel and soul friend who guided
Patrick throughout his life.
In 432 Patrick landed on Ireland's shores and as a mission-
ary-bishop spent the rest of his life making converts and organiz-
ing the church, primarily in the north. He died near Armagh in
461. Although a huge boulder bears his name in the cemetery at
Downpatrick today, no one knows where his body is buried. At
Armagh two churches face each other from two different hills: one,
the Church of Ireland, stands at the original windswept site as-
sociated with Patrick's monastery; the other, the Roman Catholic
Cathedral, houses one of the richest collections of Celtic religious
art. Patrick's feast day, as almost everyone knows, is celebrated

March 17.

Patrick's Early Life and Captivity in Ireland

Patrick, who was also called Sochet, was bom in Britain, the
son of the deacon Calpumius, whose father, as Patrick himself
says, was the priest Potitus, who came from the town of Bannavem
Taburniae, not far from our sea. We have discovered for certain
and beyond amy doubt that this township is Ventre, and the
mother who bore him was named Concessa.
At the age of sixteen the boy, with others, was captured and
brought to this island of barbarians and was kept as a slave in the
household of a certain cruel pagan king. He spent six years in
captivity, in accordance with the Jewish custom, in fear and trem-
bling before God, as the psalmist says, and in many vigils and
prayers. He used to pray a hundred times a day and a hundred
times a night, giving gladly to God what is due God and to Caesar
what is due to Caesar. Patrick began to fear God and to love the
Lord Almighty, for up to that time he had no knowledge of the
true God, but at this point the Spirit became alive within him.
After many hardships there, after enduring hunger and
thirst, cold and nakedness, after pasturing flocks, after visits from
Victor, an angel sent to him by God, after great miracles known to
almost everyone, after divine prophecies in the twenty-third year
of his life, Patrick left the earthly, pagan king and his works and
received the heavenly, eternal God. He then sailed for Britain by
God's command and was accompanied by the Holy Spirit. With
him were barbarian strangers and pagans who worshipped many
false gods.

He Finds a Mentor in Gaul

When Patrick was thirty yecirs old he set out to visit and pay
his respects to the apostolic see, that is,head of all the
to the
churches in the whole world. He wanted to leam and understand

182
the divine wisdom and holy mysteries to which God called him
and to fulfill them so that he might preach and confer divine grace
on foreign peoples by converting them to faith in Christ.
So he crossed the southern British sea and began his journey
through Gaul with the intention of eventually crossing the Alps,
as he had resolved in his heart. He came to the home of a very holy
bishop, Germanus, who ruled in the city of Auxerre, the greatest
lord in almost all of Gaul. Patrick stayed with him for quite some
time, just as Paul sat at the feet of Gamaliel. In all humility,
patience, and obedience he learned, loved, and treasured
wholeheartedly knowledge, wisdom, purity, and every benefit to
soul and spirit, with great fear and love for God, in goodness and
singleness of heart and chaste in body and spirit.
When Patrick had spent a considerable time there — some say
forty years, others thirty — that most faithful friend Victor, who
had foretold everything to him in a large number of dreams, told
Patrick that the time was at hand for him to come and fish with
the net of the gospel for the wild, barbarian peoples whom God
had sent him to teach. "The sons and daughters of the forest of
Foclut are calling you."
And so, when a suitable opportunity came about, with God's
help to accompany him, Patrick set out on the journey he had
already begun, to do the work for which he had long been
—
prepared the work of the gospel.

Patrick's Confrontation with the Druids

at the Court ofTara
So Patrick returned to Ireland and travelled to Tara, the home
of the Irish kings. As he prepared to celebrate holy Easter, he
kindled the divine fire with its bright light and blessed it. As it
gleamed in the darkness it was seen by almost all the inhabitants
of the flat plain. It was also seen from Tara, and everyone
wondered at the sight. King Loiguire called together the elders,
councilors, and druids and said to them: "What is this? Who is it
who has dared to commit this sacrilege in my kingdom? Let him
be put to death." They all replied that they did not know who had
done it, but the druids answered: "O king, may you live forever!
This fire, which we see and which was lit this night before one was
lit in your palace of Tara, will never be put out unless it is put out

183
this very night; what is more, it will surpass all the fires of our
customs, and he who has kindled it and the kingdom brought
upon us by him who has kindled it on this night will overpower
us all and you. It will seduce all the people of your kingdom, and
all kingdoms will yield to it. It will spread over the whole country
and will reign for ever and ever."
King Loiguire was deeply disturbed at these words, as was
Herod of old, and all the city of Tara with him. In reply he said:
"It will not be so; no, we shall now go to see what is going on and
to put an end to this matter. We shall arrest and put to death those
who are committing such sacrilege against our kingdom." So
yoking twenty-seven chariots, as the tradition of the gods
demanded, and taking these two druids, Lucetmael and Lochru,
the best of all for this confrontation, Loiguire left Tara at dawn and
proceeded to the burial place of the men of Fiacc. When Patrick
rose and saw their chariots and horses approaching, he went to
them, rather appropriately singing with heart and voice this verse
of the Psalmist: "Some may go in chariots and some on horses, but
we shall walk in the name of our God." They did not rise as he
approached. One, however, with God's help, refused to obey the
druid's words. His name was Ercc, son of Daeg, whose relics are
now venerated in the city called Slane. He rose to meet Patrick.
Patrick blessed him, and Ercc believed in the eternal God.
They then began to talk with one another, and one of the two
druids, called Lochru, was insolent to the sainf s face and had the
effrontery to disparage the Catholic faith in the most arrogant
terms. Patrick glared fiercely at him as he spoke, as once Peter did
with Simon, and then, with strange power, he shouted aloud and
confidently addressed the Lord: "O Lord, who can do all things
and in whose power all thingsme here, may this
lie, who sent
impious man who blasphemes your name be now carried up out
of here and die without delay." At these words the druid was
carried up into the air and then dropped outside from above. He
fell headfirst, crashing his skull against a stone, and was smashed

to pieces. As he died before their eyes, the pagans were afraid.

The king with his followers was angry with Patrick at this
and determined to kill him. He ordered his men: "Lay hands on
this fellow who is about to destroy us." When holy Patrick saw
that the ungodly pagans were about to rush him, he rose and said
in a clear voice: "May God arise and his enemies be scattered and

184
those who hate him flee from his face/' Immediately darkness fell
on them, and there was a horrible sort of upheaval with the
ungodly attacking one another. As they struggled a great
earthquake locked their chariot-axles together and drove them off
violently. The chariots and horses rushed away at breakneck
speed over the flat plain, until in the end only a few of them
escaped to the mountain Monduirn. In this disaster seven times
seven men perished through the curse of Patrick, and there
remained only the king himself and three other survivors, that is,
his queen and two of the Irish. All of them were very frightened.
The king came, compelled by fear, and bowed his knee before
the saint and pretended to worship the God he did not want to
worship. After they had parted, the king, going a little way off,
called holy Patrick over on some pretext, with the intention of kill-
ing him some way or other. But Patrick, aware of the wicked king's
thoughts, first blessed his companions (eight men and a boy) in the
name of Jesus Christ, and then came to the king. The king counted
them as they approached, and suddenly they disappeared from the
king's sight. The pagans saw only eight deer with a fawn heading
for the wilds. And King Loiguire, saddened, frightened, and
humiliated, returned at dawn to Tara with the few survivors.
The following day, that is, Easter Day, the kings and princes
and druids were at table with Loiguire. This was their most impor-
tant feast day, and they ate and drank wine in the palace of Tara.
Some were talking, while others were thinking about what had
happened. Patrick, accompanied by only five companions, entered
through the closed doors, as we read that Christ did, in order to
vindicate and to preach the holy faith at Tara before all the nations.
As he entered the banquet hall at Tara, only one of the number rose
at his approach, Dubthach maccu Lugir, an excellent poet.
While they were all feasting, the druid Lucetmail, who had
been involved in the clash during the night, was provoked to fight
Patrick because of his colleague's death. To start the contest off, as
the others looked on, he poured something from his own goblet
Holy Patrick, seeing this kind
into Patrick's cup to test his reaction.
of test, blessed his cup in the sight of all, and the liquid froze like
ice. When the cup was turned upside down, only the drop the druid

had poured in fell out. Patrick blessed the cup a second time, and
the liquid returned to its natural state. Everyone present was
amazed. After a little while the druid said: "Let us work miracles

185
 on this vast plain/' And Patrick asked: "What sort of miracles?" The
dniid replied: "Let us bring snow over the land." And Patrick said:
"I refuse to bring what is contrary to God's will."And the druid
said: "I shall bring it Then he began his magical
in the sight of all."
spells and brought snow upon the whole plain, deep enough to
reach people's waists. All who saw this were astonished. Then
Patrick said: "All right, we can see this; now remove it." The druid
replied: "I cannot take it away before this time tomorrow." The
saint said: "You can do evil, but not good. It is not like that with
me." Then he blessed the entire plain, and in no time the snow
disappeared, without rain, mist, or wind. And the crowds cheered
and were greatly amazed and touched in their hearts.
Soon after, the druid invoked demons and brought very thick
darkness on the land as a sign. The people all muttered angrily.
Patrick said: "Drive away the darkness." But the druid could not.
The saint then gave a blessing in prayer, and suddenly the dark-
ness was driven away and the sun shone. All the onlookers
shouted aloud and gave thanks. After this contest between the
druid and Patrick in the king's presence, the king said to them:
"Throw your books into water, and we shall venerate the one
whose books come out unscathed." Patrick answered, "I shall do
so." But the druid said, "I refuse to undergo a trial by water with
this man, for he considers water to be his God." (He had heard,
no doubt, that Patrick baptized with water.) So the king replied,
"Then agree to ordeal by fire." Patrick responded: "I am ready."
Again the druid refused, saying: "This man worships in alternate
yearsnow water, now fire as his God." And the saint said: "That
isnot true. But you go yourself, with one of my students, into a
divided and closed house. You shall wear my garment, and my
student will wear yours. Together you will both be set on fire and
be judged in the presence of the high God."
This plan was accepted, and a house was built for them, with
one half made of green wood and the other of dry wood. The druid
was sent into the green part of the house, with Patrick's robe round
him, and one of Patrick's students, a boy called Benignus, went
into the dry part of the house wearing the druid's cloak. The house
was closed up from the outside and was set on fire before the
whole crowd. And in that hour it so happened that, as Patrick
prayed, the fire's flames consumed the druid in the green half of
the house, leaving only Patrick's robe untouched by the fire.

186

I
Benignus, on the other hand, was more fortunate, as was the dry
half of the house. The fire did not touch him and brought him
neither pain nor discomfort. Only the cloak of the druid was burnt
in accordance with God's will.
And holy Patrick said to the king: "Unless you believe now,
you will die at once, for God's wrath will come down upon your
head." And the king was terrified, his heart trembling, as was his
entire city. So King Loiguire assembled the elders and all his
council and said to them, "It is better for me to believe than to die."
And on his followers' advice, he believed that day and turned to
the eternal Lord God, as did many others on that occasion.
Holy Patrick, following the Lord Jesus' command, left Tara,
and went forth to teach all peoples, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. He preached
everywhere, the Lord working with him and confirming his word
by the miracles that followed.

Patrick's Soul Friend, Victor

An angel used tocome to Patrick regularly on the seventh
day of every week. As one person talks to another, so Patrick
enjoyed the angel's conversation. Even when he had fallen into
captivity and spent six years in servitude, the angel came thirty
times to meet him, and he enjoyed the angel's counsels and their
conversations before he left Ireland as a young man. He used to
pray a hundred times during the day, and a hundred times during
the night. One day, when tending swine, he lost them; the angel
came to him and showed him where the swine were. One day after
the same angel had talked to him about many things he placed his
foot on the rock of Scirit, opposite Sliab Miss, and ascended in
Patrick's presence. The footprint of the angel remained in the rock.
That place, where the angel had spoken with him thirty times,
became a place of prayer where the faithful very joyfully obtained
the things for which they prayed.

Coroticus Is Punished for His Crimes

News had been brought to Patrick of a wicked act by a certain
British king named Coroticus, a cruel and evil ruler. This man had
no equal as a persecutor and murderer of Christians. Patrick tried
to call him back to the way of truth by a letter, but he scorned

187
Patrick's salutary exhortations. When this was reported to Patrick,
he prayed to the Lord and said, "My God, if it is possible, expel
this godless man from this world and from the next." Not much
time had elapsed after this when Coroticus heard somebody recite
a poem saying that he should abandon his royal throne, and all
the men who were dearest to him chimed in. Suddenly before their
eyes, in the middle of a public place, the king was ignominiously
changed into a fox, went off, and since that day and hour, like
water that flows away, was never seen again.

The Gift of Armagh

There was in the country of Airthir a rich and respected man
called Daire. Patrick asked him to give him some place for his
religious observances.The rich man said to the saint, "What place
do you want?" "I want you to give me that piece of high ground
called Willow Ridge, and I shall build a place there," answered
Patrick. The man refused to give the saint that high ground but
gave him another site on lower ground now called the Martyrs'
Graveyard near Armagh. Patrick lived there with his followers.
After some time a groom of Daire brought his remarkable
horse to graze in the Christians' grassy meadow. Patrick was
annoyed that the horse was brought onto his ground and said,
"Daire has acted stupidly in sending his brute beasts to disturb
the little ground that he gave to God." But the groom like a deaf
man did not hear, and like a dumb man not opening his mouth he
said nothing. He let the horse loose there for the night and went
away. When the groom came back the following morning to see
his horse, he found it dead. Returning home he sadly reported to
his master, "Look, that Christian has killed your horse, since the
disturbance annoyed him." Daire replied, "Let him be killed
too— go now and slay him."
But as they went outside death fell on Daire quick as a flash.
His wife said: "This death is because of the Christian. Someone go
quickly and have his blessings brought back to us, and you will
be saved; and let those who have gone off to kill him be stopped
and recalled." Two men went off to the Christian, and concealing
what had actually happened said to him, "Look, Daire has been
taken ill; let something be brought to him from you so that he may
be cured." St. Patrick, knowing what had happened, said, "To be
sure." He blessed some water and gave them it, saying, "Go,

188
sprinkle your horse with this water and take it with you." They
did so, and the horse came back to life. Then they sprinkled Daire
with the water and he was cured immediately.
Afterward Daire came to honor Patrick, bringing with him a
wonderful bronze bowl from across the sea. "Here is your bowl,"
he said to Patrick. "For you are a firm, steadfast man. What is
more, I give you, as far as it is mine to give, that piece of ground
you once requested; live there." That city is now called Armagh.

Patrick's Place of Resurrection

Now after these great marvels the day of Patrick's death and
of his going toheaven drew near. With his companions, he began
to goto Armagh in order that his resurrection might be there.
Beside the road, however, a bush was ablaze, but it did not burn
down, as had happened to Moses before. In the bush was the angel
Victor, who often used to visit Patrick. This Victor sent another
angel to Patrick to stop him from going where he wanted to go.
He said to him: "Why do you go on a journey without Victor's
guidance? Victor calls you. Change your route and go to him." So
Patrick changed his route as he had been told and asked what he
should do. The angel answered, "Return to the place from which
you came. It is there you shall die, and not in Armagh. But it has
been granted you by God that your dignity and your
preeminence, your piety and your teaching shall be in Armagh as
if you yourself were alive there." Patrick said:

It is Armagh that I love,

A deep thorpe, a dear hill,
A fortress which my soul haunts.
When the hour of his death approached, Patrick received the
sacrament from the hands of bishop Tassach for his journey to a
blessed life.

During the first night of his funeral rites angels kept the vigil
of his body with prayers and the singing of psalms. All those who
had come for the vigil slept on that night. During the other nights,
however, men watched by the body, saying prayers and singing
psalms. After the angels had returned to heaven they left behind
them a sweet scent as of honey and a fragrance of sweetness as of
wine, so as to fulfill what has been said in the benedictions of the

189
patriarch Jacob, "Behold, the scent of my son is like the scent of a
which the Lord has blessed."
fruitful field
The angel had told Patrick, "So that your relics will not be
removed from the ground, one cubit of earth will be placed on
your body." That this was done at the command of God was
shown when a church was being built above the body. The men
who dug up the ground saw fire burst forth from his tomb and
retreated in fear of the fiery flames.

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 c;
^ amthann. or Safan, was an important ab-
bess of the monastery at Clonbroney in Ireland. Some credit her
with the founding of that monastery, although one tradition gives
the credit to St. Patrick, while another says that St. Brigif s fol-
lowers accomplished it. A story found in a collection of writings
from the Monastery of Tallaght, outside of Dublin, shows that she
was a soul friend of Maelruain, one of the key leaders of the Celi
De, a reform movement of the eighth and ninth centuries that
sought to revitalize Celtic spirituality. We know little about
Samthann's early life, except that she was born in Ulster, that her
distinguished foster-father was a king of Ireland, and that she was
married before becoming a nun. When Samthann entered the
monastic community, her responsibilities included conducting
the financial affairs of the monastery. This office evidently gave
her the ability to be generous to the lepers and guests, pilgrims
and penitents who visited there, as well as members of her own
community.
Samthann's many abilities are referred to in the stories that
follow. She appears in dreams to offer direction and advice; she
has an ability to heal those who come to her for help; she goes into
an ecstatic state while praying for the soul of her friend Flann.
Above all, Samthann is portrayed as a woman of prayer, someone
who knocked frequently "at the doors of divine mercy."
Samthann died in 739. Nothing remains of her monastery
today, and there does not seem to be any local cult to honor her
name. For those who appreciate the soul friend tradition, how-
ever, Samthann continues to teach and guide by her example. Her
feast day is December 19.
 Samthann's Ancestry, Marriage,
and Decision to Become a Nun
Samthann's father's name was Diamramus, and her
mother's, Columba. As she matured her foster-father, Cridan,
king of the Ui Coirpri, gave her in marriage to a nobleman. Before
the marriage solemnities were celebrated, the nobleman saw at
midnight something like a ray of the sun extended through the
roof of the house onto the bed in which Samthann was sleeping
with the king's two daughters. Amazed by the unusual vision of
light at such an hour, he rose immediately and, advancing toward
his spouse's bed, found that her face was illumined by that ray.
He was very happy that he was gifted with a spouse who was
surrounded by heavenly light.
The following night, when the solemnities had been
celebrated, both were entering the marriage bed, as is customary,
when her husband said to her, "Undress yourself so that we may
become one." But she replied, "I ask you to wait until all who are
in this house are asleep." The husband agreed. After a short time
tiredness overcame him. Then Samthann gave herself to prayer,
knocking at the doors of divine mercy so that God might keep her
virginity unblemished. And God heard her prayer, for about
midnight that town in which they lived seemed to outsiders to be
on fire. A flame of extraordinary magnitude was seen ascending
from the mouth of the holy virgin to the roof of the house. A
mighty cry was raised outside in the town and those who were
asleep within were awakened. Together, they hastened to extin-
guish the fire.

In the meantime the holy virgin Samthann hid herself in a

cluster of ferns nearby. The fire vanished immediately without
doing any damage to the town. When morning came, her foster-
father, the king, set out to look for her. When he found her, she
said to the king, "Was your town burned last night?" The king
replied, "No." She said, "I thank God that it was not burned." Then
she spoke to the king again, "Why did you wish to give this poor
servant of the Almighty God to any spouse without her consent?"
The king replied, "All right, I will not give you to a man, but let
you be the judge." Samthann said, "This is my decision: as of now
you give me as a spouse to God and not to man." Then the king
said, "We offer you to God, the spouse whom you choose." Then

194
she,with her husband's permission, entered the monastery of the
virgin Cognat, where she remained for a time.

Samthann's Generosity
One day the holy virgin Samthann rose very early and heard
the voice of a certain leper at the other side of the pond. He was
asking in a loud voice to be brought across the water. Responding
to his wishes, the holy virgin guided a boat with her staff and
brought him across. Since he was complaining of his poverty and
lack of clothing, she gave him a cow with a calf and her cloak, as
though she were another St. Martin of Tours. When she asked him
from where he had come, he said that he had come from holy
Ultan's monastery. The cow and calf and cloak that leper received
were later found in the cattle shed.
On another occasion when she was the dispenser of the
goods of the monastery of Eamaidhe, ithappened that due to her
blessing a container of butter sufficed for the use of both nuns and
guests. A certain member of the community, newly converted
from the world, however, entered the cellar of the sisters. Sam-
thann did not know this. The novice saw the container of butter,
which was almost full, and said to herself, "This butter, it seems,
will never be totally diminished." When she had gone out, taking
the butter with her, the holy virgin Samthann entered that place
and found the container empty. She was very surprised upon
seeing it and wondered what could have happened. Filled with
prophetic insight, she said, "This place will never be wealthy."
And what she said of the place was truly fulfilled.

She Becomes Abbess of the Monastery at Clonbroney

At that time the holy virgin Funecha, reputed to be the
foundress of the monastery of Clonbroney, saw holy Samthann in
a dream in the form of a spark of fire which, as it approached,
sprang up into a great flame, burning the entire monastery. Relat-
ing the dream to her sisters, she explained it by saying, "Sam-
thann, burning with the fire of the Holy Spirit, will make this place
shine with the splendor of her miracles and the power of her
merits." So Funecha sent for Samthann and made her abbess of
her monastery.

195
 When Samthann had become abbess, she wished first to
build an oratory of smooth wood. So she sent carpenters and other
workmen to cut down trees in the forest nearby. While most of the
other workers had an abundance of food, one of the carpenters
had very little. He thought to himself: "Oh, if only we had forty
wheat loaves with butter, cheese, and milk! That supply would be
enough for all of us." The man was not denied any part of his wish,
for by the merits of Samthann, he saw all that he had wished for
appear before hirri. Then the servant of Christ said with a little
smile, "Was not your heart's desire fulfilled?" And he responded,
"Yes, there is neither too much nor too little." Then everyone was
fed adequately, and all gave thanks to God and to his servant.

The Power of Samthann' s Prayers

On another occasion holy Samthann sent messengers to a
certain king named Kennedy, who held a captive in chains. She
requested that he might free the man, but the proud king, despis-
ing her prayers, did not accede to them. Again she sent mes-
sengers, whom she had instructed, "If he will not allow the
prisoner to be freed from his chains, say to the captive, Tn the
name of the Holy Trinity, you will be loosed from your chains and
come safely to Samthann, the servant of the same Trinity.'" Since
the king remained obstinate in his impiety, they spoke to the
prisoner as the servant of Christ had commanded. His reply to
them was, "I believe that as she has said, so it will be." When the
king heard this, he doubled the chains on the prisoner, and the
following night he placed eight guards at the gate of the prison
and the same number at the gate of the town. At midnight the
prisoner, freed by divine help, arose. When he was passing the
first guards, they said to him, "Who are you, going about like

this?" He replied, "I am Fallamain, who was in chains" (that was

The guards
the prisoner's name). said to him, "Ifyou were that
man, you would not be appearing in public like that." Then the
former prisoner, in order to avoid the second watch, climbed over
a wall and escaped. On the third day, without the slightest harm,
he reached holy Samthann.
By the power of her prayer, the same virgin tamed beasts of
a nearby pond. They had previously caused havoc with people
and the flocks, but after that they did no more harm.

196
 The same virgin — with the help of only one cow — once fed
fiftyguests until they were completely satisfied. At the time she
had nothing else with which to feed them. Having prayed, the
holy virgin milked the cow and drew forth enough milk to quench
the thirst of that number of people.
On another occasion Samthann fed the abbot of Damlinis and
one himdred and forty others with a small amount of flour, which
she divided into two for a week.

The Death of Her Friend, Flann, and His Deliverance

There was a certain nobleman named Flann, son of Conla,
who spent much time studying with the holy servant of Christ,
Samthann. Whenever he was about to go to war, he would come
to her for a blessing or a prayer. One time the men of Connacht
attacked the men of Techua. Flann fought them, but he had not
sought Samthann's blessing beforehand and he was killed. At the
very hour when he died Samthann told her sisters of his death and
spoke these words, "Give yourselves immediately to prayer, for
now the soul of our friend Flann is being led by demons to painful
places." After saying this, she fell into an ecstasy. Waking up a little
later, she said to the nuns, "Render thanks to God because the soul

for whom you have prayed has been taken from torment to peace
through our prayers and God's immense compassion."

Samthann's Crozier
son of Fergal, king of Ireland, asked for the crozier
Niall, the
of the holy virgin that he might adorn it with gold and silver. But
since the wood was crooked and old, the craftsmen thought it
unfitting to ornament it. The following night the crozier was
placed against the wall over the king's bed. Due to the devotion
of the pious king and the merits of his servant Samthann, Christ
straightened the wood so that no trace of crookedness was seen
in it. The king rejoiced greatly because divine compassion had
done what human power could not do. After that the king himself
and his whole people held that crozier in the highest esteem.
On another occasion, as holy Samthann was returning from
the monastery named Granard to her own, she came upon an oak
tree of immense proportions. One of its branches grew across the
road so that people seated in a chariot could not pass. The holy

197
virgin placed her crozier against the obstacle, and laying it across
the branches, ordered them to recede. The branch causing difficul-
ties wound round the tree immediately, raised itself on high, and
provided them with an easy passage.

Samthann's Wisdom-Saying On Prayer

A certain monk once questioned Samthann about the way of
praying. He wondered whether a person should pray lying down,
sitting, or standing. She replied: "In every position, a person
should pray."

Samthann as Maelruain's Confessor

A certain itinerant peddlar in Munster in the time of Sam-
thann used to carry greetings from her to the Celi De (sons of life)
Once she called him to her and made him agree
in that country.
not to add to or take away a single word from the following
messages. Then she said to him: "Tell Maelruain for me that he is
my favorite among the clerics of the desert. Another thing, ask him
whether he accepts women for confession, and will he accept my
soul friendship?"
The peddlar took her message. But when he told Maelruain
that he was Samthann' s favorite, the monk rose at once and raised
both hands as in a cross and gave thanks to God, When the peddlar
asked him next whether women sought spiritual advice from him
and whether he would accept Samthann's soul friendship, he
blushed down to his breast and made three genuflections, then fell
silent for a long time. Then he said: "Tell her that I will seek spiritual
advice from her." Then the peddlar told all those sayings to Sam-
thann, and she said: "I think, something will come of that youth."

On Study, Pilgrimage, and Prayer

A certain teacher named Dairchellach once came to Sam-
thann and said: "I propose to give up study and give myself to
prayer." She replied, "What then can steady your mind and
prevent it from wandering, if you neglect spiritual study?" The
teacher continued, "I wish to go abroad on pilgrimage." She
replied: "If God cannot be found on this side of the sea, by all
means let us journey overseas. But since God is near to all those

198
who call on him, we have no need to cross the sea. The kingdom
of heaven can be reached from every land."

Her Outstanding Qualities and Death

These are but a few of Samthann's many wise sayings. For
who could relate all the things with which God enriched her? She
was filled wuth the grace of good works, adorned with the beauty
—
of all virtues, enriched by the good deeds of her whole life this
holy mistress of those under her, but the humblest servant to them
all. She was poor in spirit and in possessions. She refused to

possess lands and never had more than six cows. She was extreme-
ly careful in her charity to everyone but especially to those of her
own household. To give but one instance of this, she divided the
alms offered to her among the sisters. She so identified herself
with every cell of her community that no matter what number of
sisters were living together in each one, Samthann divided her
share with all. She was joyful in giving, shy in accepting, gentle in
compassion, mighty in helping. She never omitted an act of devo-
tion. And so in holiness and justice before her spouse, Christ, she
completed the course of her present life on December 19 and
received the crown God has prepared from eternity for those who
love him.
On the night on which she gave her soul to heaven, the holy
abbot Laserian saw with his eyes wide open two moons, one of
which came down to him. Remembering his request to her that
she bend toward him when she was going to the heavenly
kingdom, he recognized that she was in the form of a star. He said,
"Well done, faithful servant of God, Samthann, because you are
now about to enter the joy of your Lord and Spouse." Thus she
disappeared, ascending to heaven where she enjoys eternal life for
endless ages.

199
 Conclusion
God is glorious in his saints. *

The Voyage of St. Brendan

There is a painting in Florence, Italy, by the medieval artist Fra

Angelico entitled, "Entry of the Blessed into Paradise." Filled with
vibrant deep reds, blues, greens, and golds, the scene depicted is
that of saints and their angelic companions engaged in a joyful
circle dance. Holding each other by the hand, they move together
toward the radiant gates of the heavenly Jerusalem from which
golden beams of light emanate. The linkage of their hands symbol-
izes the common journey they are on and the friendship they share.
An aspect of the painting that may be overlooked initially is
the direction of the rays of light and what they shine upon. Passing
through two angels and illuminating a path in which the circle
dance can move, they fall directly upon a beautiful tree, filled with
ripened fruit. This tree appears similar to the tree Ciaran and Enda
saw in their vision so many centuries ago, growing in the middle
of Ireland and sheltering birds of the air.
For me, this splendid work of art with its powerful symbols
of light, circle dance, and sacred tree represents the wisdom of the
saints, all those holy people through the ages who have been —
and
are!— passionate in their pursuit of wisdom and the holy life. Abba
John, one of the desert Christians whom the people of the early
Celtic church so admired, compares the saints themselves to a
group of trees, "each bearing different fruit, but watered from the
same source." Poets have celebrated this holiness and wisdom,
equating it with great felicity, and acknowledging, as Dante does,
that "where this Love [of Wisdom] shines, all other loves grow
dim and almost spent."
This book has been about the wisdom of the Celtic saints, a
wisdom of the mind and heart originating in their spirituality and
Many of us today long for such
expressed in their soul friendships.
wisdom. We yearn for trustworthy guides who can point us in the
direction of genuine happiness and true fulfillment. We hunger,
at the deepest core of our being, for communion with others and
intimacy with God. The great spiritual traditions recognize this

201
human need, and they, as well as modem artists, playwrights,
writers, and psychologists, speak of the value of consulting ances-
tors in our search.
Black Elk, the Native American shaman mentioned earlier,
tells of praying to his grandfather in words reminiscent of Ciaran's

and Enda's vision: "Hear me, you who have the power to make
grow! Guide the people that they may be as blossoms on your holy
tree. Make it flourish deep in Mother Earth and make it full of
leaves and singing birds." Another holy man, St. Seraphim, a
nineteenth-century Russian staretz (spiritual guide), asked his
followers to visit him after his death: "Whatever is on your soul,
whatever may have happened to you, come to me as when I was
alive, and kneeling on the ground, cast all your bitterness upon
my grave. As you spoke to me when I was alive, do so now, for I
am living, and I shall be forever." Black playwright August Wilson
referred once in an interview to "blood memory" and how it can
help us in our work: "Just open yourself to it; when your back is
pressed to the wall, go to the deepest part of yourself, and there
will be a response: it' s your ancestors talking."
May Sarton alludes in her journals to "a kind of ocean depths
of memories" where "time past" and "time present" flow together
and the dead live on. So too Carl Jung speaks of "ancestral
components" that dwell within each of us and which we must
come to know if we are to escape what he calls "loss of soul." All
are in agreement that our ancestors can act as spiritual mentors,
teaching us about living gracefully and dying with less fear.
Christian Celts considered the saints, especially those na-
tive to Ireland and Britain, their oldest ancestors. They believed
that the saints were not only tribal protectors but family mem-
bers who cared for them from beyond the grave. These saints
were held up for imitation, not just as dead heroes who could
inspire, but as living soul friends to whom they could pray and
from whom they could receive ongoing guidance and support.
Theirs was a relationship of mutuality in which they sometimes
prayed for their departed relatives and at other times to them "as
if," the Rule of Columcille says, "every faithful dead were a

particular friend." This deep respect for the dead and love of
their ancestors was reflected in their "baptizing" the ancient
pagan Celtic feast of Samhain on November 1 into the great
Christian celebration of the Feast of All Saints. It is expressed

202
visually in the high crosses, with their wonderful images and stories in
stone. It is revealed in the hagiographies of the saints, written so long
ago in the monasteries of the early Celtic church, which can still teach
us about ultimate realties.
If we look closely at the stories and sayings of the saints found in this

book, we find that in their own way they constitute what Ita recom-
mended that Brendan learn: "the rule" of the Celtic saints. This rule cannot
be defined precisely for everyone, for it presupposes that Christians who
follow have, like the saints themselves, a great variety of personalities,
it

experiences, and gifts. It does not consist of a multitude of minute laws

or exhausting regulations, although it would certainly encourage the
development of such daily disciplines as those found among the early
Celtic Christians: proper diet, physical exercise, work, study, and prayer,
as well as time and leisure with one's family and friends. It is definitely
not about a new standard of perfectionism, which produces only in-
creased anxiety, guilt, or shame. Rather, what this rule consists of is one
of the simplest and hardest lessons of all: compassion, a profound respect
for and love of all creation, beginning with ourselves.
A person does not acquire this wisdom instantaneously as if it is

some new possession purchased off a shelf; one cannot gain it in total
isolation, for it involves, as Jesus taught us, relationships with self,

others, and God. It is a rule rooted in our spirituality and in our

friendships, and we must be patient with each other as we seek to live
by it. We need to let this rule grow gradually in us, as Kevin patiently
let the blackbird build her nest in his outstretched hand.
This rule of the Celtic saints can be learned firsthand by placing
ourselves in the presence of our spiritual ancestors and allowing them to
teach us by the example of their lives. By listening to their stories, we can
begin to identify and accept our own strengths and limitations, both as
God's gifts to us and as our gifts to our families, friends, and communities.
By being attentive to the stories of the saints, we can also start to acknow-
ledge and develop further those qualities we already possess and that the
saints' lives manifest:

• Aidan's grace of discretion and love of the poor;

• Brendan's collaborative nature and bravery in facing the unknown;
• Brigit's extraordinary compassion and willingness to serve those
whom no one else would touch;

203
 • Canair's prayerfulness and courage in challenging even a saintly
old man about the exclusion of women from full participation in
church life;

• Ciaran's great capacity for friendship and desire to share

what he had;
• Columcille's love of study and hospitality toward all creation, even
an exhausted crane;
• Cuthberf s passion for solitude and a tearful gentleness that al-
lowed others to open their hearts to him;
• David's and his monks' awareness that nothing can be called
"mine" or "thine";
• Ethne's and Fedelm's persistence in asking questions about God
and the ultimate meaning of their lives;
• Findbarr's ability to heal sicknesses of body and soul, surely be-
cause he was aware and accepting of his own;
• Hild's perceptiveness in seeing and helping Caedmon name and
claim his talents, the foundation of his creativity and ministry;
• la's placing her life in God's hands and letting go of the results;

• Ita's thirst for holiness and dedication to listening to her dreams;

• Kevin's appreciation of nature's beauty and willingness to leave his

solitary place for the sake of others;

• Maedoc's sensitivity to suffering and his giving himself permission

to grieve at the loss of a friend;

• Monesan's incessant longing for God, which took her to foreign

shores;
• Non's willingness to forgive and get on with her life;
• Patrick's openness to letting the spiritual realm, including angels,
lead him;
• Samthann's knocking frequently on "the doors of mercy."
Perhaps this quality of Samthann's is the most important lesson any
of us can learn from the Celtic saints: how significant prayer is and how
much it can change us and the quality of our lives. As all the saints' stories
reveal, miracles of transformation, healing, and forgiveness happened
preciselywhen each of them turned to God in prayer. It is in prayer that
we begin to discern the right direction to take when we are perplexed. It
is through prayer that we receive the courage to accomplish what God,

204
neighbor, and our deepest selves are calling us to do. It is when we pray
that we are able to surrender to a higher power one day at a time,
accepting whatever comes. It is the practice of prayer that can teach us
true wisdom, the wisdom of compassion, the wisdom of the heart.
With this compassion we come to realize that we cannot expect
ourselves to have all the qualities of the saints. After all, none of them was
perfect either, and each had his or her own demons that resulted in
sleepless nights and stressful days. No, the only expectation that should
be ours is that, like the saints and Jesus himself, we are willing to use what
—
we do have not for our own self-aggrandizement, but for the glory of
God and the service of God's people. As the saints discovered long ago,
marvelous things happen when we let go of our own need to control and
begin to live a little more with the wonder and trust associated with a
child.
To read the stories and sayings of the saints and to listen to them with
the heart is to rediscover the wisdom the early church already knew: being
a saint is the vocation to which we all are called, not just the "greats" who
lived long ago or those whom the church now canonizes or
officially
beatifies. Being a saint is simply centering our lives in God's and, through
our ministries, helping others discover that God's compassion and for-
giveness embrace everyone.
To on the lives of these early Celtic saints reveals
reflect prayerfully
that wisdom is — and nothing less — than knowledge of self,
nothing more
compassion for others, and friendship with God. If we cultivate those
qualities and relationships in our lives, Christ and the saints will truly live
in us, as we live in them.
The wisdom of those saints is still very much alive. Like the tiny
coracle boats of the Celtic missionaries skimming swiftly over the ocean
depths, they travel on in our dreams and our imagination. They give us
a rich vision of a more inclusive church, and perhaps new directions in
our own spirituality. They teach us the importance of friendship, and how
it is a vehicle to God. They challenge us to be attentive to and more trusting

of the gentle yet ever persistent call of God in our human experiences and
in our hearts.

205
 Bibliography of Primary Sources
and Recommended Readings

Allchin, A. M., and Esther De Waal. Threshold of Light: Prayers and Praises
from the Celtic Tradition. Templegate, 1988.
Bieler, Ludwig. Ireland: Harbinger of the Middle Ages. London: Oxford
University Press, 1963.
. The Patrician Texts in the Book of Armagh. Dublin: Dublin
Institute for Advanced Studies, 1979.

Bitel, Lisa. Isle of the Saints. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1990.
Bowen, E. G. The St. David of History. Aberystwyth: University College
of Wales, 1981.

Chadwick, Nora. The Age of the Saints in the Early Celtic Church. London:
Oxford University Press, 1961.
Colgrave, B., and Mynors, R.A.B., eds. Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the
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3 9999 02407 159 7

wisdomofcelticsaOOsell
wisdomofcelticsaOOsell
$10.95 ISBN: 0-87793-492-4

Wisdom of the Celtic Saints is the best straightforward

description of Celtic spirituality that it has ever been my
pleasure to read. The stories are delightful and Sellner's
introduction is an elegant little masterpiece.
Andrew Greeley
Wisdom of the Celtic Saints should be required reading for
Celts and non-Celts alike! Using all the scholarly tools at
his command, Sellner now makes the richness of this
tradition available to all with wit and grace.
Brother Patrick Hart
Editor, The Merton Annual
Sellner awakens us to the strength and wisdom of the men
and women who led the Celtic church and founded its
monastic colleges. Fm delighted to find here that their
supportive spiritual guidance can penetrate the veils of
time and space. Susan McLean-Keeney's artwork portrays
solid characters as she enters the spirit of the scribes and
illustrators in the Celtic monasteries.
Shirley Toulson, author
Celtic Journeys and The Celtic Alternative

"Listen with your hearts to the stories and sayings of these

Celtic saints," suggests Edward Sellner. "Allow them to become
spiritual mentors again, teaching contemporary! Christians
about soul friendship and about an ancient spiritual heritage."
Faithfully presenting the lives and legacies of tvN^enty Celtic
saints of the sixth to ninth centuries, he reveals their wisdom in
a way that can be understood and appreciated by contemporary
readers. With background material on the Celtic church, the
characteristics of its spirituality, the symbolism in the stories,
and the role of soul friends, readers will reap a rich harvest for
their own spiritual growth.
The stories recounted range from the well-known, like Patrick,
—
Brendan, and Brigit, to those less likely to be familiar Monesan,
Samthann and Aidan. Vivid portrait-illustratipns by Susan
McLean-Keeney add to the prayerful beauty of the book. We
can read these accounts both for the abiding truths they contain,
and for the enjoyment of good stories, well told.

AVE MARIA PRESS Notre Dame, Indiana 46556