April 5 St. Derfel Gadarn

Another Welch saint known mostly for who he was related to – various kings and saints. A soldier turned hermit, there are two outstanding facts about St. Derfel –

A wooden statue of St. Derfel on horseback, much beloved by the parish at Llanderfel, was used as the funeral pyre for Blessed John Forest.

Oliver Cromwell personally destroyed his relics.

March 21 St. Enda of Arran and St. Fanchea of Rossory

These two are brother and sister Irish royalty in 500s. St. Facnchea was called early to religious life. She founded a convent in Rossery and was the first abbess. She was a bit if a big sister, knowing what was best for her little brother.

An Irish prince, St. Edna was the son of King Conall Derg of Ergall Ulster. Brother-in-law to King Oengus of Munster, Ireland. He trained as a soldier as a young man and took over the throne upon his father’s death, but gave up his dreams of conquest to marry and settle in as the next king. Big sister Franchea set him up with a beautiful young virgin, but she died after the pledge had been made but before St. Enda could lay eyes on her. Upon arriving at her deathbed, St. Fanchea  conducted her brother to her bedside. Uncovering the departed maiden’s features, Fanchea exclaimed, “Look now upon the face of her whom thou hast desired.” Enda, struck with horror, cried out, “It is at present sadly pale and ghastly.” “And so shall your features hereafter be,” replied the dead virgin. Then Fanchea spoke to him regarding the pains of Hell, and dwelt also on the joys of Heaven, until the young man burst into tears. The trauma and of the lecture by his older sister besides the talking corpse threw St. Edna into a period of despair.  His dear sister, not so gently, suggested maybe becoming a priest would cure him of his dark emotions. She sent him to her choice of seminaries – Rosnat Monastery in Britain. It is said that on the day that he would leave, a strange man came to him in a vision and told him of an isle where he would find peace, Innish. He made a pilgrimage to Rome and was finally ordained there. On a visit to see her baby brother in Britain, St. Fanchea decided it was time for St. Edna to move yet again. Big Sis advised that as God had gifted him with talents, he ought to exercise these among the people of his native land, and thus enhance doubly their value. St. Edna was a dutiful little brother (very hard to find amongst Irish families) and did as his sister wished.
Returning to Ireland, Enda built churches at Drogheda, and a monastery in the Boyne valley. Thereafter (about 484) he begged his brother-in-law, the King Oengus of Munster, to let him go to the wild and barren isle of Innish in Galway Bay. Oengus wanted to give him a fertile plot in the Golden Vale, but Innish suited Enda’s ideal for religious life. It was in the Aran Islands that St. Edna’s legacy came into being. St. Fanchea had recently died, so he was free to set up the monastery however he wanted.  Enda divided the island of Innish into 8 parts, in each of which he built a “place of refuge”, and under his rule the abbey of St. Enda became a burning light of sanctity for centuries in Western Europe.  These structures were the chosen home of a group of poor and devoted men under Saint Enda. He taught them to love the hard rock, the dripping cave, and the barren earth swept by the western gales. They were “men of the caves”, and “also men of the Cross”.

Some of the people who spent time in prayer living on Innish included Saint Ciaran of Clonmacnoise, who came there first as a youth to grind corn, and would have remained there for life but for Enda’s insistence that his true work lay elsewhere, reluctant though he was to part with him; Saint Finnian, who left St Enda and founded the monastery of Moville (where Saint Columba spent part of his youth) and who afterwards became bishop of Lucca in Tuscany, Italy; Among them also was Saint Brendan the Voyager, Saint Columba of Iona, Jarlathof Tuam, and Carthach the Elder. These and many others formed a great and valiant company who spent time in the beehives and caves establish by St. Edna.

When Saint Brendan returned from his travels far to the West, his first stop was Innish.  He presented the only gift he bought back from his travels, a stone with an eye carved on one end and a rune on the other. Legend has it was given him by a dwarf far to the West. This stone floats if placed on water and the gem points to the Last Isle of the West. The rune is a variant of the Norse Reith rune which resembles the letter r. This is called the “Styrimathr” (STEE-ri-mah-thur) meaning in Norse “the Captain of the Seas path”. It has been continuously carried from then until today,  in a small silk purse by the Abbot of the Abbey of St. Enda.

The two siblings, so connected in life, both died on March 21, though in different years.

Sie Note #1: For those familiar with Irish history, Padraig Pearse named his National School after St. Edna. (Scoil Éanna in Gaelic)

Side Note #2: For those interested in modern hermits and monk on Innishmore today, it is worth reading the web page of Dara Mollow.

March 10 Saint John Ogilvie

I have a small confession. I have a slight bend to sarcasm. It tends to sneak out at importune times, embarrassing my loved ones. As a result I have a soft spot in my heart for those of similar bent. My second confession of the day, I have little emotional response to people’s last words. The softly spoken words of love and devotion leave me cold. When reading fiction, I often stop reading the book when the author resorts to such writing.

All this confessing leads me to my new found love of St. John Ogilvie. He was a Scotsman raised in a wealthy, Calvinist family around 1600. He converted to Catholicism, moved to France and joined the Jesuits. While serving in France, Catholics in Scotland were being massacred. When they had laid waste to the Catholic followers, they focused on the priest trying to minister to the remaining faithful. Priests and believers begged for the Jesuits to send priests but warned they must be strong to face the dangers of the job. St. John requested for years to return to his homeland. After being repeatedly denied, he finally made his case before the Jesuit Superior and was granted permission to serve in Scotland.

He lasted 11 months, disguising himself as a soldier named Watson. When finally betrayed he was tortured to get the names of others priests and organizers. He became known for taunting his torturers. “Your threats cheer me; I mind them no more than the cackling of geese.” is one of his famous one liners. When asked if he feared to die, he responded with “No more than you do to dine.”. His sarcasm and dark humor so amused the Scottish judges, it took three trials before they were able to convict him with a straight face. He was finally convicted of treason for being loyal to the Pope, and denying the king‘s supremacy in spiritual matters. His dying words?  “If there be here any hidden Roman Catholics, let them pray for me but the prayers of heretics I will not have”.

January 30 St. Adelelmus

Patron Saint of Manservants

St. Adelelmus started his life as a soldier for France. On a business trip to Rome he met St. Robert at Chaise-Dieu Monestary. After retiring from military life, he became a Benedictine monk. He became known as a bit of a miracle worker, catching the attention of Constance of Burgundy, Queen of Castile. She and her hubby built St. Adelemus a nice monastery in Burgos, Spain. He added a hospital and a church.

Legends has it that one dark and stormy night, St. Adelelmus and an aide were out on Holy Business. St. Adelelmus asked the aide to light a candle to light the way. The aide was able to both light the candle in the driving rain and keep it lit until they finished their Holy Business.

I have developed my own prayer to St. Adelelmus. One that should be recited by housewives around the world:

St. Adelemus, pray for me, who is so overworked. Pray for me, that I may finally receive the consolations and the succour of Heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly in completing housework. Grant me family and companions who take joy in removing my burdens, providing light in my darkness.  I pray through Christ Our Lord. Amen

January 20 St. Sebastian

Patron Saint of Acireale,Italy; against cattle disease; against enemies of religion; against plague; archers; armourers; arrowsmiths; athletes; Bacolod, Philippines diocese; bookbinders; Borgonuovo-Pontecchio, Italy; Bracciano, Italy; Caserta, Italy; Castel Gandolfo, Italy; Cropani,Italy; diseased cattle; dying people; fletchers; Gallipoli, Italy; gardeners; Grondona, Italy; gunsmiths; Huelva, Spain; Hünxe, Germany; hardware stores; ironmongers; La Seu d’Urgell, Spain; lace makers; lace workers; lead workers; stone masons; Palma, Spain; Mallorca, Spain; plague victims; police officers; Pontifical Swiss Guards; Qormi, Malta; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Rocca Priora Italy; Puerto Rico; Savigliano, Italy; Solarolo, Italy; soldiers; stonecutters; Tarlac, Philippines diocese.

That is quite the list. There is a reason. St. Sebastian lived during the rule of the Roman Emperor Diocletian in the late 200s. This was one of those times where thousands were murdered for being Christian. Long lists of martyrs and gruesome deaths. But St. Sebastian was no ordinary Joe Schmoe. He was from a wealthy family, good looking, the Roman ideal. A soldier who was making his way up through the ranks. A golden boy. He had been noticed by Diocletian himself. When he converted to Christianity, he kept his job, and upward mobility, but in his spare time he took food and creature comforts to those Christians imprisoned in Rome. Given the paranoia and fear in the upper levels of the government and military during this period, it was only a matter of time before he was discovered. Diocletian had him tied to a tree and shot him with arrows. He was left to die. But he didn’t die. He survived. After a lengthy recovery, he decided to go to Diocletian to discuss his new-found religion. The Emperor couldn’t believe his good fortune that one of his failed murder attempts walked into his office unarmed. He promptly had St. Sebastian beaten to death.

Fast forward a few short years. There is a new emperor,the great Constantine the First. Christianity is now in style. Where to find an ideal Roman example when Romans have been taught to fear and hate Christians? Why the Golden Boy, the perfect example of the ideal Roman, Sebastian! The PR campaign soon had everyone clamoring to claim Sebastian as their own. From towns to careers to diseased cows – they all wanted a piece of him. Constantine was no dummy. He knew a great ad campaign for his new religion. Sebastian once again became the golden boy of an emperor.

Some of the patronages make sense – arrows, armourers, dying people, fletchers (ok, had to look that one up. They are arrow makers). All part of his life story. There is a reason for the plague. People suffering from the Black Plague often compared it to being shot with arrows. But hardware stores?