—the probability of Colgan's conjecture will be
rendered
more apparent,bysuchsimilarityofnames.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v5
, cap.
2.
5° According to some old record, seen by Moroni.
^i According to Moroni's " Vita S.
f'^
and, as we are
192 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May io.
CHAPTERII.
ST. CATAI. DUS RAISES A YOUNG MAN TO LIl-E— HE INXURS THE ENMITY OF A CHIEF AND OF A KING—HE SUCCEEDS TO A CHIEFTANCY—HE IS APPOINTED BISHOP HIS CHURCH—CATALDUS SETS OUT ON A PILGRIMAGE TO JERUSALEM—ADMONI- TION FOR ANOTHER DESTINATION—HE ARRIVES IN ITALY—THE MIRACLES HE WROUGHT THERE CAUSED HIM TO BE NOMINATED BISHOP OF TARENTUM.
A sliort time after the performance of tliat miracle, to which alkision has been already made, a soldier's son died, in the flower of youth. His father brought the body, without assistance, to the Blessed Virgin's Church, that he might ask the prayers of Cathaldus, for a restoration to life. ' The saint had been engaged, at this time, in digging out foundations for the church, and with his own hands. ^ To end those passionate entreaties of the bereaved father, and those encomiums lavished on himself, he said : " Am I as God, that I can raise the dead from the grave ? " But, with firm faith, the soldier laid the bier on whicli his son's body rested, near the foundation ; when, either to avoid the man's importunity, or to preserve his own Inimility, Cathaldus resumed his interrupted labour. While thus engaged, he threw a portion of clay, taken from the foundation, over the dead body. The young man was imme- diately restored to life ;3 and, at once, he rushed forward to embrace his parent. Such was the joy manifested by both, that they remained for some time motionless, with wonder and delight, while tears of thanksgiving gushed from their eyes, and bedewed their cheeks. -* By the performance of such miracles, Cathaldus is said to have effected the conversion of many ;5 and, throughout the whole of Ireland none were left, who had not embraced the true religion, in consequence of God's grace working through hint. ^ But, finding his reign likely to be extinguished in the hearts of men, the devil de- vised a means, whereby our saint should be prevented from spreading Gospel truths, and even be removed from the scenes of his labour and usefulness.
We are told, that a chief, who is named Meltridis,^ had frequently excited against Cataldus the anger of the king, who ruled over that part of the country. ^ That soldier, whose son had been raised to life, unable to restrain his joy, brought the young man for inspection to the king,9 in that part of the country, andexplainedparticularsconnectedwiththemiraclewrought. Atthesame time, he told the king,'° a great number of people had been present, at Lismore,
Chapter ii. — ' See Petrus de Natalibus, cap. ii. , pp. 560, 561.
" Vita S. Cat. ildi. " lib. iv. , cap. 143. =^ John Juvenis says, " Erat dux ille Mel-
' See Joannes Juvenis, " De -Antiquitate tridis Dominus. "—" De Antiquitate et
et Varia Tarentinorum Fortuna," lib. viii. , cap. 2.
3 See " Officium S. Cataldi," Lect. iv.
* See Moroni's "Vita S. Cataldi," cap. iv.
s In the Officium S. Cataldi, it is said : " Cumque universam Rachan Provinciam prsedicatione ad Christi fidem perduxisset," &c. —Lect. v.
* Colgan remarks, that although St. Cath:ddus, by his leaining and holy labours, powerfully contributed towards the exten- sion of religion tiiroughout Ireland, yethe was not its first or jirincipal promoter. For, St. Patrick, and many other holy men, had stre- nuously laboured in this portion of Christ's vineyard, before our saint had been called to prosecute the work of God, in the same field. See "Acta Sanctorum Iliberniie," viii. Martii, n. 7, p. 555, and /M/. , Appendix
Varia Tarentinorum Fortuna," lib. viii. , cap. 2.
^ Bonaventure Moroni, in the Second Book of the " Cataldias," alludes to him, in these following verses :
" Sacras parlitur habenas
Bis senis bociis, quos, e tola Meltriade
lectos,
Egregia virtute amini diademata ncc-
tunt. "
9 Petrus de Natalibus ni. \kt's him King over all Ireland.
'"The Rev. Dr. Lanigan states, "if there be any truth in the matter, lie must have been rather n King of Munster. The same author as well as Moroni and others assign a very silly cause, not worth mentioning, for the king's displeasure. "—" Ecclesiastical Ilis-
——
May lo. j LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
193
towitnessit. Ascribingtheperformanceofthatmiracletomagic,"andfearing lest Catlialdus, taking advantage of his popularity, should aspire to possession of the kingdom, its ruler proceeded along the river, towards Lismore. " When he arrived there, he ordered our saint to be put in chains, and cast into a dark prison. '3 But, the Lord, who kept watch for the safety of His servant, sent two Angels to the king, by night, and to manifest the Divine will in his regard. '> The queen learned this secret, from an avowal he made, when, starting with fright out of sleep, a deep groan ensued. '^ One of those Angels appeared, with a drawn sword, his eyes and countenance threatening death totheprince; theother,inamildmanner,persuadedtheking,thatheshould release Cathaldus from confinement, and make him the successor of the chieftain Meltridis. '^ In a vain endeavour, to find some similitude for the name Meltridis in Munster, Colgan tells us about the people, called Clann- Moelidhra, in Leinster, deriving their name from a dynast, named Maelidhra. But, in their territory, no church called Rachan, Rathan, or Rathen, occurs. Hence, he is of opinion, that this was a name pertaining to the chieftain, called in the Life of St. Carthage, Malochtrige Dux Nan Desii, and by a change in the spelling converted into Meltridis, by the Italians. '7 Calling together the chiefs and councillors, to whom he related what occurred, the king asked their advice, as to the manner in which he should act. Mean- time, a messenger arrived with the news of Meltridis' death, '^ and with a request to the king, that he would name the person, who might be appointed as successor. Pondering awhile in silence, regarding his dream, the king said : " What need is there of counsel? why, my councillors, should that be referred to you, which is more manifest, than if it were confirmed by your decision ? Now, I am not deceived by dreamy illusions, but I recognise counsels of the Divine will, to contradict which would be an excess of folly. " On saying these words, he ordered Cathaldus to be brought before him, and then with tears, the king asked pardon for his former violence. He appointed Cathaldus as successor to the chieftain Meltridis, at the same time, although our saint felt extremely reluctant to assume this office. Contrary to the statement of the writer,'? who tells us, that Cathaldus was a Priest, at the period he commenced building the Blessed Virgin's Church, Moroni says, our saint was only a Deacon, when he had been appointed successor to Mel- tridis. ^" Unwilling to exchange his sacred office, for the administration of any temporal affairs entrusted to him, Cataldus was appointed Bishop, to the great joy of the king, who conferred the territory of Meltridis on his church, by a perpetual grant. Cathaldus is said to have divided this terri- tory, into twelve Bishoprics f' whilst, at the same time, his own seat had
tory of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xviii. , sect. xi. , n. 136, p. 126.
"See Petrus de Natalibus, "Vita S. Cataldi," lib. iv. , cap. 143.
" Colgan, who seems to credit this legend, says, that the king appears to have pro- ceeded towards Lismore, along the opposite bank of the Abhan-mor or Blackwater, or along its course, or, at least, from the south- em parts of Lagenia into Munster, and from the direction of Waterford. See "ActaSanc- torum Hibernioe," viii. Martii, n. 8, p. 555.
'3 See Moroni's " VitaS. Cataldi,"cap. vii.
'" See Officium S. Cataldi," Lect. v. Also, De Burgo's "Officia Propria Sanctorum Hi- bernise," viii. Martii. In Festo S. Cathaldi,
Vol. v. —No. 4.
Noct. ii. , Lect. iv. , p. 22.
'5 See Joannes Juvenis, "DeAntiquitate et
VariaTarentinorumFortuna,"lib. viii. ,cap. 2. '® A doubt exists, as to whether this was a proper name of the chieftain, or of the terri-
tory, subject to hnn.
'^ See " Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," viii. ,
Martii, nn. 9, 10, 11, pp. 555, 556.
'^ See Joannes Juvenis, " De Antiquitate, et Varia Tarentinorum Fortuna," lib. viii. ,
cap. 2.
'' See Petrus de Natalibus, " Vita S.
Cataldi," lib. iv. , cap. 143.
=° See Moroni's " Vita S. Cataldi," lib. i. ,
cap. viii.
=" See " Ofificium S. Cataldi," Lect. v.
N
194 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 10.
been erected into an Archiepiscopal See. *' The church, over which our saint presided, was named Rachan, according to his office,'3 and to the Life by Moroni. =^4
Various conjectures have been offered, regarding the location of the place so called. *5 The exact locality cannot now be identified, but probably, itwasnotfarfromLismore. '^ Itissaid,thatwhenCathaldgoverneditfor some time, he succeeded in bringing the people of the surrounding territory to a knowledge of the Christian faith, and to the practice of every virtue. Not being able to discover any city, town, or other place, bearing the name of Rachau, and existing at any time, in the province of Munster, or in the rest of Ireland, Colgan offers a conjecture, that owing to some mistake, Rachau '7 hasbeenwrittenforRathan,^^Ratha,orRathach. ^9 Hetellsus,thatinthe southern part of Meath province, and on the confines of Munster, a famous city and monastery existed at Rathan, or Rathen, from which St. Carthage and his monks had been driven, before the monastery of Lismore 3° was
founded. But, there are three other places, bearing the name Rathain, or Rathen, in the Desii country, within which Lismore was situated. One of thesehadbeennamedSen-Rathen,or"OldRathen. " Itisnowknownas Shanraghan, a parish, and a townland, in the Barony of Iffa and Offa West, in the county of Tipperary. s" This parish contains some fine scenery, and among the objects of interest is Shanbally Castle, with a fair demesne, the residence ofViscount Lismore. 3^ The old church—now in ruins, yet still sur- mounted by a square and comparatively modern belfry—presents some fea- tures, however, of considerable antiquity. 33 It is surrounded, likewise, with a
cemetery. The church was divided into a nave and choir ;34 but, it is now, in
" The Rev. Dr. Lanigan remarks, how it is ridiculously stated, that having obtained this wonderful grant of a whole principality, he divided it into twelve bishoprics, and raised Rachan to the rank of an archiepiscopal See. Perceiving the absurdity of this fable, in his edition of St. Cataldus' office. Bishop De Burgo has changed the bishoprics into pari>hes, and the archiepiscopate into a sim- ple bishopric. See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , cap. xviii. , sect, xi. , n. 138. p. 127.
=3 See "Officium S. Cataldi," Lect v.
'* See Moroni's "Vita S. Cataldi," cap. ix. '5 The BoUandists throw out a conjecture,
SanctorumHibernire,"Martiiviii. InFesto S. Cataldi, Noct. ii. , Lect. v. , p. 22. "This is not the only alteration he has made in said office, motu propio," remarks Dr. Lanigan, "andwithoutanysufficient authority. "
^^ It is remarked, that if for Rachau we read Rachen—the n, and u, being often interchanged in MSS.
—the probability of Colgan's conjecture will be rendered more apparent,bysuchsimilarityofnames. See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xviii. , sect, xi. , n. 131, p. 125.
°^ According to the Irish sound of th, Rathan is the same as Raglian or Rahan.
3° It would seem, the Anglicized form of this word, meant " the great fort. " The lios or lis was a circular enclosure, which the ancient Irish founders of monasteries—as in this instance—threw up around their habi-
that Rachan may have been the city of
Ragusa, in the province of Illyricum, as
Joannes Lucius, in his work on Dalmatia,
calls it " Ragusium et Rausium," and it is
added, " quasi Ragausium, ut inde Rachau tations. See Dr. Patrick W. Joyce's
potuisset formari. " However, this seems to
be abandoned as a rather improbable sup-
position, for reasons alleged in that passage.
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Maii x. vol. iii. , cap. xviii. , sect, xi. , n. 131, p. De Sancto Cataldo, &c. Inquisitio de . ^tate
et Gestis S. Cataldi in Vita, num. 4, p. 577.
"* See Dr. William Smith's and Henry Wace's " Dictionary of Christian Biogra- phy," vol. i. , p. 422.
'' When republishing the office of St. Cataldus, from the "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nioe," Dc Burgo ought not tohave thrust into the text Rathan, instead of Rachau, which
Colgan has preserved. See " Oflicia Propria
3^ Sec Lewis' " Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 552.
33 The accompanying illustration, from a sketch, by George V. Du Noyer, preserved among the Tipperary Sketches of Antiqui- ties in the Royal Irish Academy, vol. iv. , has been drawn on the wood, by William F. Wakeman, and this was engraved by Mrs. Millard.
'•i It is described, in " Letters containing
" Origin and History of Irish Names of Places," part iii. , chap. i. . pp. 261, 262.
3' See " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
May 10. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
appointed by our saint might have been among the number. 38 it is still more probable, however, that Sen Rathen, or Slianraghan, had been the city of Cathaldus, for this reason, that it was situated near Lismore, in accordance with what IS stated. 39 However, Colgan admits the claims of Rathcormaic
195
Another locality was known as Rath- cormaic ;3s and the third was named Rath-Ronain. 36 It is not unlikely that either of the two first-named places had been the See of Cathaldus, since Kathen of Meath might have been occupied, by our saint, after tlie expulsion ot Mochudda, or Carthage ;37 and, as many monks belonging to this place became Abbots and Bishops, in various parts of Ireland, those twelve bishops
many places, greatly dilapidated.
Shanraghan Old Church, County of Tipperary.
and Rath-Ronain, for the like reason. These three places are said, likewise, to have been comprised, within the territory of Meltridis, who was supposed to have been chief over the Desii, while Rathen of Meath could not have belonged to this chieftain. '*"
he be confounded with St. Cataldus ; since, not only are the parents of both distinct, the places for their death different, but all the
Information relative to the Antiquities of the
County of Tipperary, collected during the
progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1840,"
vol. i. , Letter of John O'Donovan, dated circumstances related in their respective
September, 5th, 1840, pp. 44 to 46.
3S This Colgan learned, through corres- pondence with Dr. Patrick Comerford,
Bishop of Lismore.
3* This is now a parish, in the Barony of Iffa
Acts show them to have been altogether distinguishable, so that he. wlio is called Car- thagus by the Irish, cannot be confounded with the saint, named Cathaldus, by the Italians.
3^ Such is Colgan's conjecture. See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernice," viii. Martii, n- 2, p. 555-
and Offa West, and it is shown on the " Ord-
nance Survey Townland Maps for the County
of Tipperary," sheets 76,77,82, 83. The 39 In his Life, by Moroni, lib. 1. ,
townland proper is marked on sheet 77.
37 His Life will be found, at the 14th of May, the day set apart for his feast. Nor can
cap. v. , vii.
<° See Colgan's " Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nise," viii. Martii, n. 2, p. 555.
196 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 10.
Having discharged the duties of his episcopate for some years, and with great fidehty to his trust, the saint resolved on undertaking a pilgrimage, to visit the Holy Sepulchre, at Jerusalem/' Having called together twelve bishops, he disclosed this design to them, while he com- mitted his flock to their charge. He embarked on board a vessel, while habited in a pilgrim's garb, and without a single attendant ; so that, as the author of his Life remarks, he could not be distinguished from any ordinary person, but for the majesty of his mein and a certain nobility of countenance, which are said to have characterized him. After many labours and dangers, he arrived at Jerusalem. There, he visited the Holy Sepulchre, and other places, which have been rendered illustrious, by the miracles and presence of Christ. He then came to a resolution, he would not return to his native country. Being desirous of leading a solitary life —one then much practised in the east —he besought the Almighty, with prayers and tears, that he might be per- mitted to spend his remaining days, in some lonely wood or hermitage of Palestine. He was anxious, also, to remove the burden of the pastoral office, and the care of souls, to other shoulders ; that thus, he might die on the soil, consecrated by our Saviour's forty days' fast, and among a people, where souvenirs of Christ's visible presence on earth might be found. -^^ But, the Lord had otherwise ordained ; for, whilst engaged in a recital of Matins, before the morning sun arose, Cataldus had a vision. 43 In this, the Deity ordered him to direct his course towards Tarentum, where the Apostles, St. Peter and St. Mark, had first laid a foundation for the Christian Religion.
Ever obedient to the Divine will, Cathaldus embarked on board a vessel, without any delay. When wafted out into the open sea, and not far from a port, at which he disembarked, he foretold the approach of a tempest. '** When this storm took place, contrary to general expectation, he appeased it by recurring to prayer. '^s A certain youth, who had ascended the mast to connect a broken cable, fell from his elevated position, and he was killed on the spot ; but, Cataldus afterwards restored him to life. *^ The accounts which follow, as found in most of his biographies, do not appear to be well connected; however, it seems somewhat improbable, that on his way from Ireland to Italy, Cataldus may have filled some distinguished positions, at Geneva, near
theLakeofLeman. Itisstated,^? thatasprelateandprofessorofthatcity, he was there venerated. ''^ Notwithstanding, this account wants further confir- mation, as also the supposition, that he had even travelled to the Holy Land. 9 Some persons were of opinion,5° that when Cataldus left Palestine for Italy, he had been accompanied by Euprepius s' —afterwards called Leuctius s^ Bishop of Brundusiuni, and by Barsanophrius,53 the Eremite. s-* However, as may easily be seen, their respective periods do not harmonize. It will only be sufficient to remark, that besides our saint having left Ireland, in the seventh
*' See "Officium S. Cataldi," Lect. v.
*^ See Moroni's " Vita S. Cataldi," lib. i. , cap. ix.
*3 Dempster says, "a Sancto Petro in somnis monitus," he set out for Italy. See " Historia Ecclesinstica Gentis Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 278, p. 164.
*•• See Joannes Juvenis, " Ue Antiquitate etVariaTarentinorumFonuna,"lib. viii. , cap. 2.
«s See " Officium S. Cataldi," Lect. v.
<* See Moroni's " Vita S. Cataldi," lib. i. , cap. X.
<7 By Raph. Volaterranus, in Commentar. Urban, lib. iii.
^ See Sir James Ware, " De Scriptoribus
HiberniK," lib. i. , cap. i. , p. 6.
*' This is stated, by Joannes Juvenis, in
" De Antiquitate, et Varia Tarentinorum Fortuna," lib. viii. , cap. 2.
5° According to Bartholomew JNIoroni.
s> His festival is kept, on the ilth of January. See " Martyrologium Romanum," at that date.
s-- jjelived,inthetimeofTheodosusthe Great, about A. D. 380.
ss His feast is kept, on the llth of April. See Les Petits Bollandistes, "Vies des Sainis," tomeiv. , xi^ jourd'Avril, p. 327.
s* \\^ lived about the time of Justinian, A. I). 584.
55 Thomas Dempster has published the
—
—
May io. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
197
century, those already named as his companions ss could not even have been contemporaries. Others say, that DonatuSjS^ who was the brother ofCatal- dus, came with him to Japygia,57 where he was made Bishop of Lupias ;5' while both lived eremitical lives together, at a little town, afterwards called by thenameofoursaint. S9 Ashavingcarefullyexaminedthem,Moroniremarks, that these accounts were not to be found, in the records of Tarentum church. However, this writer saw, near Lupias, an old citadel called Cataldus, with a church, and a small cave hollowed out, after the manner of a crypt. The Lupias people cherished a tradition, that our saint frequently prayed, and offered up the Holy Sacrifice of Mass in it. ^°
When Cataldus arrived in Italy, he is thought^' to have landed at
the mouth of a river, called by the inhabitants, St. Peter de Bibagna ;
owing to a tradition, that St. Peter the Apostle, on his way from Antioch to Rome, disembarked at this same place, Avhere he celebrated Mass in a chapel, which remained there, even to the seventeenth century. At that period, also, the ruins of a town, named Fellini, might be seen on the summit of a hill, near INLanduri; at which, when the saint approached on his way to Tarentum, he met a girl, tending a small flock by the wayside. Shewasdeafanddumb. ^* Ofthesefactsthesaintwasapprized,whenhe saw her inattentive to an enquiry he made, about the direct course to Taren- tum. Wherefore, he wrought a miracle in her favour, whereby she was restored to the use both of hearing and of speech . ^3 As the evening was about to close, this woman manifested her gratitude, by requesting the saint to remain in her house, until the day following. The news of this miracle having reached the people of Fellini, their veneration towards the servant of God was wonderfully increased ; and, it was manifested, in a manner most consoling to his heart, by their embracing truths of the Christian Religion. Cataldus
following Latin lines, on the Scottish Patron Saints of the Italian cities, and those verses are ascribed to Galcottus Picus, the excellent Prince of Miiandula. See his "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 278, pp. 164, 165 :
" Lux tenebras, aurum plumbum, sic Scotia leriien
Vincit, doctrina, religione, viris. Clara etenim Innocuo pietas est Ro-
mula pi imo,
Tu, Bonifaci, isto clarus in orbe
nites,
Cyriacus decorat sedem, atque exor-
nat eandem :
Multi alii proceres, purpureique
patres.
Inde Tarentinis pergit radiare Catal-
dus,
Donatus Lupios frater et inde
docet ;
Inde Columbanus Bobii fundamina
jecit,
Casta Fluentina Brigida in urbe
sonat,
Faesulae ab Andrea et Donato lumina
ducunt.
Sancte Faventinos Aemiliane beas,
Et Gunifortis Ticinum corpora gau- det,
. Clara domus Plint te, Gunibalde, canit.
Dempstero Veneti assurgunl, et bella loquuntur
Parthenopes Scotos maitia corda duces.
Lanea sus, Celebris dira olim clade Ravenna,
Laudem horum Tarrus sanguino- lentus habet.
Hos sanctos fortesque simul colit Ausonis ora. "
s* His feast occurs, at the 22nd of Oc- tober, where some account of him will be found.
s? The promontory of Japigia is at the south-eastern extremity of Italy, and shown on the ancient Map, in Rev. Fathers Catrou's and Rouille's " Roman History : with Notes Historical, Geographical, and Critical," &c. , vol. ii. , Book xvii. , p.
5° According to some old record, seen by Moroni.
^i According to Moroni's " Vita S.
f'^
and, as we are
192 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May io.
CHAPTERII.
ST. CATAI. DUS RAISES A YOUNG MAN TO LIl-E— HE INXURS THE ENMITY OF A CHIEF AND OF A KING—HE SUCCEEDS TO A CHIEFTANCY—HE IS APPOINTED BISHOP HIS CHURCH—CATALDUS SETS OUT ON A PILGRIMAGE TO JERUSALEM—ADMONI- TION FOR ANOTHER DESTINATION—HE ARRIVES IN ITALY—THE MIRACLES HE WROUGHT THERE CAUSED HIM TO BE NOMINATED BISHOP OF TARENTUM.
A sliort time after the performance of tliat miracle, to which alkision has been already made, a soldier's son died, in the flower of youth. His father brought the body, without assistance, to the Blessed Virgin's Church, that he might ask the prayers of Cathaldus, for a restoration to life. ' The saint had been engaged, at this time, in digging out foundations for the church, and with his own hands. ^ To end those passionate entreaties of the bereaved father, and those encomiums lavished on himself, he said : " Am I as God, that I can raise the dead from the grave ? " But, with firm faith, the soldier laid the bier on whicli his son's body rested, near the foundation ; when, either to avoid the man's importunity, or to preserve his own Inimility, Cathaldus resumed his interrupted labour. While thus engaged, he threw a portion of clay, taken from the foundation, over the dead body. The young man was imme- diately restored to life ;3 and, at once, he rushed forward to embrace his parent. Such was the joy manifested by both, that they remained for some time motionless, with wonder and delight, while tears of thanksgiving gushed from their eyes, and bedewed their cheeks. -* By the performance of such miracles, Cathaldus is said to have effected the conversion of many ;5 and, throughout the whole of Ireland none were left, who had not embraced the true religion, in consequence of God's grace working through hint. ^ But, finding his reign likely to be extinguished in the hearts of men, the devil de- vised a means, whereby our saint should be prevented from spreading Gospel truths, and even be removed from the scenes of his labour and usefulness.
We are told, that a chief, who is named Meltridis,^ had frequently excited against Cataldus the anger of the king, who ruled over that part of the country. ^ That soldier, whose son had been raised to life, unable to restrain his joy, brought the young man for inspection to the king,9 in that part of the country, andexplainedparticularsconnectedwiththemiraclewrought. Atthesame time, he told the king,'° a great number of people had been present, at Lismore,
Chapter ii. — ' See Petrus de Natalibus, cap. ii. , pp. 560, 561.
" Vita S. Cat. ildi. " lib. iv. , cap. 143. =^ John Juvenis says, " Erat dux ille Mel-
' See Joannes Juvenis, " De -Antiquitate tridis Dominus. "—" De Antiquitate et
et Varia Tarentinorum Fortuna," lib. viii. , cap. 2.
3 See " Officium S. Cataldi," Lect. iv.
* See Moroni's "Vita S. Cataldi," cap. iv.
s In the Officium S. Cataldi, it is said : " Cumque universam Rachan Provinciam prsedicatione ad Christi fidem perduxisset," &c. —Lect. v.
* Colgan remarks, that although St. Cath:ddus, by his leaining and holy labours, powerfully contributed towards the exten- sion of religion tiiroughout Ireland, yethe was not its first or jirincipal promoter. For, St. Patrick, and many other holy men, had stre- nuously laboured in this portion of Christ's vineyard, before our saint had been called to prosecute the work of God, in the same field. See "Acta Sanctorum Iliberniie," viii. Martii, n. 7, p. 555, and /M/. , Appendix
Varia Tarentinorum Fortuna," lib. viii. , cap. 2.
^ Bonaventure Moroni, in the Second Book of the " Cataldias," alludes to him, in these following verses :
" Sacras parlitur habenas
Bis senis bociis, quos, e tola Meltriade
lectos,
Egregia virtute amini diademata ncc-
tunt. "
9 Petrus de Natalibus ni. \kt's him King over all Ireland.
'"The Rev. Dr. Lanigan states, "if there be any truth in the matter, lie must have been rather n King of Munster. The same author as well as Moroni and others assign a very silly cause, not worth mentioning, for the king's displeasure. "—" Ecclesiastical Ilis-
——
May lo. j LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
193
towitnessit. Ascribingtheperformanceofthatmiracletomagic,"andfearing lest Catlialdus, taking advantage of his popularity, should aspire to possession of the kingdom, its ruler proceeded along the river, towards Lismore. " When he arrived there, he ordered our saint to be put in chains, and cast into a dark prison. '3 But, the Lord, who kept watch for the safety of His servant, sent two Angels to the king, by night, and to manifest the Divine will in his regard. '> The queen learned this secret, from an avowal he made, when, starting with fright out of sleep, a deep groan ensued. '^ One of those Angels appeared, with a drawn sword, his eyes and countenance threatening death totheprince; theother,inamildmanner,persuadedtheking,thatheshould release Cathaldus from confinement, and make him the successor of the chieftain Meltridis. '^ In a vain endeavour, to find some similitude for the name Meltridis in Munster, Colgan tells us about the people, called Clann- Moelidhra, in Leinster, deriving their name from a dynast, named Maelidhra. But, in their territory, no church called Rachan, Rathan, or Rathen, occurs. Hence, he is of opinion, that this was a name pertaining to the chieftain, called in the Life of St. Carthage, Malochtrige Dux Nan Desii, and by a change in the spelling converted into Meltridis, by the Italians. '7 Calling together the chiefs and councillors, to whom he related what occurred, the king asked their advice, as to the manner in which he should act. Mean- time, a messenger arrived with the news of Meltridis' death, '^ and with a request to the king, that he would name the person, who might be appointed as successor. Pondering awhile in silence, regarding his dream, the king said : " What need is there of counsel? why, my councillors, should that be referred to you, which is more manifest, than if it were confirmed by your decision ? Now, I am not deceived by dreamy illusions, but I recognise counsels of the Divine will, to contradict which would be an excess of folly. " On saying these words, he ordered Cathaldus to be brought before him, and then with tears, the king asked pardon for his former violence. He appointed Cathaldus as successor to the chieftain Meltridis, at the same time, although our saint felt extremely reluctant to assume this office. Contrary to the statement of the writer,'? who tells us, that Cathaldus was a Priest, at the period he commenced building the Blessed Virgin's Church, Moroni says, our saint was only a Deacon, when he had been appointed successor to Mel- tridis. ^" Unwilling to exchange his sacred office, for the administration of any temporal affairs entrusted to him, Cataldus was appointed Bishop, to the great joy of the king, who conferred the territory of Meltridis on his church, by a perpetual grant. Cathaldus is said to have divided this terri- tory, into twelve Bishoprics f' whilst, at the same time, his own seat had
tory of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xviii. , sect. xi. , n. 136, p. 126.
"See Petrus de Natalibus, "Vita S. Cataldi," lib. iv. , cap. 143.
" Colgan, who seems to credit this legend, says, that the king appears to have pro- ceeded towards Lismore, along the opposite bank of the Abhan-mor or Blackwater, or along its course, or, at least, from the south- em parts of Lagenia into Munster, and from the direction of Waterford. See "ActaSanc- torum Hibernioe," viii. Martii, n. 8, p. 555.
'3 See Moroni's " VitaS. Cataldi,"cap. vii.
'" See Officium S. Cataldi," Lect. v. Also, De Burgo's "Officia Propria Sanctorum Hi- bernise," viii. Martii. In Festo S. Cathaldi,
Vol. v. —No. 4.
Noct. ii. , Lect. iv. , p. 22.
'5 See Joannes Juvenis, "DeAntiquitate et
VariaTarentinorumFortuna,"lib. viii. ,cap. 2. '® A doubt exists, as to whether this was a proper name of the chieftain, or of the terri-
tory, subject to hnn.
'^ See " Acta Sanctorum Hibernise," viii. ,
Martii, nn. 9, 10, 11, pp. 555, 556.
'^ See Joannes Juvenis, " De Antiquitate, et Varia Tarentinorum Fortuna," lib. viii. ,
cap. 2.
'' See Petrus de Natalibus, " Vita S.
Cataldi," lib. iv. , cap. 143.
=° See Moroni's " Vita S. Cataldi," lib. i. ,
cap. viii.
=" See " Ofificium S. Cataldi," Lect. v.
N
194 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 10.
been erected into an Archiepiscopal See. *' The church, over which our saint presided, was named Rachan, according to his office,'3 and to the Life by Moroni. =^4
Various conjectures have been offered, regarding the location of the place so called. *5 The exact locality cannot now be identified, but probably, itwasnotfarfromLismore. '^ Itissaid,thatwhenCathaldgoverneditfor some time, he succeeded in bringing the people of the surrounding territory to a knowledge of the Christian faith, and to the practice of every virtue. Not being able to discover any city, town, or other place, bearing the name of Rachau, and existing at any time, in the province of Munster, or in the rest of Ireland, Colgan offers a conjecture, that owing to some mistake, Rachau '7 hasbeenwrittenforRathan,^^Ratha,orRathach. ^9 Hetellsus,thatinthe southern part of Meath province, and on the confines of Munster, a famous city and monastery existed at Rathan, or Rathen, from which St. Carthage and his monks had been driven, before the monastery of Lismore 3° was
founded. But, there are three other places, bearing the name Rathain, or Rathen, in the Desii country, within which Lismore was situated. One of thesehadbeennamedSen-Rathen,or"OldRathen. " Itisnowknownas Shanraghan, a parish, and a townland, in the Barony of Iffa and Offa West, in the county of Tipperary. s" This parish contains some fine scenery, and among the objects of interest is Shanbally Castle, with a fair demesne, the residence ofViscount Lismore. 3^ The old church—now in ruins, yet still sur- mounted by a square and comparatively modern belfry—presents some fea- tures, however, of considerable antiquity. 33 It is surrounded, likewise, with a
cemetery. The church was divided into a nave and choir ;34 but, it is now, in
" The Rev. Dr. Lanigan remarks, how it is ridiculously stated, that having obtained this wonderful grant of a whole principality, he divided it into twelve bishoprics, and raised Rachan to the rank of an archiepiscopal See. Perceiving the absurdity of this fable, in his edition of St. Cataldus' office. Bishop De Burgo has changed the bishoprics into pari>hes, and the archiepiscopate into a sim- ple bishopric. See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , cap. xviii. , sect, xi. , n. 138. p. 127.
=3 See "Officium S. Cataldi," Lect v.
'* See Moroni's "Vita S. Cataldi," cap. ix. '5 The BoUandists throw out a conjecture,
SanctorumHibernire,"Martiiviii. InFesto S. Cataldi, Noct. ii. , Lect. v. , p. 22. "This is not the only alteration he has made in said office, motu propio," remarks Dr. Lanigan, "andwithoutanysufficient authority. "
^^ It is remarked, that if for Rachau we read Rachen—the n, and u, being often interchanged in MSS.
—the probability of Colgan's conjecture will be rendered more apparent,bysuchsimilarityofnames. See "Ecclesiastical History of Ireland," vol. iii. , chap, xviii. , sect, xi. , n. 131, p. 125.
°^ According to the Irish sound of th, Rathan is the same as Raglian or Rahan.
3° It would seem, the Anglicized form of this word, meant " the great fort. " The lios or lis was a circular enclosure, which the ancient Irish founders of monasteries—as in this instance—threw up around their habi-
that Rachan may have been the city of
Ragusa, in the province of Illyricum, as
Joannes Lucius, in his work on Dalmatia,
calls it " Ragusium et Rausium," and it is
added, " quasi Ragausium, ut inde Rachau tations. See Dr. Patrick W. Joyce's
potuisset formari. " However, this seems to
be abandoned as a rather improbable sup-
position, for reasons alleged in that passage.
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , Maii x. vol. iii. , cap. xviii. , sect, xi. , n. 131, p. De Sancto Cataldo, &c. Inquisitio de . ^tate
et Gestis S. Cataldi in Vita, num. 4, p. 577.
"* See Dr. William Smith's and Henry Wace's " Dictionary of Christian Biogra- phy," vol. i. , p. 422.
'' When republishing the office of St. Cataldus, from the "Acta Sanctorum Hiber- nioe," Dc Burgo ought not tohave thrust into the text Rathan, instead of Rachau, which
Colgan has preserved. See " Oflicia Propria
3^ Sec Lewis' " Topographical Dictionary of Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 552.
33 The accompanying illustration, from a sketch, by George V. Du Noyer, preserved among the Tipperary Sketches of Antiqui- ties in the Royal Irish Academy, vol. iv. , has been drawn on the wood, by William F. Wakeman, and this was engraved by Mrs. Millard.
'•i It is described, in " Letters containing
" Origin and History of Irish Names of Places," part iii. , chap. i. . pp. 261, 262.
3' See " Ecclesiastical History of Ireland,"
May 10. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
appointed by our saint might have been among the number. 38 it is still more probable, however, that Sen Rathen, or Slianraghan, had been the city of Cathaldus, for this reason, that it was situated near Lismore, in accordance with what IS stated. 39 However, Colgan admits the claims of Rathcormaic
195
Another locality was known as Rath- cormaic ;3s and the third was named Rath-Ronain. 36 It is not unlikely that either of the two first-named places had been the See of Cathaldus, since Kathen of Meath might have been occupied, by our saint, after tlie expulsion ot Mochudda, or Carthage ;37 and, as many monks belonging to this place became Abbots and Bishops, in various parts of Ireland, those twelve bishops
many places, greatly dilapidated.
Shanraghan Old Church, County of Tipperary.
and Rath-Ronain, for the like reason. These three places are said, likewise, to have been comprised, within the territory of Meltridis, who was supposed to have been chief over the Desii, while Rathen of Meath could not have belonged to this chieftain. '*"
he be confounded with St. Cataldus ; since, not only are the parents of both distinct, the places for their death different, but all the
Information relative to the Antiquities of the
County of Tipperary, collected during the
progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1840,"
vol. i. , Letter of John O'Donovan, dated circumstances related in their respective
September, 5th, 1840, pp. 44 to 46.
3S This Colgan learned, through corres- pondence with Dr. Patrick Comerford,
Bishop of Lismore.
3* This is now a parish, in the Barony of Iffa
Acts show them to have been altogether distinguishable, so that he. wlio is called Car- thagus by the Irish, cannot be confounded with the saint, named Cathaldus, by the Italians.
3^ Such is Colgan's conjecture. See "Acta Sanctorum Hibernice," viii. Martii, n- 2, p. 555-
and Offa West, and it is shown on the " Ord-
nance Survey Townland Maps for the County
of Tipperary," sheets 76,77,82, 83. The 39 In his Life, by Moroni, lib. 1. ,
townland proper is marked on sheet 77.
37 His Life will be found, at the 14th of May, the day set apart for his feast. Nor can
cap. v. , vii.
<° See Colgan's " Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
nise," viii. Martii, n. 2, p. 555.
196 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [May 10.
Having discharged the duties of his episcopate for some years, and with great fidehty to his trust, the saint resolved on undertaking a pilgrimage, to visit the Holy Sepulchre, at Jerusalem/' Having called together twelve bishops, he disclosed this design to them, while he com- mitted his flock to their charge. He embarked on board a vessel, while habited in a pilgrim's garb, and without a single attendant ; so that, as the author of his Life remarks, he could not be distinguished from any ordinary person, but for the majesty of his mein and a certain nobility of countenance, which are said to have characterized him. After many labours and dangers, he arrived at Jerusalem. There, he visited the Holy Sepulchre, and other places, which have been rendered illustrious, by the miracles and presence of Christ. He then came to a resolution, he would not return to his native country. Being desirous of leading a solitary life —one then much practised in the east —he besought the Almighty, with prayers and tears, that he might be per- mitted to spend his remaining days, in some lonely wood or hermitage of Palestine. He was anxious, also, to remove the burden of the pastoral office, and the care of souls, to other shoulders ; that thus, he might die on the soil, consecrated by our Saviour's forty days' fast, and among a people, where souvenirs of Christ's visible presence on earth might be found. -^^ But, the Lord had otherwise ordained ; for, whilst engaged in a recital of Matins, before the morning sun arose, Cataldus had a vision. 43 In this, the Deity ordered him to direct his course towards Tarentum, where the Apostles, St. Peter and St. Mark, had first laid a foundation for the Christian Religion.
Ever obedient to the Divine will, Cathaldus embarked on board a vessel, without any delay. When wafted out into the open sea, and not far from a port, at which he disembarked, he foretold the approach of a tempest. '** When this storm took place, contrary to general expectation, he appeased it by recurring to prayer. '^s A certain youth, who had ascended the mast to connect a broken cable, fell from his elevated position, and he was killed on the spot ; but, Cataldus afterwards restored him to life. *^ The accounts which follow, as found in most of his biographies, do not appear to be well connected; however, it seems somewhat improbable, that on his way from Ireland to Italy, Cataldus may have filled some distinguished positions, at Geneva, near
theLakeofLeman. Itisstated,^? thatasprelateandprofessorofthatcity, he was there venerated. ''^ Notwithstanding, this account wants further confir- mation, as also the supposition, that he had even travelled to the Holy Land. 9 Some persons were of opinion,5° that when Cataldus left Palestine for Italy, he had been accompanied by Euprepius s' —afterwards called Leuctius s^ Bishop of Brundusiuni, and by Barsanophrius,53 the Eremite. s-* However, as may easily be seen, their respective periods do not harmonize. It will only be sufficient to remark, that besides our saint having left Ireland, in the seventh
*' See "Officium S. Cataldi," Lect. v.
*^ See Moroni's " Vita S. Cataldi," lib. i. , cap. ix.
*3 Dempster says, "a Sancto Petro in somnis monitus," he set out for Italy. See " Historia Ecclesinstica Gentis Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 278, p. 164.
*•• See Joannes Juvenis, " Ue Antiquitate etVariaTarentinorumFonuna,"lib. viii. , cap. 2.
«s See " Officium S. Cataldi," Lect. v.
<* See Moroni's " Vita S. Cataldi," lib. i. , cap. X.
<7 By Raph. Volaterranus, in Commentar. Urban, lib. iii.
^ See Sir James Ware, " De Scriptoribus
HiberniK," lib. i. , cap. i. , p. 6.
*' This is stated, by Joannes Juvenis, in
" De Antiquitate, et Varia Tarentinorum Fortuna," lib. viii. , cap. 2.
5° According to Bartholomew JNIoroni.
s> His festival is kept, on the ilth of January. See " Martyrologium Romanum," at that date.
s-- jjelived,inthetimeofTheodosusthe Great, about A. D. 380.
ss His feast is kept, on the llth of April. See Les Petits Bollandistes, "Vies des Sainis," tomeiv. , xi^ jourd'Avril, p. 327.
s* \\^ lived about the time of Justinian, A. I). 584.
55 Thomas Dempster has published the
—
—
May io. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
197
century, those already named as his companions ss could not even have been contemporaries. Others say, that DonatuSjS^ who was the brother ofCatal- dus, came with him to Japygia,57 where he was made Bishop of Lupias ;5' while both lived eremitical lives together, at a little town, afterwards called by thenameofoursaint. S9 Ashavingcarefullyexaminedthem,Moroniremarks, that these accounts were not to be found, in the records of Tarentum church. However, this writer saw, near Lupias, an old citadel called Cataldus, with a church, and a small cave hollowed out, after the manner of a crypt. The Lupias people cherished a tradition, that our saint frequently prayed, and offered up the Holy Sacrifice of Mass in it. ^°
When Cataldus arrived in Italy, he is thought^' to have landed at
the mouth of a river, called by the inhabitants, St. Peter de Bibagna ;
owing to a tradition, that St. Peter the Apostle, on his way from Antioch to Rome, disembarked at this same place, Avhere he celebrated Mass in a chapel, which remained there, even to the seventeenth century. At that period, also, the ruins of a town, named Fellini, might be seen on the summit of a hill, near INLanduri; at which, when the saint approached on his way to Tarentum, he met a girl, tending a small flock by the wayside. Shewasdeafanddumb. ^* Ofthesefactsthesaintwasapprized,whenhe saw her inattentive to an enquiry he made, about the direct course to Taren- tum. Wherefore, he wrought a miracle in her favour, whereby she was restored to the use both of hearing and of speech . ^3 As the evening was about to close, this woman manifested her gratitude, by requesting the saint to remain in her house, until the day following. The news of this miracle having reached the people of Fellini, their veneration towards the servant of God was wonderfully increased ; and, it was manifested, in a manner most consoling to his heart, by their embracing truths of the Christian Religion. Cataldus
following Latin lines, on the Scottish Patron Saints of the Italian cities, and those verses are ascribed to Galcottus Picus, the excellent Prince of Miiandula. See his "Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus i. , lib. iii. , num. 278, pp. 164, 165 :
" Lux tenebras, aurum plumbum, sic Scotia leriien
Vincit, doctrina, religione, viris. Clara etenim Innocuo pietas est Ro-
mula pi imo,
Tu, Bonifaci, isto clarus in orbe
nites,
Cyriacus decorat sedem, atque exor-
nat eandem :
Multi alii proceres, purpureique
patres.
Inde Tarentinis pergit radiare Catal-
dus,
Donatus Lupios frater et inde
docet ;
Inde Columbanus Bobii fundamina
jecit,
Casta Fluentina Brigida in urbe
sonat,
Faesulae ab Andrea et Donato lumina
ducunt.
Sancte Faventinos Aemiliane beas,
Et Gunifortis Ticinum corpora gau- det,
. Clara domus Plint te, Gunibalde, canit.
Dempstero Veneti assurgunl, et bella loquuntur
Parthenopes Scotos maitia corda duces.
Lanea sus, Celebris dira olim clade Ravenna,
Laudem horum Tarrus sanguino- lentus habet.
Hos sanctos fortesque simul colit Ausonis ora. "
s* His feast occurs, at the 22nd of Oc- tober, where some account of him will be found.
s? The promontory of Japigia is at the south-eastern extremity of Italy, and shown on the ancient Map, in Rev. Fathers Catrou's and Rouille's " Roman History : with Notes Historical, Geographical, and Critical," &c. , vol. ii. , Book xvii. , p.
