Perhaps, the view from this hill, whence we can trace the lake of Bourget and its shores, recalled to him his distant island home, and his beloved flock ; and his fatherly heart
transported
itself in
spirit to the dear flock confided to him, which
he would never more see.
spirit to the dear flock confided to him, which
he would never more see.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v6
This office Conchovar filled for five whole years, during which time, hewasoccupiedininstructingthereligiousconnectedwithhisorder.
Suchwas his merit, that at the end of that period, he was named Abbot of the Church of St.
Peter and St.
Paul.
It is said, he was attached to the Cathedral at Armagh, while he was considered the most eligible person to fill this post.
It required a man, entirely devoted to the service of God, and one who took every means to instruct people committed to his charge, in the duties of our holy religion.
As Cornelius was thirty-two years of age, at the time of the SynodofKells3I—in1152—wheresomanyabbotsandpriorsassisted,it is most probable, that he was present, as Abbot of Armagh.
It appears to be cer- tain, that the Abbot of Armagh must have been present, also, at the Synod of Clane, in the county of Kildare, and which was held by Gelasius in 1 162.
This
wasattendedbytwenty-sixbishops,manyabbotsandotherclergymen. There a famous decree was enacted, with the unanimous consent of the Synod, that for the future, no one should be admitted as a professor or teacher of theo- logy, in any church throughout Ireland, who should not be approved of for that office, by the great school at Armagh.
The Life of St. Concord then tells us, that during the time our saint was
Abbot, Henry II. , King of England, added Ireland to his dominions, in the year n7i;32 and, that this king had a council convened at Cashel,3* in
1172,34 by the authority of Pope Alexander III. , then the reigning Pontiff. 3 s This the English monarch procured, chiefly through motives of civil polity. 36
The Legate who presided over the Synod of Cashel in n 72 was Christian, Bishop of Lismore. The council was composed of a Legate, three Arch-
bishops,twenty-eightBishops,withseveralAbbots,PriorsandDeans. The Life says, that in this council, Cornelius, who was remarkable for his eminent virtues, and who had spent his days and nights in meditation on what should be done to promote the glory of God and the salvation of his neighbour, found no difficulty in uniting all the votes of the Bishops and others, who composedthecouncil; forhissentimentaloneprevailed,anditwasconfirmed bythePope. 37 ItistrueasmentionedinthisLife,thattherewerebutthree Archbishops at the Synod of Cashel, for Gelasius, the Primate, was not there; and if he absented himself through an unwillingness to favour the progress of Henry, we might not expect to find Cornelius there either; but, if the absence of Gelasius was owing to his age and infirmities, and that he waited on Henry in of what had been done in the
Synod,3
8 then we suppose, that not only Cornelius was present, but also that he represented there Gelasius, which circumstance must have added considerably to his
Dublin, approving
may
bery, in supposing that Cardinal Paparopre- sided over the Synod of Cashel, or that he was in Ireland at all, at that time. The Car- dinal had presided over the Synod of Kells in 1 152, and he left Ireland very soon afterwards.
32 See account of these proceedings, in Rev. Sylvester Malone's "Church History of Ireland," chap, ii. , pp. 34 to 56.
33 The MostRev. Dr. Dixon hasthefollow-
note "Wemust
ing atthispassage : observe,
that the Life here speaks of two Councils, one at Cashel and another at Armagh, and that it assigns the same number of Bishops to both, and the same influence to Cornelius in both. I cannot find any reference in our Irish his- torians to this Synod at Armagh. At that
time, Henry's power was hardly recognised in the North. "
in Sir Harris Nicolas'
"
Chronology of His-
34
Incorrectly placed at November, 1 171,
tory," p. 248.
3S He presided over the Church from A. D.
1159101181. See ibid. , p. 208.
3° See Rev. M. J. Brenan's "Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," Twelfth Century, chap. iii. , pp. 277 to 279.
3? See Most Rev. Dr. Dixon's "The Blessed Cornelius," &c, chap, xii. , and note, pp. 96, 97.
38 As Giraldus Cambrensis informs us. See "Opera Omnia," vol. v. , edited by Dimock, Expugnatio Hibernica, lib. i. , cap. xviii. , p. 283.
39 See Harris' Ware, vol. "
i. , Archbishops
of Armagh," p. 61.
*° See an account of him, in the Third
Volume of this work, at the 27th of March, Art. i.
June 4. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 101
influence at the council. In the year 11 74, and on the 27th of Marches St. Gelasius,40 Primate of Ireland, and Archbishop of Armagh, died. To
replace this great prelate, Concord was selected, to the great satisfaction of
thewholekingdom. Onatablet,atLemenc,thereisatitleandhymnwhere
St. Concord, Bishop and Confessor is called Presul or Archiepiscopus
1
Yllandiae j*
but, this latter word is evidently a mistaken spelling. According
to a supposition of the " Fullienses,"42 Yllandia, whereof Concord is called
Archbishop, means Iceland ; but, Father Papebroke « observes, that the
term is intended to express Irlandia or Ireland. 44 Besides, in the series of
Icelandic or northern bishops carefully compiled, 45 no mention of a Con-
cord can be found. 46 According to the traditions in the Church of Savoy,
Cornelius —in Celtic Conchoard and from which Concord is derived—was the
fifty-fifthPontiffplacedovertheChurchofArmagh. Afterdirectingatten-
tion to some things, which tend to determine that period, at which the holy man
lived, Father Papebroke says, that Ware and Colgan do not mention any
Concord, in their lists of Irish Archbishops 4? but, it is clear from this, the ;
learned Bollandist did not recognise Blessed Concord by that name, which Colgan 48 or Ware 4? gives him.
CHAPTER II.
MINISTRATION OF THE CHURCH AT ARMAGH BY ST. CONCORD—HE VISITS ROME—HE RETURNS TO IRELAND BY WAY OF SAVOY AND CHAMBERY—HIS PIOUS ACTIONS
WHILE LIVING THERE—
OF SAVOY—THE RELICS AND SHRINE OF ST. CONCORD—HONOURS PAID TO HIS MEMORY IN 1854—VISIT OF MOST REV. JOSEPH DIXON, ARCHBISHOP OF ARMAGH, TO CHAMBERY, WHENCE HE PROCURES RELICS OF HIS SAINTED PREDECESSOR WHICH ARE BROUGHT TO IRELAND—CONCLUSION.
HIS DEATH—
HIS VENERATION BY THE PEOPLE SUBSEQUENT
Being elevated to the dignity of Archbishop, the splendour of his virtues shone forth with remarkable brilliancy ; and, he fulfilled the duties of his sacred office, with all the zeal, prudence, virtue and charity, required by St. Paul, in a Bishop. The people of Chambery say, St. Concord suffered much from the persecution of a particular family in Ireland. This family is sup-
posed to have been the one, that usurped the temporal possessions of Armagh
See, for so long a period, until an end had been put to their domination, by
holy Archbishop Celsus, himself a member of that same family. St. Malachy
O'M 1 the successor of suffered much from their unhallowed orgair, also, Celsus,
4! SeetheBollandists'"ActaSanctorum,"
tomus i. , Junii iii. De S. Concorde Epis-
copo, &c, num. 3, 4, p. 413.
42
year 1250. cap.
43 He declares, that this opinion is quite untenable, because we have a most accurate list of Icelandic bishops, down to 1525 ; while none of them can be found, bearing
the name Concord. What he deems
per-
fectly conclusive on this point, is the fact,
that no archbishop can be discovered, among
the entire number.
44
4=IntheAtlantisBlaviani,tomusi. , inter
Hyparctica, p. 46, et seq.
46 First, the bishops of Schalholtensis are
enumerated from and those 1056, secondly,
of Hollensis, from 110710 1525.
*7 concludes his notice, con- Papebroke
cerning the Blessed Prelate, by saying, that he leaves all the rest, about his See and the time in which he flourished, to the investi- gation of learned Irishmen.
48 The titles — him to this man, given by holy
They quote Arngrim Jones Islandise," which brings the lists of bishops there down to the See x.
" Historia
and afterwards Archbishop of Armagh.
4» Ware calls this Archbishop, Cornelius, Primacy was in the Church of Armagh. or Concobar Mac-Concalede. See Harris'
Until the year 11 52, Archbishops were not recognised in Ireland, although the
Then four Archbishops were created in the Synod of Kells, as related in the ancient Book of Clonenagh.
Ware, vol. i. , "Archbishops of Armagh,' p. 61.
writers Cor- —Mac Conchailleaah, Abbot of the Monastery of SS. Peter and Paul, at Armagh,
are Concho var called by Latin nelius
Chapter 11. —
*
See his Life, at the
3rd
io2
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[June 4
it to make some reforms in the
discipline his church, through humility and diffidence in his own judgment, or in the extent of his jurisdiction, Concord would not presume to effect these changes, without visiting Rome, and consulting the Pope, Alexander III. In con-
sequence, he set out for the City of the Soul, where he arrived on the 16th of
January, 1 1 76. 3 Being fully informed regarding the piety of this Archbishop, and about his zeal in the furtherance of religion, Pope Alexander at once
granted the object of his petition, by saying to him : "You have hitherto devoted your life to the happiness of the people ; for this, you shall reap its fruits in the experience of an eternal happiness, which is to reward your
fidelityinstrengtheningtheCatholicreligionontheruinsofheresy. "4 Having obtained what concessions he demanded, Concord prepared for a return to
his diocese.
On his way home, he travelled over the mountains, along the route to Savoy,
which takes its name from the Latin Sabaadia, a country anciently inhabited by
theCeltes,andlyingbetweenFranceandItalyamongtheAlps. TheholyArch- bishop had resolved on visiting Camberium or Camberiac—um. s The Almighty
2
pretensions. Finding necessary
of
or Ciamberi as written Italians the capital of Savoy duchy, he should stop in that city, which stands in a fertile plain, near the confluence of the River Leysse with the rivuletOrbanne. Itis environedwithgentleeminencescoveredwithvine- yards, and having the Alps in the background. 6 There the dukes of Savoy resided, before the removal of their seat of government to Turin, and the French held possession of it from 1792 to 1815. During this period, it was the capital of Mont Blanc Department. 7 This western slope of the Alps has been ceded to France in i860. The ancient castle and its cathedral are objects
of interest in 8 The chosen for St. Concord's Chambery. place temporary
sojourn was at St. Peter's monastery of Lemenc, near that city . 9 According to one account,10 it was founded by a colony from a monastery in Lyons, called Athanacum. The Church of St. Peter at Lemenc, attached to the monastery,wasthenservedbyeightyBenedictines. 11 ThePriorandbrethren
—that in
decreed, passing by Chambery,
by
the
of November, vol. xi. , of this work, Art. i.
6
SeeFullarton's "Gazetteer of the World," vol. iii. , p. 445.
7 See Grillet's " Dictionnaire Historique
du Department du Mont Blanc et du
Leman," two vols. , published in 1807, 8vo. 8 See Elisee Reclus' " Nouvelle Geogra-
phie Universelle," tome ii. , liv. ii. , chap, iii. , sect, vi. , p. 342.
2
It is not at all improbable, that the efforts
to regain possession of those temporalities survived the times of St. Malachy, and con- tinued during the episcopacy of his sue- cessors, St. Gelasius and St. Concord.
3 The Most Rev. Dr. Dixon subjoins, as a
note to this pas. -age :
"
I have changed the
in the Life here, which, — an figures through
' About the
evident mistake, are written 1174. " "The Esq. , author of the "History of Ireland,"
Blessed Cornelius," &c, chap, xii. , p. 98.
4 We subjoin the Most Rev. Dr. Dixon's
"Travels in Spain," and other works,
passed through Chambery, and while staying in this ancient city, he drew a very exact out- line of its general features, as viewed from a height, which overlooked the place and the surrounding valley. Mr. Haverty has obliged the author with his sketch, which has been transferred from his Sketch-Eook to the wood by William F. Wakeman, and it has been engraved by Mrs. Millard. This subject forms the illustration in the text.
I0 This is in a written to Bol- given, letter,
landus, in 1653, by Father John Ferrand, of the Jesuit Society, and in which is stated.
some pari iculars regarding the Monastery of Lemenc.
" In the year 1809, when the French Life of our saint was written, that church was
note.
"
It would appear from these words
Italicized in the Life, and from other tradi-
tions at Chambery, that among the merits^of
Cornelius in the eyes of the Pope, one was,
the efforts which he had made to root out
heresy from his diocese; the heresy referred to appears to have been that of Pelagius, which it had beon attempted before to intro- duce into Ireland, as appears from the letter
addressed the of the Roman Church by clergy
in 640, during the vacancy of the Holy See, to the Archbishop of Armagh, an—d other Bishops and clergy of Ireland. " "The
Blessed Cornelius," &c, chap, xii. , p. 99.
5 These were the denominations of Cham-
beiy, during the Middle Ages.
Martin
year 1842, Haverty,
June 4. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 103
of the monastery received Blessed Cornelius, with that zeal and respect, due to his merit and virtues. When at the door of the church, he said in presence of
the whole of body
religious :
" I have served the Church of St. Peter at
Armagh, in Ireland ; I have visited the Church of St. Peter, at Rome ; and
I shall be buried in the Church of St. Peter, at Lemenc. " He then entered
this church, adored the Most Holy Sacrament, and afterwards, he went into
the monastery. On the day subsequent to his arrival, the prophecy he had
at the church door of St. at — to be realized. He
made, Peter, Lemenc, began
who were his
the journey from Rome instructions he had received from the Holy Father, for the welfare of the Church at Armagh. Having given them all these
then communicated to t
—he of
on
priests Armagh
companions
The City of Chambery, France.
instructions, he believed to be necessary, Cornelius withdrew to a chamber of the monastery, destined for his use, by the religious. From this moment, he was occupied in continual fasting and mortification, in meditation and prayer.
He climbed a height, and he went every day to prostrate himself at the foot of a cross, which stood on the solitude of a neighbouring mountain, from time immemorial. 12 There, he offered constantly his devotions. The cross
attended by the parish priest of Lemenc.
12" it be the Perhaps may asked, why
saint chose a place so steep and rugged, and assuredly he did not seek it in his long and daily excursions for idle pastime ; he did not walk so far to abandon himself to idle reve- ries ; for, in the lives of the saints, time is well disposed of, and each of their actions has a praiseworthy motive.
Perhaps, the view from this hill, whence we can trace the lake of Bourget and its shores, recalled to him his distant island home, and his beloved flock ; and his fatherly heart transported itself in
spirit to the dear flock confided to him, which
he would never more see. his Perhaps holy
soul, foreseeing its approaching deliverance, loved better this elevated spot, whence it
might wing its flight to heaven. It may be presumed, that in contemplating from these heights our city and its suburbs at his feet, he had for them an earnest solicitude, and that he uttered ardent vows for their prosperity, calling down on them abundant blessings ; since he has merited to become their perpe- tual intercessor. But what we cannot doubt is, that he withdrew thus from al! eyes to
104 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 4.
has since been called after our saint. A chapel had been erected near it, andonasiteknownasSt. LouisoftheMount. Itwasheldingreatvene-
ration, by the people of Lemenc. Having persevered in these practices for a few days, a fever seized him, which soon proved fatal. When he was con- fined to bed, he desired to have the Holy Viaticum administered to him. This, he received with great fervour and interior peace, to the edification of thewholecommunity. Hedied,onthethirddayfollowing,the4thofJune, 1 1 76. It has been incorrectly stated, by the O'Clerys,13 that Conchobhar or Conor Mac Concoille died at Rome, in the year 1 1 75 ;*• and this mistake has been copied by Colgan. 's Regarding this sanctified Prelate, all Irish accounts have been hitherto taken from the Four Masters. Hence, nearly all our later writers have copied mistakes into which they fell, in supposing that Conor Mac-Concoille died at Rome. 16 As happened, in the case of many distin- guished Irishmen who departed this life, away from their native country, his very existence is ignored in some of our records ;*' and, as his rule in the See
of Armagh was only for a short time, he has been omitted even from its list of 18
prelates.
He had scarcely passed away to Heaven, however, when his adopted people 1
discovered, that they possessed a powerful Patron, in our saint. ^ For,
pray. "—Most Rev. Dr. Dixon's "Blessed destruction and eternal damnation ; banish
Cornelius," &c. , pp. 88, 89.
13 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. iti. , pp. 22, 23.
M In Harris' Ware, he is said to have died
at Rome, in 1175 or 11 76.
15 The entire notice concerning this Arch-
from me all thoughts of despair, which are so contrary to the merciful views which God ceases not to entertain towards His children, and which should deprive me for ever of the ineffable delights of that eternal glory re- served for the courageous : make me learn,
bishop runs as follows: " Conchovarius for the love of Jesus Christ, and after His
(Latinis Scriptoribus Cornelius) Mac-Con- chailleadh, Abbas Monasterii SS. Petri et
example, to submit as becomes a Christian, to the transitory afflictions of this vale 'of tears ; that thus, instead of being the subject
Pauli Ardmachae, et postea Archiepiscopus
Ardmachamus,obiitRomas,quosummum ofmycondemnation,theymaybecome,by
Pontirice—m,"de rebus Ecclesiae consulturus venerat. " TriasThaumaturga. "
16
See Most Rev. Dr. Dixon's "Blessed Cornelius," &c, chap, xii. , pp. 116 to 120.
*» As in the Annals of St. Mary's Abbey,
near Dublin, and in those at the end of
my resignation, my repentance, and my fidelity, an invincible rampart against the enemy of my salvation, and the object of my glory, to conduct me one day to everlasting
Camden.
18 " See Harris' Ware, vol. i. ,
"Prayer
of Armagh," p. 6*.
*9 As a proof of the veneration in which he
is held at Chambery, the Most Rev. Dr.
Dixon appends some prayers and hymns, which they have composed in his honour.
"Prayer
" To St. Concord, which one can sayjor Nine Days to obtain some special Graces in TimeofAffliction.
Archbishops
" To the same Saint, which Fathers and Mothers can say to obtain from God the Gracetobringuptheirchildrenwell.
"O Thou great Saint, who ceasest not to give us proofs of tender love for our children, by obtaining for them from God sometimes life, and sometimes the cureof themostgriev- ous maladies ; wilt thou refuse to ask for us the graces which we come to implore fer- vently for the salvation of their souls ; such as will dispel our darkness, and grant us the
' ' O Glorious St. Concord ! whom God lights necessaiy to second by our cares and
has conducted into our couutry to be our
vigilance the merciful designs which God has formed in their regard ; and wilt thou pre- serve us from placing an obstacle to those de- signs by our bad example and negligence in imparting to them the principles of a holy education? But above all, do thou great saint, who hast so well preached the truth and ab-
protector and our guide in our pressing
wants, I come profoundly humbled to pros-
trate myself at thy feet, to obtain through thy
powerful protection, a grace very necessary
for the salvation of my soul. [Here the par-
ticular favour which one seeks is specified. ]
Diawmefromthisurgentperil,andgiveme horredlying,obtainforusthegracetoinspire
the courage and strength necessary to over- them early with a horror for this vice, which cometheattacksoftheenemy,whoseeksmy isthesourceofallothers,andwhichbyde-
repose.
Amen.
"
June 4. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. i°5
through his intercession, striking miracles were wrought in favour of the blind,
the lame, the deaf, and children at the point of death whom he healed. 20
The religious of St. Peter at Lemenc have obtained from the Holy Father
his Office and Mass of the Major Rite, and this feast is celebrated, on the 4th
of June, each year. Such festival is calculated to perpetuate that veneration,
which the people have entertained towards this holy Prelate even to the pre-
21
In 1 1 78, the inhabitants of Chambery, and the parishes bordering on St. Peter of Lemenc, established an association, under the name of
St. Concord's Confraternity. At first, it was only composed of the most noble persons, and the most respectable citizens, at Chambery ; and, after the example of the patron, these persons exercised themselves daily, in works of charity and in the practice of every virtue. When the Benedictines were
expelled from this Monastery, they were succeeded by another community,
These
sent time.
called 22 Father Fullienses, by
the entire
body
Papebroch.
of St. Concord,23 our Irish Archbishop. It was religiously venerated by
them. 2-* These religious told Father Riondet,25 that they had foundations for Masses,20 to be celebrated in the chapel of St. Concord, which were estab- lished for three hundred 2 ? A 28 was inscribed, in front of the
years. hymn
altar dedicated to him. 20 A verbatim copy of this hymn 3° was sent to Bollan-
dus,byFatherFerrand. ThatthemembersoftheConfraternitycouldassist in a more becoming manner at the functions of the Church in Lemenc, per-
grees draws clown the greatest evils on families, so far as to deprive them of the happy quality of the children of God, and to render them unworthy of His love and His protection : it is from this evil, that we ear- nestly entreat of thee to preserve us, and to conduct us all in the way of truth, which cannot deceive, since it is God himself.
Concordius.
24 This Father Ferrand declares, in his
letter.
25 FatherPapebrochstates,thathecaused
further enquiries to be made from this com-
munity (the Fullienses) by Rev. Father Balthazar Riondet, Rector of the Jesuits,
College, in Chambery, a. d. 1689.
to St. Con-
Amen.
Thrice,
Our Father, and Hail
26 that it should be Papebroke adds,
very desirable to see authentic records, regarding those foundations for Masses, as they might lation that accompanies them, commence furnish so good an argument for the anti-
Mary. "
The Latin Hymns, with an English trans-
with the lines —
of that
:
veneration, paid 27 At the year 1689.
28
"Ave, Pater, gloriose," &c.
And,
"Sancte quern nobis hodie precamur," &c.
—See Most Rev. Dr. Dixon's " Blessed
Cornelius," &c, chap, xii. , pp. 104 to 115. 20 The Life tells us, that for six centuries
after his death, sick persons daily asked their cure of him ; and that, even at the date
of its publication, the efficacy of his protec-
tion was seen, when he was invoked, on
occasion of public calamities.
21
According to Father Ferrand, this hymn was disfigured by mistakes in spelling, characteristic of a time, when it was inscribed on this altar.
29 FatherPapebrochappendsacopyofthe hymn, which is the same as that given in Dr. Dixon's volume.
Not only the people of Chambery city, sometimes headed by their magistrates, but even the of the
cordis,ArchiepiscopiYllandise;'i. e. 'Prayer of the Confessor Bishop, B. Concord, Arch-
of " bishop Yllandiae (Ireland). '
"At the end of th—e hymn, after the ver-
sicle and responsory
"'V. Sancte Concors spes infirmorum.
"
'V. St. Concord, hope of the infirm,
'" R. Guide us to the Kingdom of
Heaven. ' "
The Life which Dr. Dixon brought from
population surrounding parishes, crowded to Lemenc, to invoke their
powerful protector.
:
22
of some Mendicant
Feuillans of the French, according to Most Rev. Dr. Dixon's note.
23 Father Papebroch observes, that the
name of this Archbishop is everywhere written Concord—in Latin, Concors—not
This name appears to designate Friars
"
In English
order, like the Prees
'
R. Dirige nos ad regna Ccelorum. '"
quity cord.
possessed
30 "Ave Pater Gloriosa " are the first words. The title of this hymn, says Pape- broch, on an ancient tablet, in the chapel of S. Concord, is : —
" ' Oratio Confessoris Episcopi B. Con-
:
—
io6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[June 4.
mission was obtained from Rome, 31 that they might wear a white habit and a
cinctureofpurplecolour. 3* TheinhabitantsofChamberylikewisebelieve,that
the Almighty has been pleased to grant special favours, to the intercession of theirholyCornelius. 33 Abeautifulpainting,representingSt. Concordgivinghis blessing to children, is to be seen over the altar of his chapel at Lemenc.
For a long time, nevertheless, his holy relics had reposed in a poor panelled walnut shrine, and they were covered with still poorer ornaments. A petition
was prepared, to ask for approval from the Sovereign Pontiff of that religious veneration, which had been rendered to the Blessed Concord to that time.
Then, the people of Chambery wrote to Hugh,34 the Archbishop of Armagh, for details of his life. 35 This petition from Chambery was granted in 167 1, by Clement X. The pious and charitable family of Rouen de St. Severin, who had a chapel in the church of St. Peter at Lemenc, gave it in 167 1, to the Confraternity of St. Concord, so that these associates might translate to it, the body of their holy Bishop. Then wa sestablished, in perpetuity, a grand annual festival for the day of this translation to the chapel. To mark the respect, which the people entertained towards their Patron, the Senate, the religious bodies and confraternities, and all the most distinguished persons of Cham- berycity,assembledatthisceremony. Atthesametime,ClementX. con- firmed the Confraternity of St. Concord, by a Bull, and granted to it many indulgences and privileges.
At one time—a little before the French Revolution—their celestial
Chambery has subjoined the usual prayer of and infirmities of mind and body, and to re- the Liturgy for a Bishop and Confessor, "Da joice with thee unceasingly in Heaven,
quaesumus ;" but, Papebroch subjoins the an- cient prayer of S. Concord, which is as
"•'Oratio.
'"Creator mundi Deus, qui in Sanctis tuis
semper es mirabilis, quique multa mirabilia in gloriosum Confessorem tuum Concordem atque Archipraesulem ostendere voluisti : et ut diem depositionis per universum orbem (faceres venerabilem, nomen ejus) in Martyr-
through our Lord Jesus,'
"
: follows —
&c.
31 It is stated, in 1 175 ; but, it is evident,
Rules of the Confraternity erected in the
Parish Church of St. Peter of Lemenc, in
— 1, a Bull of Clement X. " 167 by Pope
Chambery, 1809.
33 Oneofthese the ofrainfor is, procuring
their parched crops, and hence the farmers
of the surrounding country entertained a par-
ticular devotion, towards this sainted Arch- liberari, tecumque firmiter in ccelis cum bishop. Other favours are the procuring of
tuos, eodem die mirabiliter scribere fecisti, clementiam tuam
Sanctos
ologiis per Angelos
ut meritis et inter- cessione ejusdem sancti Praesulis, mereamur in libro Vitae adscribi, et ab omnibus adver- sitatibus et infirmitatibus mentis et corporis
suppliciter imploramus,
Christo laetari. Per. Dom. nostrum Jesum,'
&c. "
"
a special blessing for children, to correct their naturaldeformities,whereanysuchexist; to heal their different diseases ; to make them obedient to parents, and virtuous in their en- tire conduct.
34 " The Hugh here referred to must have
In English thus :
— "Prayer.
" O God, Creator of the world !
been Hugh O'Reilly, who died about 1656. —immediate predecessor of Oliver Plunkett. "
who art
always wonderful in thy saints, and who He was succeeded by Edmund O'Reilly, the
wouldst show forth many wonders in thy
glorious Confessor and Archbishop, Con- eord ; that thou mightest make the day of his death venerable throughout the whole world, thou didst cause his name to be in- scribed, marvellously, on the same day, by thy holy angels, in Martyrologies, we hum- bly implore thy clemency, that owing to the merits and intercession of the same holy Pre- late, we may deserve to be inscribed in the Book of Life, to be freed from all adversities
"
The Blessed Cornelius," chap, xii. , note, p. 103.
35 They received for answer, from the
Vicar-General of the time, that nothing was
known regarding the particulars of his life, more than that he had been immediate suc- cessor to Gelasius, according to an account furnished by the reigning Archbishop of
Armagh.
36 To save the saint's body from rain, the
that the date for this been at a much later date.
must have
32 The foregoing particulars are procured
from a small work, printed in 1809, and pub-
lished at Chambery, with the following, as the title page rendered into English :
"
Abridgment of the Life of Saint Concord.
permission
June 4. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 107
benefactor was earnestly and unceasingly invoked, by the people, as the most powerful resource of the country, in an unusually dry season. During a procession, in which his holy relics were borne, the clouds gathered quickly, and then poured their refreshing shower upon the parched earth so bountifully, that St. Concord seemed even to forget the honour due to his mortal remains. 3° The people of Chambery feel it, likewise, as a peculiar favour, that the relics of their holy Patron had been preserved from indignity, during the period of the French Revolution.
Nothing of particular importance remains to be recorded subsequently, ex- cept what took place at Lemenc, previous to and during the year 1854. On the occasion of repairing the interesting church, a happy idea was adopted of replacing the precious treasure of St. Concord's relics in a more suitable case. Thewretchedpanel,whichformedtheoldfrontofhisshrine,wasreplaced with a handsome plate glass covering. Thanks to the zeal of several pious persons, the holy Bishop's reliquary is richly adorned, at present. Exertions were made by the confraternity and by the reverend rector of the parish, aided by some pious friends, to give all the solicitude and importance it merited, towards further honouring the blessed Cornelius. It had been re- solved, for reasons which will here be stated, to have the sacred relics removed for a time from Lemenc to Rome. Precautions had been taken, moreover, to secure their more artistic decoration and preservation. There they were recognised and authenticated, by the venerable prelate, who was charged to perform that duty. For this purpose, documents had been forwarded to the Eternal City, relative to the Life of this Saint, and the veneration in which he was held, by all the Savoyards, in virtue of authorization given by the Holy See. These were found to be highly interesting. To enter on a closer examination, the Roman authorities went so far, as to open the head of this reveredbody. Doubtless,theAlmightypermittedthisminuteinvestigation,
tomanifestmore
the —ofhisservant intheinterior
clearly glory
; for, portion
of this —of the sacred relics which had been for
part nearly
seven centuries entombed thebrainwasfoundhard,andstillcolouredwithbloodythough it is well known, that this organ is of a soft nature, and is consumed in
8
ordinary bodies, within a very short time after deaths
was preserved specially and returned, to increase the treasure of Lemenc parish church. There, it is now enshrined apart, and in a silver reliquary. These preliminaries terminated, the relics were enclosed in a waxen bust, re- presenting the saint with that natural and fine expression, they know so well how to give in the City of the Saints. 39 The relics of Cornelius were after- wardsreturnedandbroughttothecityofChambery. Thusdisposed,they were richly clad with vestments, suitable to the archiepiscopai dignity. Numerous and distinguished were the contributors to this decoration. ^ The
bearers were obliged to enter a house in the noble dignity, the serious and meditative air, suburbs, called Reclus. of the inhabitants belonging to the north of 37 Struck by this discovery, the Roman Europe. It is joined to a sweetness and serenity ofexpression, which recalls at once the distant birth-place of St. Cornelius, his
examiner, before whom the operation had been made, availing of his right to some por- tion of the holy relics, wished to retain this part ; but, the Rev. Father Alphonse, Capu- chin, charged with the commission, insisted on his making choice of some other por- tion.
38 The decayed face has been filled up with wax.
39 The head is a fine one, adds the writer of this account, and the beholder is pleased to see imprinted on the stranger's brow the
exemplary life, and his early death.
4° His Grace the Archbishop presented the pastoral ring, which he wore on the day of
his consecration, a touching mark of the alli- ance there is between our two pastors, one on earth and the other in heaven. But, other relations unite them more intimately, in the public veneration. The reverend parish priest of Lemenc has given the cross set in precious stones, which he wore for many
This interesting part
io8 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[June 4.
saint's body was apparelled, in mitre and chasuble ; the latter was cut in an
antique form, and in texture, it was like that of the other accessories, being white silk, embroidered with gold. The alb appears to be beautifully worked ; and, the cushion that supports the head is of red damask, trimmed with gold fringe. The pallium is spread out near the mitre. In a word, all connected with the apparel shows perfect coincidence with the most approved taste.
The account of grand solemnities at Lemenc, in 1854, will be found con-
In this little brochure, we are informed concerning ceremonies accompanying the celebration of St.
wasattendedbytwenty-sixbishops,manyabbotsandotherclergymen. There a famous decree was enacted, with the unanimous consent of the Synod, that for the future, no one should be admitted as a professor or teacher of theo- logy, in any church throughout Ireland, who should not be approved of for that office, by the great school at Armagh.
The Life of St. Concord then tells us, that during the time our saint was
Abbot, Henry II. , King of England, added Ireland to his dominions, in the year n7i;32 and, that this king had a council convened at Cashel,3* in
1172,34 by the authority of Pope Alexander III. , then the reigning Pontiff. 3 s This the English monarch procured, chiefly through motives of civil polity. 36
The Legate who presided over the Synod of Cashel in n 72 was Christian, Bishop of Lismore. The council was composed of a Legate, three Arch-
bishops,twenty-eightBishops,withseveralAbbots,PriorsandDeans. The Life says, that in this council, Cornelius, who was remarkable for his eminent virtues, and who had spent his days and nights in meditation on what should be done to promote the glory of God and the salvation of his neighbour, found no difficulty in uniting all the votes of the Bishops and others, who composedthecouncil; forhissentimentaloneprevailed,anditwasconfirmed bythePope. 37 ItistrueasmentionedinthisLife,thattherewerebutthree Archbishops at the Synod of Cashel, for Gelasius, the Primate, was not there; and if he absented himself through an unwillingness to favour the progress of Henry, we might not expect to find Cornelius there either; but, if the absence of Gelasius was owing to his age and infirmities, and that he waited on Henry in of what had been done in the
Synod,3
8 then we suppose, that not only Cornelius was present, but also that he represented there Gelasius, which circumstance must have added considerably to his
Dublin, approving
may
bery, in supposing that Cardinal Paparopre- sided over the Synod of Cashel, or that he was in Ireland at all, at that time. The Car- dinal had presided over the Synod of Kells in 1 152, and he left Ireland very soon afterwards.
32 See account of these proceedings, in Rev. Sylvester Malone's "Church History of Ireland," chap, ii. , pp. 34 to 56.
33 The MostRev. Dr. Dixon hasthefollow-
note "Wemust
ing atthispassage : observe,
that the Life here speaks of two Councils, one at Cashel and another at Armagh, and that it assigns the same number of Bishops to both, and the same influence to Cornelius in both. I cannot find any reference in our Irish his- torians to this Synod at Armagh. At that
time, Henry's power was hardly recognised in the North. "
in Sir Harris Nicolas'
"
Chronology of His-
34
Incorrectly placed at November, 1 171,
tory," p. 248.
3S He presided over the Church from A. D.
1159101181. See ibid. , p. 208.
3° See Rev. M. J. Brenan's "Ecclesiastical
History of Ireland," Twelfth Century, chap. iii. , pp. 277 to 279.
3? See Most Rev. Dr. Dixon's "The Blessed Cornelius," &c, chap, xii. , and note, pp. 96, 97.
38 As Giraldus Cambrensis informs us. See "Opera Omnia," vol. v. , edited by Dimock, Expugnatio Hibernica, lib. i. , cap. xviii. , p. 283.
39 See Harris' Ware, vol. "
i. , Archbishops
of Armagh," p. 61.
*° See an account of him, in the Third
Volume of this work, at the 27th of March, Art. i.
June 4. ]
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 101
influence at the council. In the year 11 74, and on the 27th of Marches St. Gelasius,40 Primate of Ireland, and Archbishop of Armagh, died. To
replace this great prelate, Concord was selected, to the great satisfaction of
thewholekingdom. Onatablet,atLemenc,thereisatitleandhymnwhere
St. Concord, Bishop and Confessor is called Presul or Archiepiscopus
1
Yllandiae j*
but, this latter word is evidently a mistaken spelling. According
to a supposition of the " Fullienses,"42 Yllandia, whereof Concord is called
Archbishop, means Iceland ; but, Father Papebroke « observes, that the
term is intended to express Irlandia or Ireland. 44 Besides, in the series of
Icelandic or northern bishops carefully compiled, 45 no mention of a Con-
cord can be found. 46 According to the traditions in the Church of Savoy,
Cornelius —in Celtic Conchoard and from which Concord is derived—was the
fifty-fifthPontiffplacedovertheChurchofArmagh. Afterdirectingatten-
tion to some things, which tend to determine that period, at which the holy man
lived, Father Papebroke says, that Ware and Colgan do not mention any
Concord, in their lists of Irish Archbishops 4? but, it is clear from this, the ;
learned Bollandist did not recognise Blessed Concord by that name, which Colgan 48 or Ware 4? gives him.
CHAPTER II.
MINISTRATION OF THE CHURCH AT ARMAGH BY ST. CONCORD—HE VISITS ROME—HE RETURNS TO IRELAND BY WAY OF SAVOY AND CHAMBERY—HIS PIOUS ACTIONS
WHILE LIVING THERE—
OF SAVOY—THE RELICS AND SHRINE OF ST. CONCORD—HONOURS PAID TO HIS MEMORY IN 1854—VISIT OF MOST REV. JOSEPH DIXON, ARCHBISHOP OF ARMAGH, TO CHAMBERY, WHENCE HE PROCURES RELICS OF HIS SAINTED PREDECESSOR WHICH ARE BROUGHT TO IRELAND—CONCLUSION.
HIS DEATH—
HIS VENERATION BY THE PEOPLE SUBSEQUENT
Being elevated to the dignity of Archbishop, the splendour of his virtues shone forth with remarkable brilliancy ; and, he fulfilled the duties of his sacred office, with all the zeal, prudence, virtue and charity, required by St. Paul, in a Bishop. The people of Chambery say, St. Concord suffered much from the persecution of a particular family in Ireland. This family is sup-
posed to have been the one, that usurped the temporal possessions of Armagh
See, for so long a period, until an end had been put to their domination, by
holy Archbishop Celsus, himself a member of that same family. St. Malachy
O'M 1 the successor of suffered much from their unhallowed orgair, also, Celsus,
4! SeetheBollandists'"ActaSanctorum,"
tomus i. , Junii iii. De S. Concorde Epis-
copo, &c, num. 3, 4, p. 413.
42
year 1250. cap.
43 He declares, that this opinion is quite untenable, because we have a most accurate list of Icelandic bishops, down to 1525 ; while none of them can be found, bearing
the name Concord. What he deems
per-
fectly conclusive on this point, is the fact,
that no archbishop can be discovered, among
the entire number.
44
4=IntheAtlantisBlaviani,tomusi. , inter
Hyparctica, p. 46, et seq.
46 First, the bishops of Schalholtensis are
enumerated from and those 1056, secondly,
of Hollensis, from 110710 1525.
*7 concludes his notice, con- Papebroke
cerning the Blessed Prelate, by saying, that he leaves all the rest, about his See and the time in which he flourished, to the investi- gation of learned Irishmen.
48 The titles — him to this man, given by holy
They quote Arngrim Jones Islandise," which brings the lists of bishops there down to the See x.
" Historia
and afterwards Archbishop of Armagh.
4» Ware calls this Archbishop, Cornelius, Primacy was in the Church of Armagh. or Concobar Mac-Concalede. See Harris'
Until the year 11 52, Archbishops were not recognised in Ireland, although the
Then four Archbishops were created in the Synod of Kells, as related in the ancient Book of Clonenagh.
Ware, vol. i. , "Archbishops of Armagh,' p. 61.
writers Cor- —Mac Conchailleaah, Abbot of the Monastery of SS. Peter and Paul, at Armagh,
are Concho var called by Latin nelius
Chapter 11. —
*
See his Life, at the
3rd
io2
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[June 4
it to make some reforms in the
discipline his church, through humility and diffidence in his own judgment, or in the extent of his jurisdiction, Concord would not presume to effect these changes, without visiting Rome, and consulting the Pope, Alexander III. In con-
sequence, he set out for the City of the Soul, where he arrived on the 16th of
January, 1 1 76. 3 Being fully informed regarding the piety of this Archbishop, and about his zeal in the furtherance of religion, Pope Alexander at once
granted the object of his petition, by saying to him : "You have hitherto devoted your life to the happiness of the people ; for this, you shall reap its fruits in the experience of an eternal happiness, which is to reward your
fidelityinstrengtheningtheCatholicreligionontheruinsofheresy. "4 Having obtained what concessions he demanded, Concord prepared for a return to
his diocese.
On his way home, he travelled over the mountains, along the route to Savoy,
which takes its name from the Latin Sabaadia, a country anciently inhabited by
theCeltes,andlyingbetweenFranceandItalyamongtheAlps. TheholyArch- bishop had resolved on visiting Camberium or Camberiac—um. s The Almighty
2
pretensions. Finding necessary
of
or Ciamberi as written Italians the capital of Savoy duchy, he should stop in that city, which stands in a fertile plain, near the confluence of the River Leysse with the rivuletOrbanne. Itis environedwithgentleeminencescoveredwithvine- yards, and having the Alps in the background. 6 There the dukes of Savoy resided, before the removal of their seat of government to Turin, and the French held possession of it from 1792 to 1815. During this period, it was the capital of Mont Blanc Department. 7 This western slope of the Alps has been ceded to France in i860. The ancient castle and its cathedral are objects
of interest in 8 The chosen for St. Concord's Chambery. place temporary
sojourn was at St. Peter's monastery of Lemenc, near that city . 9 According to one account,10 it was founded by a colony from a monastery in Lyons, called Athanacum. The Church of St. Peter at Lemenc, attached to the monastery,wasthenservedbyeightyBenedictines. 11 ThePriorandbrethren
—that in
decreed, passing by Chambery,
by
the
of November, vol. xi. , of this work, Art. i.
6
SeeFullarton's "Gazetteer of the World," vol. iii. , p. 445.
7 See Grillet's " Dictionnaire Historique
du Department du Mont Blanc et du
Leman," two vols. , published in 1807, 8vo. 8 See Elisee Reclus' " Nouvelle Geogra-
phie Universelle," tome ii. , liv. ii. , chap, iii. , sect, vi. , p. 342.
2
It is not at all improbable, that the efforts
to regain possession of those temporalities survived the times of St. Malachy, and con- tinued during the episcopacy of his sue- cessors, St. Gelasius and St. Concord.
3 The Most Rev. Dr. Dixon subjoins, as a
note to this pas. -age :
"
I have changed the
in the Life here, which, — an figures through
' About the
evident mistake, are written 1174. " "The Esq. , author of the "History of Ireland,"
Blessed Cornelius," &c, chap, xii. , p. 98.
4 We subjoin the Most Rev. Dr. Dixon's
"Travels in Spain," and other works,
passed through Chambery, and while staying in this ancient city, he drew a very exact out- line of its general features, as viewed from a height, which overlooked the place and the surrounding valley. Mr. Haverty has obliged the author with his sketch, which has been transferred from his Sketch-Eook to the wood by William F. Wakeman, and it has been engraved by Mrs. Millard. This subject forms the illustration in the text.
I0 This is in a written to Bol- given, letter,
landus, in 1653, by Father John Ferrand, of the Jesuit Society, and in which is stated.
some pari iculars regarding the Monastery of Lemenc.
" In the year 1809, when the French Life of our saint was written, that church was
note.
"
It would appear from these words
Italicized in the Life, and from other tradi-
tions at Chambery, that among the merits^of
Cornelius in the eyes of the Pope, one was,
the efforts which he had made to root out
heresy from his diocese; the heresy referred to appears to have been that of Pelagius, which it had beon attempted before to intro- duce into Ireland, as appears from the letter
addressed the of the Roman Church by clergy
in 640, during the vacancy of the Holy See, to the Archbishop of Armagh, an—d other Bishops and clergy of Ireland. " "The
Blessed Cornelius," &c, chap, xii. , p. 99.
5 These were the denominations of Cham-
beiy, during the Middle Ages.
Martin
year 1842, Haverty,
June 4. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 103
of the monastery received Blessed Cornelius, with that zeal and respect, due to his merit and virtues. When at the door of the church, he said in presence of
the whole of body
religious :
" I have served the Church of St. Peter at
Armagh, in Ireland ; I have visited the Church of St. Peter, at Rome ; and
I shall be buried in the Church of St. Peter, at Lemenc. " He then entered
this church, adored the Most Holy Sacrament, and afterwards, he went into
the monastery. On the day subsequent to his arrival, the prophecy he had
at the church door of St. at — to be realized. He
made, Peter, Lemenc, began
who were his
the journey from Rome instructions he had received from the Holy Father, for the welfare of the Church at Armagh. Having given them all these
then communicated to t
—he of
on
priests Armagh
companions
The City of Chambery, France.
instructions, he believed to be necessary, Cornelius withdrew to a chamber of the monastery, destined for his use, by the religious. From this moment, he was occupied in continual fasting and mortification, in meditation and prayer.
He climbed a height, and he went every day to prostrate himself at the foot of a cross, which stood on the solitude of a neighbouring mountain, from time immemorial. 12 There, he offered constantly his devotions. The cross
attended by the parish priest of Lemenc.
12" it be the Perhaps may asked, why
saint chose a place so steep and rugged, and assuredly he did not seek it in his long and daily excursions for idle pastime ; he did not walk so far to abandon himself to idle reve- ries ; for, in the lives of the saints, time is well disposed of, and each of their actions has a praiseworthy motive.
Perhaps, the view from this hill, whence we can trace the lake of Bourget and its shores, recalled to him his distant island home, and his beloved flock ; and his fatherly heart transported itself in
spirit to the dear flock confided to him, which
he would never more see. his Perhaps holy
soul, foreseeing its approaching deliverance, loved better this elevated spot, whence it
might wing its flight to heaven. It may be presumed, that in contemplating from these heights our city and its suburbs at his feet, he had for them an earnest solicitude, and that he uttered ardent vows for their prosperity, calling down on them abundant blessings ; since he has merited to become their perpe- tual intercessor. But what we cannot doubt is, that he withdrew thus from al! eyes to
104 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [June 4.
has since been called after our saint. A chapel had been erected near it, andonasiteknownasSt. LouisoftheMount. Itwasheldingreatvene-
ration, by the people of Lemenc. Having persevered in these practices for a few days, a fever seized him, which soon proved fatal. When he was con- fined to bed, he desired to have the Holy Viaticum administered to him. This, he received with great fervour and interior peace, to the edification of thewholecommunity. Hedied,onthethirddayfollowing,the4thofJune, 1 1 76. It has been incorrectly stated, by the O'Clerys,13 that Conchobhar or Conor Mac Concoille died at Rome, in the year 1 1 75 ;*• and this mistake has been copied by Colgan. 's Regarding this sanctified Prelate, all Irish accounts have been hitherto taken from the Four Masters. Hence, nearly all our later writers have copied mistakes into which they fell, in supposing that Conor Mac-Concoille died at Rome. 16 As happened, in the case of many distin- guished Irishmen who departed this life, away from their native country, his very existence is ignored in some of our records ;*' and, as his rule in the See
of Armagh was only for a short time, he has been omitted even from its list of 18
prelates.
He had scarcely passed away to Heaven, however, when his adopted people 1
discovered, that they possessed a powerful Patron, in our saint. ^ For,
pray. "—Most Rev. Dr. Dixon's "Blessed destruction and eternal damnation ; banish
Cornelius," &c. , pp. 88, 89.
13 See Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. iti. , pp. 22, 23.
M In Harris' Ware, he is said to have died
at Rome, in 1175 or 11 76.
15 The entire notice concerning this Arch-
from me all thoughts of despair, which are so contrary to the merciful views which God ceases not to entertain towards His children, and which should deprive me for ever of the ineffable delights of that eternal glory re- served for the courageous : make me learn,
bishop runs as follows: " Conchovarius for the love of Jesus Christ, and after His
(Latinis Scriptoribus Cornelius) Mac-Con- chailleadh, Abbas Monasterii SS. Petri et
example, to submit as becomes a Christian, to the transitory afflictions of this vale 'of tears ; that thus, instead of being the subject
Pauli Ardmachae, et postea Archiepiscopus
Ardmachamus,obiitRomas,quosummum ofmycondemnation,theymaybecome,by
Pontirice—m,"de rebus Ecclesiae consulturus venerat. " TriasThaumaturga. "
16
See Most Rev. Dr. Dixon's "Blessed Cornelius," &c, chap, xii. , pp. 116 to 120.
*» As in the Annals of St. Mary's Abbey,
near Dublin, and in those at the end of
my resignation, my repentance, and my fidelity, an invincible rampart against the enemy of my salvation, and the object of my glory, to conduct me one day to everlasting
Camden.
18 " See Harris' Ware, vol. i. ,
"Prayer
of Armagh," p. 6*.
*9 As a proof of the veneration in which he
is held at Chambery, the Most Rev. Dr.
Dixon appends some prayers and hymns, which they have composed in his honour.
"Prayer
" To St. Concord, which one can sayjor Nine Days to obtain some special Graces in TimeofAffliction.
Archbishops
" To the same Saint, which Fathers and Mothers can say to obtain from God the Gracetobringuptheirchildrenwell.
"O Thou great Saint, who ceasest not to give us proofs of tender love for our children, by obtaining for them from God sometimes life, and sometimes the cureof themostgriev- ous maladies ; wilt thou refuse to ask for us the graces which we come to implore fer- vently for the salvation of their souls ; such as will dispel our darkness, and grant us the
' ' O Glorious St. Concord ! whom God lights necessaiy to second by our cares and
has conducted into our couutry to be our
vigilance the merciful designs which God has formed in their regard ; and wilt thou pre- serve us from placing an obstacle to those de- signs by our bad example and negligence in imparting to them the principles of a holy education? But above all, do thou great saint, who hast so well preached the truth and ab-
protector and our guide in our pressing
wants, I come profoundly humbled to pros-
trate myself at thy feet, to obtain through thy
powerful protection, a grace very necessary
for the salvation of my soul. [Here the par-
ticular favour which one seeks is specified. ]
Diawmefromthisurgentperil,andgiveme horredlying,obtainforusthegracetoinspire
the courage and strength necessary to over- them early with a horror for this vice, which cometheattacksoftheenemy,whoseeksmy isthesourceofallothers,andwhichbyde-
repose.
Amen.
"
June 4. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. i°5
through his intercession, striking miracles were wrought in favour of the blind,
the lame, the deaf, and children at the point of death whom he healed. 20
The religious of St. Peter at Lemenc have obtained from the Holy Father
his Office and Mass of the Major Rite, and this feast is celebrated, on the 4th
of June, each year. Such festival is calculated to perpetuate that veneration,
which the people have entertained towards this holy Prelate even to the pre-
21
In 1 1 78, the inhabitants of Chambery, and the parishes bordering on St. Peter of Lemenc, established an association, under the name of
St. Concord's Confraternity. At first, it was only composed of the most noble persons, and the most respectable citizens, at Chambery ; and, after the example of the patron, these persons exercised themselves daily, in works of charity and in the practice of every virtue. When the Benedictines were
expelled from this Monastery, they were succeeded by another community,
These
sent time.
called 22 Father Fullienses, by
the entire
body
Papebroch.
of St. Concord,23 our Irish Archbishop. It was religiously venerated by
them. 2-* These religious told Father Riondet,25 that they had foundations for Masses,20 to be celebrated in the chapel of St. Concord, which were estab- lished for three hundred 2 ? A 28 was inscribed, in front of the
years. hymn
altar dedicated to him. 20 A verbatim copy of this hymn 3° was sent to Bollan-
dus,byFatherFerrand. ThatthemembersoftheConfraternitycouldassist in a more becoming manner at the functions of the Church in Lemenc, per-
grees draws clown the greatest evils on families, so far as to deprive them of the happy quality of the children of God, and to render them unworthy of His love and His protection : it is from this evil, that we ear- nestly entreat of thee to preserve us, and to conduct us all in the way of truth, which cannot deceive, since it is God himself.
Concordius.
24 This Father Ferrand declares, in his
letter.
25 FatherPapebrochstates,thathecaused
further enquiries to be made from this com-
munity (the Fullienses) by Rev. Father Balthazar Riondet, Rector of the Jesuits,
College, in Chambery, a. d. 1689.
to St. Con-
Amen.
Thrice,
Our Father, and Hail
26 that it should be Papebroke adds,
very desirable to see authentic records, regarding those foundations for Masses, as they might lation that accompanies them, commence furnish so good an argument for the anti-
Mary. "
The Latin Hymns, with an English trans-
with the lines —
of that
:
veneration, paid 27 At the year 1689.
28
"Ave, Pater, gloriose," &c.
And,
"Sancte quern nobis hodie precamur," &c.
—See Most Rev. Dr. Dixon's " Blessed
Cornelius," &c, chap, xii. , pp. 104 to 115. 20 The Life tells us, that for six centuries
after his death, sick persons daily asked their cure of him ; and that, even at the date
of its publication, the efficacy of his protec-
tion was seen, when he was invoked, on
occasion of public calamities.
21
According to Father Ferrand, this hymn was disfigured by mistakes in spelling, characteristic of a time, when it was inscribed on this altar.
29 FatherPapebrochappendsacopyofthe hymn, which is the same as that given in Dr. Dixon's volume.
Not only the people of Chambery city, sometimes headed by their magistrates, but even the of the
cordis,ArchiepiscopiYllandise;'i. e. 'Prayer of the Confessor Bishop, B. Concord, Arch-
of " bishop Yllandiae (Ireland). '
"At the end of th—e hymn, after the ver-
sicle and responsory
"'V. Sancte Concors spes infirmorum.
"
'V. St. Concord, hope of the infirm,
'" R. Guide us to the Kingdom of
Heaven. ' "
The Life which Dr. Dixon brought from
population surrounding parishes, crowded to Lemenc, to invoke their
powerful protector.
:
22
of some Mendicant
Feuillans of the French, according to Most Rev. Dr. Dixon's note.
23 Father Papebroch observes, that the
name of this Archbishop is everywhere written Concord—in Latin, Concors—not
This name appears to designate Friars
"
In English
order, like the Prees
'
R. Dirige nos ad regna Ccelorum. '"
quity cord.
possessed
30 "Ave Pater Gloriosa " are the first words. The title of this hymn, says Pape- broch, on an ancient tablet, in the chapel of S. Concord, is : —
" ' Oratio Confessoris Episcopi B. Con-
:
—
io6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[June 4.
mission was obtained from Rome, 31 that they might wear a white habit and a
cinctureofpurplecolour. 3* TheinhabitantsofChamberylikewisebelieve,that
the Almighty has been pleased to grant special favours, to the intercession of theirholyCornelius. 33 Abeautifulpainting,representingSt. Concordgivinghis blessing to children, is to be seen over the altar of his chapel at Lemenc.
For a long time, nevertheless, his holy relics had reposed in a poor panelled walnut shrine, and they were covered with still poorer ornaments. A petition
was prepared, to ask for approval from the Sovereign Pontiff of that religious veneration, which had been rendered to the Blessed Concord to that time.
Then, the people of Chambery wrote to Hugh,34 the Archbishop of Armagh, for details of his life. 35 This petition from Chambery was granted in 167 1, by Clement X. The pious and charitable family of Rouen de St. Severin, who had a chapel in the church of St. Peter at Lemenc, gave it in 167 1, to the Confraternity of St. Concord, so that these associates might translate to it, the body of their holy Bishop. Then wa sestablished, in perpetuity, a grand annual festival for the day of this translation to the chapel. To mark the respect, which the people entertained towards their Patron, the Senate, the religious bodies and confraternities, and all the most distinguished persons of Cham- berycity,assembledatthisceremony. Atthesametime,ClementX. con- firmed the Confraternity of St. Concord, by a Bull, and granted to it many indulgences and privileges.
At one time—a little before the French Revolution—their celestial
Chambery has subjoined the usual prayer of and infirmities of mind and body, and to re- the Liturgy for a Bishop and Confessor, "Da joice with thee unceasingly in Heaven,
quaesumus ;" but, Papebroch subjoins the an- cient prayer of S. Concord, which is as
"•'Oratio.
'"Creator mundi Deus, qui in Sanctis tuis
semper es mirabilis, quique multa mirabilia in gloriosum Confessorem tuum Concordem atque Archipraesulem ostendere voluisti : et ut diem depositionis per universum orbem (faceres venerabilem, nomen ejus) in Martyr-
through our Lord Jesus,'
"
: follows —
&c.
31 It is stated, in 1 175 ; but, it is evident,
Rules of the Confraternity erected in the
Parish Church of St. Peter of Lemenc, in
— 1, a Bull of Clement X. " 167 by Pope
Chambery, 1809.
33 Oneofthese the ofrainfor is, procuring
their parched crops, and hence the farmers
of the surrounding country entertained a par-
ticular devotion, towards this sainted Arch- liberari, tecumque firmiter in ccelis cum bishop. Other favours are the procuring of
tuos, eodem die mirabiliter scribere fecisti, clementiam tuam
Sanctos
ologiis per Angelos
ut meritis et inter- cessione ejusdem sancti Praesulis, mereamur in libro Vitae adscribi, et ab omnibus adver- sitatibus et infirmitatibus mentis et corporis
suppliciter imploramus,
Christo laetari. Per. Dom. nostrum Jesum,'
&c. "
"
a special blessing for children, to correct their naturaldeformities,whereanysuchexist; to heal their different diseases ; to make them obedient to parents, and virtuous in their en- tire conduct.
34 " The Hugh here referred to must have
In English thus :
— "Prayer.
" O God, Creator of the world !
been Hugh O'Reilly, who died about 1656. —immediate predecessor of Oliver Plunkett. "
who art
always wonderful in thy saints, and who He was succeeded by Edmund O'Reilly, the
wouldst show forth many wonders in thy
glorious Confessor and Archbishop, Con- eord ; that thou mightest make the day of his death venerable throughout the whole world, thou didst cause his name to be in- scribed, marvellously, on the same day, by thy holy angels, in Martyrologies, we hum- bly implore thy clemency, that owing to the merits and intercession of the same holy Pre- late, we may deserve to be inscribed in the Book of Life, to be freed from all adversities
"
The Blessed Cornelius," chap, xii. , note, p. 103.
35 They received for answer, from the
Vicar-General of the time, that nothing was
known regarding the particulars of his life, more than that he had been immediate suc- cessor to Gelasius, according to an account furnished by the reigning Archbishop of
Armagh.
36 To save the saint's body from rain, the
that the date for this been at a much later date.
must have
32 The foregoing particulars are procured
from a small work, printed in 1809, and pub-
lished at Chambery, with the following, as the title page rendered into English :
"
Abridgment of the Life of Saint Concord.
permission
June 4. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 107
benefactor was earnestly and unceasingly invoked, by the people, as the most powerful resource of the country, in an unusually dry season. During a procession, in which his holy relics were borne, the clouds gathered quickly, and then poured their refreshing shower upon the parched earth so bountifully, that St. Concord seemed even to forget the honour due to his mortal remains. 3° The people of Chambery feel it, likewise, as a peculiar favour, that the relics of their holy Patron had been preserved from indignity, during the period of the French Revolution.
Nothing of particular importance remains to be recorded subsequently, ex- cept what took place at Lemenc, previous to and during the year 1854. On the occasion of repairing the interesting church, a happy idea was adopted of replacing the precious treasure of St. Concord's relics in a more suitable case. Thewretchedpanel,whichformedtheoldfrontofhisshrine,wasreplaced with a handsome plate glass covering. Thanks to the zeal of several pious persons, the holy Bishop's reliquary is richly adorned, at present. Exertions were made by the confraternity and by the reverend rector of the parish, aided by some pious friends, to give all the solicitude and importance it merited, towards further honouring the blessed Cornelius. It had been re- solved, for reasons which will here be stated, to have the sacred relics removed for a time from Lemenc to Rome. Precautions had been taken, moreover, to secure their more artistic decoration and preservation. There they were recognised and authenticated, by the venerable prelate, who was charged to perform that duty. For this purpose, documents had been forwarded to the Eternal City, relative to the Life of this Saint, and the veneration in which he was held, by all the Savoyards, in virtue of authorization given by the Holy See. These were found to be highly interesting. To enter on a closer examination, the Roman authorities went so far, as to open the head of this reveredbody. Doubtless,theAlmightypermittedthisminuteinvestigation,
tomanifestmore
the —ofhisservant intheinterior
clearly glory
; for, portion
of this —of the sacred relics which had been for
part nearly
seven centuries entombed thebrainwasfoundhard,andstillcolouredwithbloodythough it is well known, that this organ is of a soft nature, and is consumed in
8
ordinary bodies, within a very short time after deaths
was preserved specially and returned, to increase the treasure of Lemenc parish church. There, it is now enshrined apart, and in a silver reliquary. These preliminaries terminated, the relics were enclosed in a waxen bust, re- presenting the saint with that natural and fine expression, they know so well how to give in the City of the Saints. 39 The relics of Cornelius were after- wardsreturnedandbroughttothecityofChambery. Thusdisposed,they were richly clad with vestments, suitable to the archiepiscopai dignity. Numerous and distinguished were the contributors to this decoration. ^ The
bearers were obliged to enter a house in the noble dignity, the serious and meditative air, suburbs, called Reclus. of the inhabitants belonging to the north of 37 Struck by this discovery, the Roman Europe. It is joined to a sweetness and serenity ofexpression, which recalls at once the distant birth-place of St. Cornelius, his
examiner, before whom the operation had been made, availing of his right to some por- tion of the holy relics, wished to retain this part ; but, the Rev. Father Alphonse, Capu- chin, charged with the commission, insisted on his making choice of some other por- tion.
38 The decayed face has been filled up with wax.
39 The head is a fine one, adds the writer of this account, and the beholder is pleased to see imprinted on the stranger's brow the
exemplary life, and his early death.
4° His Grace the Archbishop presented the pastoral ring, which he wore on the day of
his consecration, a touching mark of the alli- ance there is between our two pastors, one on earth and the other in heaven. But, other relations unite them more intimately, in the public veneration. The reverend parish priest of Lemenc has given the cross set in precious stones, which he wore for many
This interesting part
io8 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[June 4.
saint's body was apparelled, in mitre and chasuble ; the latter was cut in an
antique form, and in texture, it was like that of the other accessories, being white silk, embroidered with gold. The alb appears to be beautifully worked ; and, the cushion that supports the head is of red damask, trimmed with gold fringe. The pallium is spread out near the mitre. In a word, all connected with the apparel shows perfect coincidence with the most approved taste.
The account of grand solemnities at Lemenc, in 1854, will be found con-
In this little brochure, we are informed concerning ceremonies accompanying the celebration of St.
