John the Baptist in summer, a great
pestilence
broke out at Deurne.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v7
ii.
, pp.
632 to 639.
Kelly, p. xxix. 2SeetheBollandists'"ActaSanctorum,"
tomusiv. , Julii xvi. Sancti qui xvii. Kalen- das Augusti coluntur.
s His festival is held on the 1st of May.
6 in those of of Especially Rennes,
Coutances and of the Cistercian Abbey at Beaubec, in the diocese of Rouen.
interesting
account of this sclf-
evening, they
July 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 255
particulars related. He is said to have nourished in the eighth century j although other inferences may be drawn from the Acts which remain. It
may be necessary therefore to observe, that the array of testimony which follows,mustservetofurnishtheonlystatementsthatcanbeoffered; ifthese are not conclusive, we can only regret, none others exist or are accessible to us, in the endeavour to evolve the true facts of his history and period.
On the of to Miraeus, 1 is commemorated in some 17th July, according
parts of the Low Countries St. Fredegand. In the " Natales Sanctorum
"
we find St. mentioned at the same date,2 Fredegand
by Molanus,
with some biographical notices, drawn probably from traditions or written records. Colgan had prepared notices of St. Fredigand for the 17th day of July,3 but he did not live to publish them. At the 17th of July, the Bol- landists4 havesomenoticesregardingthispiousmissionary,andwhichserve to throw a coloured light on his period and career. Those memoranda are
Belgii
Acts s some by
anonymous writer,
and an account of 6
miracles, wrought
through his intercession, also the work of some unknown compiler. ? There
8
is a Previous Commentary prefixed to both by Father Guilielmus Cuper.
There are intrinsic evidences to show, that the short Manuscript Life con- tained in the Register of the Cathedral at Antwerp cannot be regarded as a very ancient one ; neither is it historically reliable, since in the narrative we detect anachronisms of statement, that cannot readily be reconciled. There is an office of this saint celebrated in the church at Duerne, and in it under a Double Rite there are proper Lessons for the Second Nocturn, in which it is stated, that he came from Ireland into Gaul with other holy men, to preach the Gospel in the country about Antwerp. Notices of this saint are to be
10 found in Bishop Challoner's work,9 as also in that of Rev. Alban Butler, —at
the 17th of July. The latter, however, incorrectly calls him Turninus taking the denomination of his place for the name of the saint. " In Les
13
there are notices of this holy missionary, at the present date. So many uncertain accounts of him are given, however, that it is
Petits Bollandistes,
difficult to pronounce with any great degree of certainty on these varying
statements. .
—also called Frego and Fredegad is said to have been born within the Liberties of Antwerp, and at a place called Turninum, 13 afterwards Turne M or Deurne, on the banks of a river called Schinda, which flows . into the Scheld \ yet, by
the — author of his Acts, St.
Although, by anonymous Fredegand
Article l— • See "Fasti Burgundici," pp. 430, 431.
2
et
I0 See "Lives of the Fathers,
and other principal Saints," vol. vii. , July xvii.
The account is contained in three para- graphs, pp. 162, 163.
"
He quotes the Manuscripts of Colgan,
3 See "
quae MS. habentur, Ordine Mensium et Dierum. "
Catalogus
Actuum Sanctorum
at the of for his statement. Yet, 17th July
in these Manuscripts, Colgan calls him Fre-
digandus.
I2 See " Les Vies des Saints," tome viii. ,
xviie Jour de Juillet, p. 386.
I3 According to Miraeus, this was the for-
mer Latin designation of the place,
I4 Its origin is thus commented on by Gramay: "Inter vicos terrae Ryensis anti- quitatis merito primas tenet Turninum a tur- ribus (ne quis Turnum aut Troianum aliquem somniet) dictum. "—" De Antiquitatibus
Antverpiensibus," lib. iv. , cap. iv.
1S See Les Petits Bollandistes, " Vies des
Saints," tome viii. , xvii. Jour de Juillet, p. 386.
4 See "Acta tomus Sanctorum,"
iv. , Julii xvii. De Sancto Fredegando Abbate Tur-
nini prope Antverpiam, pp. 288 to 297.
5 Ex Regestro Cathedralis Ecclesiae Ant-
verpiensis, tome i. , ad annum mdxciii. , fol. 257.
6 Ex Ms. Belgico auctoris anonymi collecta et Latine reddita.
7 Notes to both tracts have been added by the editor.
8 In three sections, and twenty-eight
paragraphs.
9 See "Britannia Sancta," part 'i. , p. 36.
Belgici
Martyrs,
256 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 17. other Belgian wi iters, this statement has been questioned. By the French he
by
has been called 1* This saint was an Irishman Fregaud.
birth,
to his ancient office recited at Deuren, as also in the opinion of Molanus, Mirseus, and Malbranq. He appears to have embraced the monastic state of life, and if it be true, that he was a native of Ireland, it seems most likely his profession was made in our country. According to all accounts, he was remarkable for his many virtues, even in early youth. He became a priest,
when he had attained the requisite qualifications through age and study. 61
He became a companion of St. Fursey,' St. Foillan, ? and St. Ultan, when they left Ireland, to spread the Faith in the north-western Continental coun- tries. However,nothingdefiniteseemstobeknownregardingthisconnexion.
St. Fredegand is said to have been a companion of St. Foillan, where his mission in the Low Countries took place, and to have been like him an apos- tolical preacher. The district of Ryland appears to have been that selected by Fredegand for his special harvest of souls. According to the published
l8
Acts of our saint, the illustrious Willibrord
had there built a small monas-
tery about the year 700, and into this Fredigand entered as a monk ; while
his piety and diligence, in this state, caused him to be elected as Abbot over
thecommunity. Helabouredwithunweariedzealtobringthepeopletoa
perfect practice of Christian virtue. At this period, also, Pepin of Herstal
had obtained great victories over the Frisons, and through the ministry of St.
Willibrord, many of these were brought over to embrace the Catholic faith.
21
Oneofhis wasnamedGommar,T9andit is
thatSt.
had many conversations on religious matters with him, so that in fine he became a great saint. It is likewise related, that St. Rurnold 20 was a com- panion and confidant of both. The country about Antwerp was the chief
captains
stated,
Fredegand
It seems to have been assumed, that he belonged to the Benedictine Order ; but this is more than doubtful, if he came in company with St. Fursey and other missionaries into France. 22 The results of his preaching were very remarkable. Abundant fruits were gleaned, while personally he contended against the obstacles to sanctity, so that his eternal reward might be obtained. This holy man was greatly distinguished for his success in spreading the Gospel through those parts. St. Amand 2 3 founded a monastery at Querquelodora at Duerne, and the Bollandists sup- pose, that St. Fredegand was set over it, but whether as Abbot, before Fir- minus2*orafterhistime,cannotwellbedetermined. Accordingtoanother account, in 726, a pious and wealthy man named Rohingus and his wife Bebelina bestowed the site on St. Willibrord, who there built a church in honour of the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul. 2 * The monastery at Dome, near Antwerp, is thought by some to have been the foundation of St. Frede- gand ; and, there he is said to have become a monk, while other writers state, that he presided over it as the first Abbot. Before the Norman Invasion, Turninum was a fortified town, and it seems to have been approachable by
scene of St. Fredigand's labours.
lfj See his Life in the First Volume of this work, at the 16th of January, Art. i.
ber. The Venerable Bede treats about his
mission, in " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis
Anglorum," lib. v. , cap. xi.
*» He departed this life, on the nth of
October, about the year 774.
20 See his Life in the present volume at
the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Saints," vol. vii. , July xvii.
aa
principal
7 His feast occurs, at the 30th of October.
See in connexion with this subject ,8 His feast occurs on the 7th of Novcm- Carol us Cointius in " Annalibus Franco-
the 1st day of this month, Art. i.
81 See Rev. Alban Butler's Lives of p. 76,
"
rum," ad annum 650, tomus iii. , num. 5.
a3 He died a. d. 684. His feast is on the
6th of February.
- 4 Ileis said to have ruled there about
A. D. 725 or 726.
a5 See Mabillon's " Annales Ordinis S.
Benedict! ," tomus ii. , lib. xx. , num. lxxii. ,
according
July 17. LIVES OF THE IRISH SATNTS. 257
ships. The site of this religious establishment was in a marshy place ; yet vessels seem to have had access to it from the sea, before the present mounds or embankments had been erected on the Scheld. This place is said to have been more ancient than the stately city of Antwerp, which afterwards had
26
with a steeple 441 feet in
height, dominates proudly
over the streets and houses.
The interior has five aisles,
and the elevation of 360
9
feet ? presents a wonder-
fullylineperspective. Noble churches and religious in- stitutes still manifest the permanent character of that impression made on a free people, yet preserving the traditions of their fathers in the Faith, and observing well the precepts learned from their first teachers.
St. Fredigand died in the
Netherlands, about the close of the seventh cen-
tury, as has been generally
28
His relics for- merly reposed in his monas- tery at Dome, where they hadbeendeposited. How-
ever, in the ninth century, the Normans made an
irruption into this part of the country, and, in 836, they burned Turninum, and utterly destroyed that reli- gious establishment. ^ They also tore down the walls
been built near it, and where at present a truly magnificent Gothic cathedral,
The City and Cathedral of Antwerp, Belgium.
and towers of the city, killing numbers of the people, and bringing others away as slaves. Only a solitude remained. To guard the precious relics of our saint from sacrilege, in the time of the Norman devastations, they were
26
The accompanying illustration, from an
tamen celebre ipso die Alexii, decima sep- tima die Julii, recolitur. Cujus corpus no- biscum in convenlu cum omni honore pariter et reverentia tempore exequiarum positum fuerat, et exaltatum ibidem pluribns annis, post cujus desessum in dicta libertate orato- rium seu ecclesia extructa, fuerat consecrata quoque in honore sancti Fredigandi, qui fuit de Online sancti Benedicti, militant laudabiliter sub eo, et ad Deum feliciter ac ovanter transcendit. "
29 An account of this destruction is to be found in the Life of St. Gummarus, written by Brother Theobald, who flourished in the eleventh century, or more probably in the
R
approved view, presents the lofty completed tower and the upper part of the cathedral as
they appear over the adjoining houses. This illustration has been drawn by William F.
Wakeman, on the wood, engraved by Mrs. Millard.
27 See James Bell's "System of Geogra-
phy, Popular and Scientific," vol. ii. , part i.
Belgium, chap, vi. , p. 78.
2b
In the Acts of our saint, taken from the Register of the church at Antwerp, there appear to have been the following additions
" Cujus i'estum per Vol. VII. —No. 5.
in a more recent hand
totam dicecesim Leodienscm principale, non
:
believed.
258 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 17.
translated to the collegiate church of St. Peter, at Monstier. This was built
near the River Sambre,3° and it was situated about two leagues from Namur.
Again, it has been stated, regarding the relics, that Adalard, superior of Sithieu,
with Folquinus the Bishop, received St. Fredegand's remains, about a. d. 845
1
His relics were thus translated to the territory of Liege ; but, after the Norman incursions, it may be inferred from accounts left us, that some relics of St. Fredigand still remained at Deurne, At Monstier, the chief remains were honourably enshrined in the monastery. St. Fredigand has
or 846. 3
been venerated as the special patron —of Deurne. 32
*
cese of Arras, St. Frdgaud, confessor special honours also paid to his memory.
A long period had, elapsed, after the translation of St. Fredegand's remains and the destruction of Deurne, until the reign of the Emperor Maximilian I. , who reigned from 1493 until 15 19. During that time, about the Festival of St.
John the Baptist in summer, a great pestilence broke out at Deurne. The parish priest exhorted his people to have devotion towards their holy patron, and a new statue of St. Fredigand was ordered from a sculptor to be erected in their church. From the moment of its erection, the plague suddenly ceased. In gratitude for this favour, and mindful of their powerful intercessor before the throne of God, leave was obtained from the venerable bishop of Cambray, Jaques de Croy,33 to have a solemn annual procession with the Blessed Sacrament and the statue of St. Fredegand, on each recurring 1st of May. Soonthefameofmiracleswroughtthroughtheirpatron'sintercession caused numbers of persons to visit St. Fredegand's chapel, where they were curedofvariousdiseases. Intokenofgratitude,whitewandswereleftthere, while different cases of curative miracles wrought were placed upon record, and these are apparently well authenticated. **
In the Martyrologies, the feast of St. Fredigandus is set down at the pre- sent date. In the Florarius Manuscript additions to Usuard, as also in Greven's additions, and in those of Molanus, he is commemorated. By some he is said to have been of Argenton. He is noticed by Saussay, by Wion, by Menard, by Dorgan, by Bucelin, and by Ferrarius. In Father Henry Fitzsimon's list, Fridegandus, Confessor, is mentioned for the 17th of July. The same name occurs, likewise, in the anonymous Calendar of Irish Saints, published by O'Sullevan Beare. The Office and Mass of St. Fredigand are to be found in Breviaries and Missals, belonging to the churches of Liege, Namur,35 and Duerne. 36
called a blessed
entered a feast for St. Fridigand, Confessor, at this date. 39 In Butler's Lives
of the and in the Circle of the Saints/
of we find July,
At St. Omer, in the dio- as he is so called in French—had
By Molanus and Father Stephen White,** he is
In his 8 has Menologium Scoticum,* Dempster
preacher.
twelfth century. Belgico auctoris annonymi collecta et Latine 30 See Bishop Challoner's "Britannia reddita, p. 296.
1 at the
recorded St. Turninus, but this is evidently a mistake for St. Fredigandus.
Seasons/
In the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Antwerp, there was- formerly a
Sancta," part ii. , p. 36.
31
toFather Morinis," lib. vi, cap. vi.
35 Jn these, his memory is combined with
in"De thatofSt. Confessor. Alexius,
According
Malbranq
3s See Les Petits Bollandistes, "Vies des Saints," tome viii. , xviie Jour de Juillet, p. 386.
3J He ruled over that See from 1504 to 1516, when he died.
34 See the Bollandists' "Acta Sane- torum," tomus iv. , xvii. Julii. De Sancto Fredegando Abbate, &c. Miracuia ex MS.
36 Here was recited his proper Office, as a Double.
37 See "Apologia pro Hibernia," cap. ii. ,
p. 15.
38 Thus : "xvii. Argenton monasterio
Fridigandis confessoris. ML. "
39 yee Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of
Scottish Saints," p. 200.
<° See vol. v i i . , xvii. July.
17th
July 17. ] LIVES OE THE IRISH SAINTS. 259
chapel dedicated to him. *2 The 4th of December, according to the Carthu- sian Martyrology,« was the date for his feast.
We have to admire in St. Fredigand the united characteristics of a holy monk and also of a zealous priest, whose thoughts and actions were ever engaged on the work God had destined him to fulfil. The duty of self- sanctification he achieved without self-esteem. He was also distinguished asanapostolicman,andagreatpreacherofGod'sword. Ifsomeofthis seed fall among the brambles and in the rocky places, a part is sure to find its roots in good soil, and to bring forth an abundant increase.
Article II. —St. Flann, Bishop of Recrann. On the 17th of July, 1
veneration was given, according to the Martyrology of Tallagh, to Flainn, of Inber Becce. Where this inlet lay seems difficult, at present, to determine.
According to the Martyrologies of Marianus O'Gorman and of Maguire, this
3 St.
Rachra,4 and RecJuea insula, by Adamnan ;* and, from a very remote period,. itbelongedtoChristChurch,Dublin. 6 ItiscalledRecheninagrant,dated about the year 1038; while Portrane, the parish to which it is attached, is called Portrahern, said to be a corruption of Port-Rechrainn. In the year 1204, the same places appear under the names of Lambay and PortracheU n. About the middle of the sixth century, St. Columba, who founded a church here, placed St. Colman Mac Roi over it. The death of Cobthach, Abbot ofRechra—probablythisplace—andwhodiedin748,isrecorded. Itwould seem, that he was immediate successor to the present holy bishop. Who had been the immediate predecessor of Bishop Flann, son of Kelleah, does not appear to have been recorded. He died in a. d. 734, according to the Anna—ls
Little
Article III. —St. Sistan or Siostan, Priest, of Loch Melge, now LoughMelvin,Counties,ofFermanaghandLeitrim. Themeritsof
saint's festival was on the observed,
of
son of
Kellach, son to Cronnmael, was Bishop of Recrann, a monastery founded by St. Columbkille. It is often supposed to have been in an island situated in that part of Ulster, called Dalriada. This lies off the coast of Antrim. It seems most certain, however, that the Recrann in question may have been situated in the eastern part of Bregia. 3 This latter was formerly called Rechra or
41 See p. 199.
42 Afterwards, it was commonly called the chapel of St. Ursula.
Catholicae Ibernise Compendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , xii. , pp. 50, 54.
Article ii. — » Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly,
p. xxix.
2 '*
'
the Bodleian Library, Oxford, No. 615, pp.
103, 104.
s See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life
of St. Columba," lib. ii. , cap. 41, pp. 164,
17th
July.
Flann,
The — simple entry, Flann, Beg meaning
of the Four Masters. 7
appears in the Martyrology of Donegal, at this same date.
See Colgan's Trias Thaumaturga," 165. 6"
Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbae, See Afchdall's Monasticon Hiberni-
cap. viii. , p. 509. cum," pp. 148 to 154, where the Registry of
3 "The Editor is not able to decide Christ's Church is quoted.
whether this is the Reachrainn in the east of 7 See Dr. O'Dunovan's
Bregia, where St. Columbkille erected a Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 336, 337. church, or Reachrainn, now Rathlin, or 8 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. Ragharee Island, off the north coast of 194, 195.
Antrim. '—Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of Article hi. — Edited by Rev, Dr,
8
the Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (z), p. 336.
* A Poem in praise of this Inland has been att ibuted to the founder, St. Columba, and 43 See O'Sullevan Beare's "Histories itisfound among the Laud Manuscripts, in
1
"
Annals of the
26o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[July 17.
several holy servants have ascended like incense before the throne of God, and have secured his rewards. However, hardly can the patient pilgrim even alight on the sod, where their bodies rest. Yet, their undiscovered remains have sanctified that earth, with which they have long since mingled. Record or vestige of many holy persons that once existed in our Island can hardly be found ; still a magical spell, like an indescribable charm, hallows the surrounding
lovely scenes, blessed with their presence during life. In the Martyrology of 1
Tallagh, at the 17th day of July, is the following entry : Sistan sac. for Loch Melge. From the contraction sac. meaning sogarth we may probably con-
clude that he had been a priest. The Lough Melge, now Lough Melvin, with which he was connected, is a beautiful sheet of water, bordering on the coun- ties of Fermanagh and Leitrim ; but, it lies chiefly within the bounds of the latter county. From the shores of Lough Melvin, its former holy inhabitants have departed long ago from the scenes of this life. Their souls have been
received into a brighter and happier world. The Martyrology of Donegal 2 records a festival in honour of Siostan, Priest, of Loch Melghe, at the 17U1
of July. In a table appended to this record, this saint's name is Latinized Xistus. 3
Article IV. —St. Craebhnat, Virgin. The name, Corpnata, occurs in 1
the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 17th of July. It seems very possible, that an Irish Life of St. Creunata, transcribed by Brother Michael O'Cleary, had reference to this holy woman, and it yet exists in the Burgundian Library at
——
Bruxelles. 3 Some notices most probably regarding this saint or it may have
been a Life, seem to have been prepared by Colgan for publication, at the 17th of July, as on the posthumous list of his Manuscripts we find a St. Cranata, Virgin,* entered. It is likely, this was another form of St. Craebhnat's
or Corpnata's name. In the Martyrology of Donegal,* Craebhnat, Virgin, is recorded at this same date.
Article V. —Reputed Feast of a St. Plechmus. At the 1 7th of July,
Convaeus has placed St. Plechmus on his list of Irish Saints. He is styled a
Count, a Bishop, and a distinguished preacher, at Oudenzeel, Dicecesis Daven- triensis. 1 No doubt, from this description, we are to understand St. Plechel- mus, whose Acts have been given already, at the 15th of this month.
Article VI. —Festival of the Scillitani Martyrs, at Carthage, Africa. In the ancient Irish Church, as we learn from the "Feilire" 1 of St.
Kelly, p. xxix.
Article v. —1 Sec O'Sullcvan Beare's "Historic Catholics Ibernue Compcn-
dium," tomus —
i. , lib. iv. , cap. x. , p. 48.
' In the "Leabhar Breac" copy is the following raft*, trans- lated in—to English by Whitley Stokes,
2
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. •
194, E95.
v i/u'd.
Kelly, p. xxix. 2SeetheBollandists'"ActaSanctorum,"
tomusiv. , Julii xvi. Sancti qui xvii. Kalen- das Augusti coluntur.
s His festival is held on the 1st of May.
6 in those of of Especially Rennes,
Coutances and of the Cistercian Abbey at Beaubec, in the diocese of Rouen.
interesting
account of this sclf-
evening, they
July 17. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 255
particulars related. He is said to have nourished in the eighth century j although other inferences may be drawn from the Acts which remain. It
may be necessary therefore to observe, that the array of testimony which follows,mustservetofurnishtheonlystatementsthatcanbeoffered; ifthese are not conclusive, we can only regret, none others exist or are accessible to us, in the endeavour to evolve the true facts of his history and period.
On the of to Miraeus, 1 is commemorated in some 17th July, according
parts of the Low Countries St. Fredegand. In the " Natales Sanctorum
"
we find St. mentioned at the same date,2 Fredegand
by Molanus,
with some biographical notices, drawn probably from traditions or written records. Colgan had prepared notices of St. Fredigand for the 17th day of July,3 but he did not live to publish them. At the 17th of July, the Bol- landists4 havesomenoticesregardingthispiousmissionary,andwhichserve to throw a coloured light on his period and career. Those memoranda are
Belgii
Acts s some by
anonymous writer,
and an account of 6
miracles, wrought
through his intercession, also the work of some unknown compiler. ? There
8
is a Previous Commentary prefixed to both by Father Guilielmus Cuper.
There are intrinsic evidences to show, that the short Manuscript Life con- tained in the Register of the Cathedral at Antwerp cannot be regarded as a very ancient one ; neither is it historically reliable, since in the narrative we detect anachronisms of statement, that cannot readily be reconciled. There is an office of this saint celebrated in the church at Duerne, and in it under a Double Rite there are proper Lessons for the Second Nocturn, in which it is stated, that he came from Ireland into Gaul with other holy men, to preach the Gospel in the country about Antwerp. Notices of this saint are to be
10 found in Bishop Challoner's work,9 as also in that of Rev. Alban Butler, —at
the 17th of July. The latter, however, incorrectly calls him Turninus taking the denomination of his place for the name of the saint. " In Les
13
there are notices of this holy missionary, at the present date. So many uncertain accounts of him are given, however, that it is
Petits Bollandistes,
difficult to pronounce with any great degree of certainty on these varying
statements. .
—also called Frego and Fredegad is said to have been born within the Liberties of Antwerp, and at a place called Turninum, 13 afterwards Turne M or Deurne, on the banks of a river called Schinda, which flows . into the Scheld \ yet, by
the — author of his Acts, St.
Although, by anonymous Fredegand
Article l— • See "Fasti Burgundici," pp. 430, 431.
2
et
I0 See "Lives of the Fathers,
and other principal Saints," vol. vii. , July xvii.
The account is contained in three para- graphs, pp. 162, 163.
"
He quotes the Manuscripts of Colgan,
3 See "
quae MS. habentur, Ordine Mensium et Dierum. "
Catalogus
Actuum Sanctorum
at the of for his statement. Yet, 17th July
in these Manuscripts, Colgan calls him Fre-
digandus.
I2 See " Les Vies des Saints," tome viii. ,
xviie Jour de Juillet, p. 386.
I3 According to Miraeus, this was the for-
mer Latin designation of the place,
I4 Its origin is thus commented on by Gramay: "Inter vicos terrae Ryensis anti- quitatis merito primas tenet Turninum a tur- ribus (ne quis Turnum aut Troianum aliquem somniet) dictum. "—" De Antiquitatibus
Antverpiensibus," lib. iv. , cap. iv.
1S See Les Petits Bollandistes, " Vies des
Saints," tome viii. , xvii. Jour de Juillet, p. 386.
4 See "Acta tomus Sanctorum,"
iv. , Julii xvii. De Sancto Fredegando Abbate Tur-
nini prope Antverpiam, pp. 288 to 297.
5 Ex Regestro Cathedralis Ecclesiae Ant-
verpiensis, tome i. , ad annum mdxciii. , fol. 257.
6 Ex Ms. Belgico auctoris anonymi collecta et Latine reddita.
7 Notes to both tracts have been added by the editor.
8 In three sections, and twenty-eight
paragraphs.
9 See "Britannia Sancta," part 'i. , p. 36.
Belgici
Martyrs,
256 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 17. other Belgian wi iters, this statement has been questioned. By the French he
by
has been called 1* This saint was an Irishman Fregaud.
birth,
to his ancient office recited at Deuren, as also in the opinion of Molanus, Mirseus, and Malbranq. He appears to have embraced the monastic state of life, and if it be true, that he was a native of Ireland, it seems most likely his profession was made in our country. According to all accounts, he was remarkable for his many virtues, even in early youth. He became a priest,
when he had attained the requisite qualifications through age and study. 61
He became a companion of St. Fursey,' St. Foillan, ? and St. Ultan, when they left Ireland, to spread the Faith in the north-western Continental coun- tries. However,nothingdefiniteseemstobeknownregardingthisconnexion.
St. Fredegand is said to have been a companion of St. Foillan, where his mission in the Low Countries took place, and to have been like him an apos- tolical preacher. The district of Ryland appears to have been that selected by Fredegand for his special harvest of souls. According to the published
l8
Acts of our saint, the illustrious Willibrord
had there built a small monas-
tery about the year 700, and into this Fredigand entered as a monk ; while
his piety and diligence, in this state, caused him to be elected as Abbot over
thecommunity. Helabouredwithunweariedzealtobringthepeopletoa
perfect practice of Christian virtue. At this period, also, Pepin of Herstal
had obtained great victories over the Frisons, and through the ministry of St.
Willibrord, many of these were brought over to embrace the Catholic faith.
21
Oneofhis wasnamedGommar,T9andit is
thatSt.
had many conversations on religious matters with him, so that in fine he became a great saint. It is likewise related, that St. Rurnold 20 was a com- panion and confidant of both. The country about Antwerp was the chief
captains
stated,
Fredegand
It seems to have been assumed, that he belonged to the Benedictine Order ; but this is more than doubtful, if he came in company with St. Fursey and other missionaries into France. 22 The results of his preaching were very remarkable. Abundant fruits were gleaned, while personally he contended against the obstacles to sanctity, so that his eternal reward might be obtained. This holy man was greatly distinguished for his success in spreading the Gospel through those parts. St. Amand 2 3 founded a monastery at Querquelodora at Duerne, and the Bollandists sup- pose, that St. Fredegand was set over it, but whether as Abbot, before Fir- minus2*orafterhistime,cannotwellbedetermined. Accordingtoanother account, in 726, a pious and wealthy man named Rohingus and his wife Bebelina bestowed the site on St. Willibrord, who there built a church in honour of the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul. 2 * The monastery at Dome, near Antwerp, is thought by some to have been the foundation of St. Frede- gand ; and, there he is said to have become a monk, while other writers state, that he presided over it as the first Abbot. Before the Norman Invasion, Turninum was a fortified town, and it seems to have been approachable by
scene of St. Fredigand's labours.
lfj See his Life in the First Volume of this work, at the 16th of January, Art. i.
ber. The Venerable Bede treats about his
mission, in " Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis
Anglorum," lib. v. , cap. xi.
*» He departed this life, on the nth of
October, about the year 774.
20 See his Life in the present volume at
the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Saints," vol. vii. , July xvii.
aa
principal
7 His feast occurs, at the 30th of October.
See in connexion with this subject ,8 His feast occurs on the 7th of Novcm- Carol us Cointius in " Annalibus Franco-
the 1st day of this month, Art. i.
81 See Rev. Alban Butler's Lives of p. 76,
"
rum," ad annum 650, tomus iii. , num. 5.
a3 He died a. d. 684. His feast is on the
6th of February.
- 4 Ileis said to have ruled there about
A. D. 725 or 726.
a5 See Mabillon's " Annales Ordinis S.
Benedict! ," tomus ii. , lib. xx. , num. lxxii. ,
according
July 17. LIVES OF THE IRISH SATNTS. 257
ships. The site of this religious establishment was in a marshy place ; yet vessels seem to have had access to it from the sea, before the present mounds or embankments had been erected on the Scheld. This place is said to have been more ancient than the stately city of Antwerp, which afterwards had
26
with a steeple 441 feet in
height, dominates proudly
over the streets and houses.
The interior has five aisles,
and the elevation of 360
9
feet ? presents a wonder-
fullylineperspective. Noble churches and religious in- stitutes still manifest the permanent character of that impression made on a free people, yet preserving the traditions of their fathers in the Faith, and observing well the precepts learned from their first teachers.
St. Fredigand died in the
Netherlands, about the close of the seventh cen-
tury, as has been generally
28
His relics for- merly reposed in his monas- tery at Dome, where they hadbeendeposited. How-
ever, in the ninth century, the Normans made an
irruption into this part of the country, and, in 836, they burned Turninum, and utterly destroyed that reli- gious establishment. ^ They also tore down the walls
been built near it, and where at present a truly magnificent Gothic cathedral,
The City and Cathedral of Antwerp, Belgium.
and towers of the city, killing numbers of the people, and bringing others away as slaves. Only a solitude remained. To guard the precious relics of our saint from sacrilege, in the time of the Norman devastations, they were
26
The accompanying illustration, from an
tamen celebre ipso die Alexii, decima sep- tima die Julii, recolitur. Cujus corpus no- biscum in convenlu cum omni honore pariter et reverentia tempore exequiarum positum fuerat, et exaltatum ibidem pluribns annis, post cujus desessum in dicta libertate orato- rium seu ecclesia extructa, fuerat consecrata quoque in honore sancti Fredigandi, qui fuit de Online sancti Benedicti, militant laudabiliter sub eo, et ad Deum feliciter ac ovanter transcendit. "
29 An account of this destruction is to be found in the Life of St. Gummarus, written by Brother Theobald, who flourished in the eleventh century, or more probably in the
R
approved view, presents the lofty completed tower and the upper part of the cathedral as
they appear over the adjoining houses. This illustration has been drawn by William F.
Wakeman, on the wood, engraved by Mrs. Millard.
27 See James Bell's "System of Geogra-
phy, Popular and Scientific," vol. ii. , part i.
Belgium, chap, vi. , p. 78.
2b
In the Acts of our saint, taken from the Register of the church at Antwerp, there appear to have been the following additions
" Cujus i'estum per Vol. VII. —No. 5.
in a more recent hand
totam dicecesim Leodienscm principale, non
:
believed.
258 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [July 17.
translated to the collegiate church of St. Peter, at Monstier. This was built
near the River Sambre,3° and it was situated about two leagues from Namur.
Again, it has been stated, regarding the relics, that Adalard, superior of Sithieu,
with Folquinus the Bishop, received St. Fredegand's remains, about a. d. 845
1
His relics were thus translated to the territory of Liege ; but, after the Norman incursions, it may be inferred from accounts left us, that some relics of St. Fredigand still remained at Deurne, At Monstier, the chief remains were honourably enshrined in the monastery. St. Fredigand has
or 846. 3
been venerated as the special patron —of Deurne. 32
*
cese of Arras, St. Frdgaud, confessor special honours also paid to his memory.
A long period had, elapsed, after the translation of St. Fredegand's remains and the destruction of Deurne, until the reign of the Emperor Maximilian I. , who reigned from 1493 until 15 19. During that time, about the Festival of St.
John the Baptist in summer, a great pestilence broke out at Deurne. The parish priest exhorted his people to have devotion towards their holy patron, and a new statue of St. Fredigand was ordered from a sculptor to be erected in their church. From the moment of its erection, the plague suddenly ceased. In gratitude for this favour, and mindful of their powerful intercessor before the throne of God, leave was obtained from the venerable bishop of Cambray, Jaques de Croy,33 to have a solemn annual procession with the Blessed Sacrament and the statue of St. Fredegand, on each recurring 1st of May. Soonthefameofmiracleswroughtthroughtheirpatron'sintercession caused numbers of persons to visit St. Fredegand's chapel, where they were curedofvariousdiseases. Intokenofgratitude,whitewandswereleftthere, while different cases of curative miracles wrought were placed upon record, and these are apparently well authenticated. **
In the Martyrologies, the feast of St. Fredigandus is set down at the pre- sent date. In the Florarius Manuscript additions to Usuard, as also in Greven's additions, and in those of Molanus, he is commemorated. By some he is said to have been of Argenton. He is noticed by Saussay, by Wion, by Menard, by Dorgan, by Bucelin, and by Ferrarius. In Father Henry Fitzsimon's list, Fridegandus, Confessor, is mentioned for the 17th of July. The same name occurs, likewise, in the anonymous Calendar of Irish Saints, published by O'Sullevan Beare. The Office and Mass of St. Fredigand are to be found in Breviaries and Missals, belonging to the churches of Liege, Namur,35 and Duerne. 36
called a blessed
entered a feast for St. Fridigand, Confessor, at this date. 39 In Butler's Lives
of the and in the Circle of the Saints/
of we find July,
At St. Omer, in the dio- as he is so called in French—had
By Molanus and Father Stephen White,** he is
In his 8 has Menologium Scoticum,* Dempster
preacher.
twelfth century. Belgico auctoris annonymi collecta et Latine 30 See Bishop Challoner's "Britannia reddita, p. 296.
1 at the
recorded St. Turninus, but this is evidently a mistake for St. Fredigandus.
Seasons/
In the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Antwerp, there was- formerly a
Sancta," part ii. , p. 36.
31
toFather Morinis," lib. vi, cap. vi.
35 Jn these, his memory is combined with
in"De thatofSt. Confessor. Alexius,
According
Malbranq
3s See Les Petits Bollandistes, "Vies des Saints," tome viii. , xviie Jour de Juillet, p. 386.
3J He ruled over that See from 1504 to 1516, when he died.
34 See the Bollandists' "Acta Sane- torum," tomus iv. , xvii. Julii. De Sancto Fredegando Abbate, &c. Miracuia ex MS.
36 Here was recited his proper Office, as a Double.
37 See "Apologia pro Hibernia," cap. ii. ,
p. 15.
38 Thus : "xvii. Argenton monasterio
Fridigandis confessoris. ML. "
39 yee Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of
Scottish Saints," p. 200.
<° See vol. v i i . , xvii. July.
17th
July 17. ] LIVES OE THE IRISH SAINTS. 259
chapel dedicated to him. *2 The 4th of December, according to the Carthu- sian Martyrology,« was the date for his feast.
We have to admire in St. Fredigand the united characteristics of a holy monk and also of a zealous priest, whose thoughts and actions were ever engaged on the work God had destined him to fulfil. The duty of self- sanctification he achieved without self-esteem. He was also distinguished asanapostolicman,andagreatpreacherofGod'sword. Ifsomeofthis seed fall among the brambles and in the rocky places, a part is sure to find its roots in good soil, and to bring forth an abundant increase.
Article II. —St. Flann, Bishop of Recrann. On the 17th of July, 1
veneration was given, according to the Martyrology of Tallagh, to Flainn, of Inber Becce. Where this inlet lay seems difficult, at present, to determine.
According to the Martyrologies of Marianus O'Gorman and of Maguire, this
3 St.
Rachra,4 and RecJuea insula, by Adamnan ;* and, from a very remote period,. itbelongedtoChristChurch,Dublin. 6 ItiscalledRecheninagrant,dated about the year 1038; while Portrane, the parish to which it is attached, is called Portrahern, said to be a corruption of Port-Rechrainn. In the year 1204, the same places appear under the names of Lambay and PortracheU n. About the middle of the sixth century, St. Columba, who founded a church here, placed St. Colman Mac Roi over it. The death of Cobthach, Abbot ofRechra—probablythisplace—andwhodiedin748,isrecorded. Itwould seem, that he was immediate successor to the present holy bishop. Who had been the immediate predecessor of Bishop Flann, son of Kelleah, does not appear to have been recorded. He died in a. d. 734, according to the Anna—ls
Little
Article III. —St. Sistan or Siostan, Priest, of Loch Melge, now LoughMelvin,Counties,ofFermanaghandLeitrim. Themeritsof
saint's festival was on the observed,
of
son of
Kellach, son to Cronnmael, was Bishop of Recrann, a monastery founded by St. Columbkille. It is often supposed to have been in an island situated in that part of Ulster, called Dalriada. This lies off the coast of Antrim. It seems most certain, however, that the Recrann in question may have been situated in the eastern part of Bregia. 3 This latter was formerly called Rechra or
41 See p. 199.
42 Afterwards, it was commonly called the chapel of St. Ursula.
Catholicae Ibernise Compendium," tomus i. , lib. iv. , cap. xi. , xii. , pp. 50, 54.
Article ii. — » Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly,
p. xxix.
2 '*
'
the Bodleian Library, Oxford, No. 615, pp.
103, 104.
s See Rev. Dr. Reeves' Adamnan's " Life
of St. Columba," lib. ii. , cap. 41, pp. 164,
17th
July.
Flann,
The — simple entry, Flann, Beg meaning
of the Four Masters. 7
appears in the Martyrology of Donegal, at this same date.
See Colgan's Trias Thaumaturga," 165. 6"
Quinta Appendix ad Acta S. Columbae, See Afchdall's Monasticon Hiberni-
cap. viii. , p. 509. cum," pp. 148 to 154, where the Registry of
3 "The Editor is not able to decide Christ's Church is quoted.
whether this is the Reachrainn in the east of 7 See Dr. O'Dunovan's
Bregia, where St. Columbkille erected a Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 336, 337. church, or Reachrainn, now Rathlin, or 8 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. Ragharee Island, off the north coast of 194, 195.
Antrim. '—Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of Article hi. — Edited by Rev, Dr,
8
the Four Masters," vol. i. , n. (z), p. 336.
* A Poem in praise of this Inland has been att ibuted to the founder, St. Columba, and 43 See O'Sullevan Beare's "Histories itisfound among the Laud Manuscripts, in
1
"
Annals of the
26o LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS.
[July 17.
several holy servants have ascended like incense before the throne of God, and have secured his rewards. However, hardly can the patient pilgrim even alight on the sod, where their bodies rest. Yet, their undiscovered remains have sanctified that earth, with which they have long since mingled. Record or vestige of many holy persons that once existed in our Island can hardly be found ; still a magical spell, like an indescribable charm, hallows the surrounding
lovely scenes, blessed with their presence during life. In the Martyrology of 1
Tallagh, at the 17th day of July, is the following entry : Sistan sac. for Loch Melge. From the contraction sac. meaning sogarth we may probably con-
clude that he had been a priest. The Lough Melge, now Lough Melvin, with which he was connected, is a beautiful sheet of water, bordering on the coun- ties of Fermanagh and Leitrim ; but, it lies chiefly within the bounds of the latter county. From the shores of Lough Melvin, its former holy inhabitants have departed long ago from the scenes of this life. Their souls have been
received into a brighter and happier world. The Martyrology of Donegal 2 records a festival in honour of Siostan, Priest, of Loch Melghe, at the 17U1
of July. In a table appended to this record, this saint's name is Latinized Xistus. 3
Article IV. —St. Craebhnat, Virgin. The name, Corpnata, occurs in 1
the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the 17th of July. It seems very possible, that an Irish Life of St. Creunata, transcribed by Brother Michael O'Cleary, had reference to this holy woman, and it yet exists in the Burgundian Library at
——
Bruxelles. 3 Some notices most probably regarding this saint or it may have
been a Life, seem to have been prepared by Colgan for publication, at the 17th of July, as on the posthumous list of his Manuscripts we find a St. Cranata, Virgin,* entered. It is likely, this was another form of St. Craebhnat's
or Corpnata's name. In the Martyrology of Donegal,* Craebhnat, Virgin, is recorded at this same date.
Article V. —Reputed Feast of a St. Plechmus. At the 1 7th of July,
Convaeus has placed St. Plechmus on his list of Irish Saints. He is styled a
Count, a Bishop, and a distinguished preacher, at Oudenzeel, Dicecesis Daven- triensis. 1 No doubt, from this description, we are to understand St. Plechel- mus, whose Acts have been given already, at the 15th of this month.
Article VI. —Festival of the Scillitani Martyrs, at Carthage, Africa. In the ancient Irish Church, as we learn from the "Feilire" 1 of St.
Kelly, p. xxix.
Article v. —1 Sec O'Sullcvan Beare's "Historic Catholics Ibernue Compcn-
dium," tomus —
i. , lib. iv. , cap. x. , p. 48.
' In the "Leabhar Breac" copy is the following raft*, trans- lated in—to English by Whitley Stokes,
2
Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp. •
194, E95.
v i/u'd.
