Wherefore he brought with him those brothers, who desired a return to Scotia, where further action was
intended
to be taken.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v8
And, in the first place, he asked his own Bishop Colman to explain the Scottish rite and its origin, so as to give the reason for observing it.
41 Whereupon, Colman said : •' The Pasch which I observe has been received by my fathers in the Faith, and wHo sent me here as a bishop, and all our fathers, men beloved by God, are known to celebrate it in like manner.
That no person should condemn or reprove the practice is shown from what is read, that Blessed John the Evangelist, a disciple specially cherished by the Lord, with all those churches over which he ruled, so celebrated it.
" These and like arguments were preferred by Bishop Colman.
Then the King called upon Bishop Agilbert for his statement as to the origin of his custom, and the authority for sustaining it.
Then Agilbert answered: "I beseech you, let my disciple Wilfrid, the priest,
answer for me, since all of us on this side coincide in opinion as observers ofecclesiasticaltradition; while,ashavingmanifestlyabetterknowledgeof the Saxon tongue, he can more properly explain what we think on the subject, than I could through an interpreter. " Whereupon, the King
33 See Willelmi Malmesbiriensis Monachi " De Gestis Pontificum Anglorum," lib. iii. ,
sect. 100, p. 214.
38 Although a Scot, he had learned to
approve the Roman practice.
39 Also called Chad, Bishop of London.
His festival occurs on the 7th of January, wherenoticesofhimmaybefoundinthe First Volume of this work, Art. i.
34
" byVenerableBede SinusPhari. "
This denomination has been interpreted
Albus Sinus," according to Ussher, in ""
Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 482.
36 She is venerated as a saint, at the 17th of November.
40 See Matthew of Westminster, in Flores Historiarum," at A. D. dclxiii. ,
p. 217.
4I See Venerable Bede's " Historia Ec-
clesiastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , » He was Deacon to Paulinus, Arch- cap. 25, pp. 233, 234. Editio Cantabri-
bishop of York. gise, 1644, fol.
H
ii 4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 8.
:
invited Wilfrid to speak, and he thus began " We know that Easter as
celebrated by us agrees with that observed by all at Rome, where the
2
Apostles Peter and Paul* lived, taught, suffered and were buried ; this we
have seen practised in Italy and in Gaul, where we have travelled with a desire to study or pray. Wherever the Church of Christ has spread through various nations and languages, in Africa, in Asia, in Egypt, in Greece, in the whole world, we have found one and the same time specified for it, except among the Picts and Britons, living in the two ocean Islands most remote, where
even there are many exceptions from their obstinacy, in foolishly opposing a
" It is
that you wish to consider those labours of ours foolish, when we but follow the example of an Apostle, who was worthy to repose on the bosom of our Lord,whilealltheworldknowsthathiswassuperiorwisdom. " Thensaid
:
Wilfrid " Far be it from us to accuse John of folly, when he desired to
observe the law of Moses literally, Jewish customs prevailing in the churches, while the Apostles were not able to abrogate on a sudden every legal observance, which moreover had a Divine sanction. Wherefore it was necessary, that those images, which had a demoniacal origin, should be repudiated by all those who believed ; and lest scandal might come upon those Jews, who lived among the Gentiles, the latter were obliged to observe many of their rites. Hence it happened, that St. Paul circumcised Timothy ,«3 that he offered sacrifices in the temple, and together with Aquila and Priscilla at Corinth cut off his hair, as a sign he had made a vow. All of
these ceremonies signified little in themselves, but they were done by him, in order to avoid offending the Jews. And, it was for such reason, that the Apostle St. James said to the same St. Paul: 'Thou seest, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews who believe, and, nevertheless, whoareextremelyzealousforlegalobservances. However,notwithstanding such practices of the Apostles in the beginning ; yet now that the Gospel has been plainly preached and believed throughout the world, there is no necessity —yea, it should be unlawful—either to be circumcised or to offer God carnal sacrifices. Therefore it happened, that in charitable compliance with the Jewish custom, St. John celebrated the Paschal solemnity on the fourteenth day of the first month at evening, not regarding whether that day happened to be a Sabbath or any other day of the week. But, as for St. Peter, he preached at
Rome, and considering that our Lord rose from the dead on the first day of the week, therefore giving the world hope likewise of a resurrection, he under- stood that Easter was to be thus celebrated, so that according to the legal precept, the fourteenth day of the Moon of the first month was to be expected, as St. John also did in the East. An—d that day being come, if it so happened,
that the next — was following Sunday
world-wide Afterwards, Colman practice. "
replied :
strange, indeed,
called in the
or first of the week then, at evening of the Sabbath day, he began to
celebrate the Paschal Solemnity. But, if the next day after the fourteenth of the Moon was not Sunday, but the sixteenth, seventeenth, or so following to the
one and twentieth, he waited until Sunday came, and on the Saturday evening before he began the Paschal feast. Thus Easter day, being a Sunday, was ob- servedfromthefifteenthoftheMoonuntiltheoneandtwentieth. Neitherdoes this Evangelical and Apostolical tradition dissolve but fulfil the law, by which the Paschal feast is to be observed from the evening of the fourteenth of the Moon of the first month, until the evening of the one and twentieth Moon of the same month, which observance was imitated by all St. John's successors
42 Their feasts are observed on the 29th « See Acts, xvi. , 3.
of June. ** See his Life, in the Sixth Volume of
the Lord's Scriptures Day,
August 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 1 1 5
after his death, and by the Universal Church throughout the. world. And that such is the true Easter, and alone to be observed by all Christians, hath been, not merely ordained, but confirmed, as an ancient practice, by the First General Nicene Council, as Ecclesiastical History informs us. Wherefore, Colman, it is clear, that you Scots neither follow the example of St. John, however you may pretend, and you directly contradict the tradition of St. Peter ; so that, in observing Easter, you conform neither to the Law nor to the Gospel. For, observing the Paschal time according to the letter of the
Law, St. John disregarded whether or not it happened on the Lord's Day, whereas you keep it only on the Lord's Day. And, St. Peter observed it from the fifteenth to the one-and-twentieth of the Moon ; but you from the fourteenth to the twentieth, in so much as you often begin that solemnity on the thirteenth of the Moon at evening, for which the Law itself gives no sanction. Nor did the Lord Himself, the Author of the Gospel, either eat the ancient Pasch on that day, but on the fourteenth of the Moon at evening, or deliver the Sacrament of the New Law to be observed by the Church. Moreover, by your irregular observance, you sometimes exclude the one and twentieth of the
Moon from your solemnity, which the Law, nevertheless, commands to be celebrated most solemnly. Thus, as I have stated, you agree neither with St. John nor St. Peaer; nor are you conformable either to the Law or to the
" Do
Law and the Gospel when he wrote that Easter should be observed from the fourteenth to the twentieth day ? Or is it to be asserted, that our most reverend father Columba *><> and his successors, men beloved of God, who followed the same order in reference to Easter, thought or acted in any way contrary to the sacred writings ? Moreover, many were the heavenly signs and miracles which bear testimony to their virtues ; wherefore, not doubting their sanctity, I shall not fail to imitate their lives, morals and discipline. "
"
Then Colman
think that
and much lauded in the said Ecclesiastical History, was contrary-wise to the
Gospel. "
replied :
you
Anatolius,
a
holy man,
It is certain Anatolius was a holy and learned man, and
Wilfrid then said :
worthy of all praise, but what relation have you to him, as you do not observe his decrees? For he followed the right rule in having a cycle of nineteen years to regulate the Easter time, which you either ignore, or as observed by thewholeChurchofChrist,youcontemn,asifithadnospecialimportance. He thus computed the fourteenth of the Moon for Easter Sunday, and he acknow- ledged that same day the evening Moon as the fifteenth, after the Egyptian manner. Soalso,henotedthetwentiethforEasterSunday,whenthesame day set, so that it should be taken as the twenty-first. This proves you to be ignorant of a distinctive rule, that sometimes you have Easter day before the full Moon, that is, you have it when it is only thirteen days old. How- ever, regarding your father Columba and his disciples, whose sanctity you proclaim for imitation, and whose rules and precepts you affirm to be attested by heavenly signs, lean answer, that many on the day of judgment shall say to Christ, that in His name they have prophesied, cast out Devils, and wrought miracles, and to whom He shall answer, that He never knew them. Yet, I am very far from applying this to your Fathers, since it is fair that I should believe what is good rather than evil of persons unknown to me. Therefore, I will not deny they had been devout servants of our Lord, and favoured by Him, since with a pious intention and through rustic simplicity, theyservedHim. Myopinionis,thattheirerroneousobservanceofEaster was not prejudicial or dangerous to them, as they had no one to teach them
this Work, at the 9th of June, Art. i. siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. 4* See Venerable Bede's " Historia Eccle- 25, pp. 235, 236.
n6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 8.
more perfect rvjles. And there can hardly be a doubt, had any Catholic skilled in calculation informed them, they would as soon have followed his teaching, since they obeyed those precepts of God which they had learned. Wherefore, if you and your companions henceforth decline to obey the decrees of the Apostolic See—yea, of the Universal Church—and which, moreover, are confirmed by the Holy Scriptures, beyond all question you sin grievously. Even although your fathers were saints, they are too few in number, and living in the corner of a remote Island, to be preferred before the Universal Church, which is spread over the whole world. And, if your Columba—ours also if he be Christ's—had been a saint, powerful in miracles, shall his
46 St. Gregory of Tours and other writers mention the tonsure as existing in the fifth century. The Council of Trullo, held in the year 690 or 692, has allusion to its estab- lishmentin the Greek Church at that time.
" Dictionnaire de
4? This was ordered by St. Peter, accord-
ing to some accounts, so that ecclesiastics
might be distinguished from laymen as well in the manner of wearing their hair as in their style of dress. Others refer the origin of tonsure to a decree of A. u.
is performed by the bishop with a scissors on the cleric while he recites these words
See L'Abbe
of my inheritance and of my cup : it is thou
that wilt restore my inheritance to me. "
Psalms, xv. 5.
Bergier's Theologie," tome iv. , pp. 554, 555.
48
The Rev. Joseph Bingham asserts, that
that of the to whom our Lord said, ' Thou art Apostle,
authority outweigh
Peter,anduponthisrockI willbuildmyChurch,andthegatesofHellshall
not prevail against it : and to thee I will give the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven ? '"
Having thus ended his discourse, the King addressed Bishop Colman and said: "Tellmetruly,werethesewordsspokenbyourLordtoSt. Peter? " ThenColmananswered,thattheyweresospoken. TheKingcontinued:
" Can you produce any proof of such great power having been conferred on your Columba ? " To this query, Colman replied in the negative. Then the
King added " Do you agree on both sides, that such words were spoken :
specially to St. Peter, and that the Keys of Heaven's Gates were given to
him by our Lord ? "
All present signified their assent, whereupon the King
concludedandsaid "AndIalsoassureyou,Ihavenointentiontooppose :
the gaie-keeper of Heaven, but according to my knowledge and power, I will obey his ordinances in all things, and fearing that when I come to Heaven's gates, he who keeps the keys may be displeased with me, while there should be no other to let me in. "
Such words of the King had great weight with the majority of those who
werepresent. Theseapplaudedhisspeech,andtheyresolvedonrelinquishing their former imperfect ritual, and on adopting that rite which had been defended by St. Wilfrids
At this Synod, likewise,*the proper form for tonsure was debated. It is
6
said, that different fashions prevailed in the Eastern and Western Churches. * The Roman custom is held to have been derived from St. Peter, and it was intended to represent that crown of thorns which our Saviour bore, the top of the head alone being shaved, leaving below, but above the forehead and ears, the hair in a circle. *? This form St. Wilfrid derived from St. Dalfinus, theArchbishopofLyons. Anothermannerofwearingthetonsureissaidto have been derived from St. Paul, and this was practised among the Eastern ecclesiastics. *8 It appears to have consisted in shaving from ear to ear.
Ecclesiastics ; The
108. This is now a ceremony, which pre- of the Christian Church," vol. ii. , book vi. ,
Pope Anicetus,
pares the candidate for Holy Orders, and it chap, iv. , sec. 16.
of the Psalmist :
"
The Lord is the portion
the habit of shaving the head in tonsural
fashion was not practised in the time of St.
Jerome, and he quotes the words of the
latter in proof, where he comments on the
Prophet Ezechiel, lib. xiii. , cap. 44. See
"
Origines
Antiquities
August 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 117
Again, there was a custon of shaving nearly the whole head. TJiis latter mode was that prevailing among the Scottish and British monks, while to them any different one seemed an unwarrantable innovation. However, it has been asserted, that in the time of St. Patrick, the Roman tonsure was that form, which had been adopted in Ireland, as read in some ancient Canons j 49 but the date of these has been questioned, as going back to the period of the Irish Apostle. s° Those who followed the Roman rite, in this matter, were pleased to designate the Irish fashion as that adopted by Simon Magus.
Although this dispute about the tonsure was of less importance, still the
Roman Pontiffs had much desired to see it introduced among the Scots and
Britons and this is manifest, from the action of Pope Vitalian^1 who ;
2
would not suffer Theodore,* Archbishop of Canterbury shaved after the
Eastern manner— to come into Britain, until as ordained sub-deacon, he waited four months to have his hair sufficiently grown such length, as might serve to cut it in the form of a crown. There were other smaller differences about external rites, which have not been thought of sufficient consequence to be recorded. Throughout, that conference was conducted with freedom
and decency. 53 However, in all this dispute, so strangely misrepresented and perhaps misconceived by several controversial Protestant writers, nothing transpired to prove that the Scots, Picts or Britons differed in matters of FaithordoctrinefromtheUniversalorRomanChurch. Onthecontrary, while dissenting on the subject of ritual and disciplinary matters, through ignorance or negligence in certain non-essential observances, all sides were believers in the teaching authority of Rome, and its traditions were respected.
CHAPTER II.
ST. COLMAN LEAVES LINDISFARNE AND RETURNS TO IONA—CHARACTER OF COLMAN— HE LEAVES FOR IRELAND—SETTLES AT INNIS-BO-FINDE—DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE IRISH AND SAXON MONKS—THE LATTER REMOVE TO MAYO—DEATH OF ST. COLMAN—
HIS FESTIVAL AND COMMEMORATION—CONCLUSION.
When the Synod dissolved, Agilbert returned to France, and Colman, unwilling to change his opinions and traditions, soon found that both had been discredited by the Saxon king and by the majority of the ecclesiastics.
Inthethird ofhis year
1 whichwasthe
a. d.
of King Oswy's reign, Colman felt himself obliged to abdicate his office in
Northumbria. Hehaddisciples,however,insympathywithhim,andwho resolved to follow his example. The Breviary of Aberdeen states, that in consequence of the envy of the Angles, our saint only presided over them for three years. As we are informed, moreover, Colman did what he could to
49 Thus is the decree read, " Si non more tique," tome viii. , liv. xxxix. , sect, xlviii. ,
romano tonsi * * * * capilli ejus sint,"
paritera laicis contempnentur, etabEcclesia separentur. "—Joachimus Laurentius Villa- nueva's"SanctiPatricii,Ibernorum Apostoli, Synodi, Canones, Opuscula, et Scriptorum quae supersunt, Fragmenta," p. 2.
50 See on this subject some learned com-
p. 529.
& His feast is kept on the 19th of Sep-
tember. At first he was a Greek monk at Tarsus in Cicilia, and he was consecrated bishop on the 26th of May, 668. He pre- sided over the See of Canterbury for twenty- two years ; and he died A. D. 690.
53 See Rev. Dr. " Lingard's
ments to appended, pp. 34
38.
After a pontificate of fourteen years
Antiquities of the Anglo-Saxon Church," chap, i. , p. 38.
51
and about six months he died in the year 673. See L'Abbe " Histoire Eoclesias-
—
of Scottish
Fleury's
"
episcopacy,
664,
twenty-second
Chapter 11. Kalendars
x
See
Bishop Forbes' saints," p. 303.
—
fc"*
18 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 8.
between the Scots and 2 However, the true cause for promote peac^ Angles.
his retirement was owing to the monks of Fame wishing to adopt the Roman rather than the Irish rite, regarding the tonsure and celebrating of Easter.
Wherefore he brought with him those brothers, who desired a return to Scotia, where further action was intended to be taken. When Colman abandoned that place for his own home, taking with him some of the venerable father Aidan's bones, he left another portion of them in the church of Lindisfame. AvenerableandanamiablemannamedEata,3whohadbeen Abbot in the monastery of Mailros, was appointed superior over those monks,
On his departure, Colman asked and obtained this permission, as a favour from King Oswy ; for, Eata had been one of the twelve Anglo-boys whom Aidan had instructed in Christian discipline, during the early period of his episco- pacy. That king had always entertained a most kind regard for Bishop
Colman, because of his prudence and many virtues. On the departure of Colman, the servant of Christ, Tuda, was appointed bishop over the North- umbrians. He had been educated and consecrated, among the southern Scots. '* He had also come to Northumbria from Scotia, whilst Colman there
presided. Being a good and religious man, he governed only for a short time. 5 Having left some brothers in the church at Lindisfame, Colman went to the Island of Iona.
Although dissenting from his course of religious discipline, yet Bede pays a very high tribute to the genuine merits of this holy man. The subjects,
over whom Colman and his predecessors ruled, manifested their approval of moderationandeconomy. OnthedepartureofColmanandhismonks,few possessionsremainedinthemonastery. Thechurchalonewaswellappointed. Such things as had been found indispensably necessary for a religious estab- lishment alone remained. , The monks never retained money in their posses- sion ; for whatever they received from the rich was distributed among the poor. Cattle were kept solely for monastic use. As those monks only used the church for purposes of prayer, and for hearing God's word preached ; there was no necessity to take measures for the material wants of their house, or to acquire money. Nor had those monks occasion for the support of human
powers. When opportunity permitted, the king himself, with five or six attendants, came to the church, where, having engaged in religious exercises, the company soon departed. If it so happened that the monarch partook of
refreshments, he was always satisfied with the monks' plain and simple daily fare. The whole solicitude felt by these teachers of doctrine had been directed towards serving God and not the world, and towards refreshing their souls and not their bodies. During that time, the monastic profession had been held in great reverence.
Whenever the habit of a cleric or religions had been seen, everywhere its owner was welcomed as a special servant of God. Even if a monk were found on his journey, the people ran with heads inclined to receive the sign of the Cross, or hear some word of benediction from his lips. They even treasured in their recollection all exhortations bestowed on them. On Sundays, the people repaired in crowds to the church or monastery; not for purposes of recreation, but to hear the Word of God announced. If any
*
See Breviariuin Aberdonense, Pars Hye- malis, vol. lvi.
3 He is venerated as a saint, on the 26th
who chose to remain at Lindisfame, when the Scottish brothers left it.
of October, where further
garding him may be found.
re-
5 He was carried off, in the
lence, which spread over England in the year 664.
4
According to Dr. Challenor, this ex-
particulars
great pesti-
pression is interpreted as meaning those "
who dwelt in Munster. See Britannia Sancta," part ii. , p. 76.
August 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 119
priest happened to visit a hamlet, immediately its inhabitants collected together, and desired to hear him treat on heavenly topics. Nor, had the
priest or cleric any other object in visiting villages, than that of preaching, baptising, visiting the sick, or administering to the spiritual wants of the villagers. So far were those missionaries from being actuated by a spirit of avarice, that none of them would accept lands or means for building
monasteries,excepturgedtheretobymeninpower. Thesepracticeswere preserved after Colman's time, in the Northumbrian churches. It is declared
by Venerable Bede, that not only Colman, but many of his disciples, had
been reputed holy. Their miracles and virtues afforded proof of their
beatitude. Not doubting they were sanctified denizens of heaven, the holy
Abbot himself never ceased desiring to imitate their lives, morals and
6 discipline.
Having resolved on his final place for settlement, Colman pn leaving Britain brought with him all the Scots, whom he had collected in the Island
of Lindisfarne, as also about thirty brothers belonging to the Anglian nation, and who had been duly instructed in his monastic discipline. * From Iona, Colman sailed for Ireland, where he retired to a small island, called in the Scotic language Innisboufende, i. e. , the Island of the White Cow. It was
8
situated on a remote part of the Western shore.
The site of Innisbofinde has been determined. This place is now known
as Innisboffin, or Ennisboffin. It is an island and a parish, in the barony of Murisk, at the entrance to Ballynakill harbour, and in the county of Mayo.
According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 9 and the Annals of Clonmacnoise, it is stated, that St. Colman, with other holy men accompanying him, left Lindisfarne, and settled on this island in the year 664. However, according to the Annals of Ulster and of the Four Masters,10 these incidents occurred
11
in 667, or as Ussher states, in 668.
by most of our modern writers. 12 The monastery of this saint was named after
during the Progress of the Ordnance Sur-
of
9 Edited, with a translation, by Benjamin Thorpe, vol. i. , pp. 54 to 57, and vol. ii. , p.
the Island, on which it had been built
the saint, as that of Colman of Inis-bo-finne. The ruins of an ancient church are yet seen there, in the townland of Knocks Near it is a holy well, calledTobar-Flannain. BetweenthetownlandofWestquarterandFawn- more, on this island, is situated Loch Bo-finne, i. e. , the Lake of the White Cow. A local tradition has it, that an enchanted white cow, in Irish Bo- finne—which gave name to the island—is periodically to be seen emerging
6
Baert concludes the foregoing account
in these words:—"
vero
Letter
John O'Dono-
ipsique sancto id accomodare liceat, quod de
Sanctis Episcopis canit Ecclesia ex scrmone
S. Maximi ; cum dicat Scriptura, Gloria
Patris est filius sapiens ; quantae hujus sunt
Junii. Acta S. Colmani,
28, 29.
7" See Venerable Bede's
Appendix, pp.
Historia Eccle- siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iv. , cap. 4,
P- 27°- *"
Discipulis
ejus
vey
1838," vol.
i.
glorise, qui tantorum filiorum sapientia & 30.
deyotione laetatur ? ILcc dicta sunt, ut nemo
miretur, quod Molani conjecturam secutus,
Culmanum, Lindisfarnensem Episcopum,
Sanctorum cu/tu dignum existimaverim. "
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , vii.
,0 See Dr. O'Donovan's Edition, vol. i. ,
pp. 278, 279, and n. (;) ibid.
" See " Primonlia," and Index Chrono-
logicus, at A. D. DCLXVIII.
I2 See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of
Scottish saints," p. 303.
13 For an engraving, representing these
ancient remains, and a description of them, the reader is referred to the account of St. Bactan, or Baodan Mor, Abbot of Inismore, or Inis-bo-finne, in the First Volume of this
work, at the 14th of January, Art. i.
m See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
See a description of it in Letters re-
lating to the Antiquities of the County of Mayo, containing Information collected
These latter dates have been adopted
;
while the church was named from
in
van, dated Westport, July 14th, 1838, pp. 482 to 485.
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 8 .
from its waters. 14 There, St. Colman erected a monastery and established his companions and monks, who were natives of two distinct nations. It is
there
that this foundation took
erected, only a fragment of St. Colman's Abbey now remains. 16
stated,
place
a. d.
667.
buildings
Some differences afterwards arose among the Irish and the Saxon monks ;
when many of the inmates left that monastery, and wandered to certain known
places. Meantime, the Anglo-Saxon brothers appear to have remained during harvest time, and those who had gone returned again when winter approached. The monks desired to use in common, what the English had
garnered. However, Colman found a remedy for such a state of things. Looking around him, for a suitable place in Ireland, where he might erect a
It was so noted for the sanctity of its inhabitants, that in the time of St. Cormac and St. Adamnan, it is said to have been the dwelling for one hundred Saxon, i. e. , English Saints. x 9 This monastery of Mayo became a Bishop's See in course of time, and subse-
quently it was united to the Archbishopric of Tuam.
Colman died in the year 674, observes a calendarist,20 and this agrees
with our best known Annals. 21 in the Chronicle of his Yet, Clonmacnoise,
death is entered at 672, and in the Annals of Ulster at 675. " According to
he selected a
this district belonged, Colman purchased a part, for the erection of his religious establishment ; a condition having been imposed, that the monks, who should settle there, would offer their prayers to God, for the grantor himself. With the aid of that Chief and his retainers, a monastery was there built. The English monks then came to dwell in it, having left Innisbonnde to the Irish. And, even to the time of Bede, Mayo monastery had been
18
monastery,
spot,
called
Mayo.
always occupied by English monks.
Roderick
O'Flaherty,
he died on the 8th of a. d. 23 But Father
Stephen
White
places
his demise about the
year
680 or
690,
24 which must be
a mistake; for elsewhere, we meet with no other account having it so late in
the century. Doubtful regarding the particular St. Colman, which a southern
Irish diocese claims as Patron, a certain writer states, that he is inclined to connect St. Colman of Lindisfarne with Cloyne, rather than his namesake of Kilmacduagh, the latter appearing to have lived and died within the confines of his own diocese. 25 St. Colman of
However,
person from either of them. At the 8th of August, the Martyrology of
2
Donegal 7 enters the name Colman, Bishop of Inis Bofinne, in Conmaicna
mara, in the West of Connaught. This'holy man is entered in the Scottish Calendar, and particularly in that of Drummond,28 at this date. His day has
F«ur Masters," vol. n. i. ,
20 A note Dr. Todd by
(g), p. 279.
15 See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary tion
at such addi- " a. d. 674. This date is added by the
of Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 18.
16 See a Report on this subject by G.
Henry Kinahan, M. R. I. A. , July, 1869, hi "Journal of the Historical and Archoeo- logical Association of Ireland," vol. i. , third series, 1868-69 part «» P- 348.
17 " natur. "
18 Bede says, that even in his time, they lived there in great continence and simpli- city. They were under the rule of a canoni- cal Abbot, after the example of the Holy Fathers.
19 See Archbishop Ussher's " Britanni-
second hand. "
ai See Dr O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 284, 285. * See ibid. n. (c. )
a3 See " Chorographical Description of
West or II-Iar Connaught," 1 18. Edited p.
by James Hardiman, M. R. I. A.
2*
See "Apologia pro Hiberriia,"cap v. , p. 66. 2S See Rev. Courtenay Moore's " Chro- nicies of SS. Colman, and of St. Colman's,
Farahy, Diocese of Cloyne," p. 10.
26
See his Life, at the 24th of November, the date for his feast.
2? Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
Qui lingua Scottorum Magco nomi-
carum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. 212, 213.
xvii. , p. 499.
.
3» "
Apud Hiberniam Natale Sanctorum
:
x s Of all the
1 ? From that to whom Chief,
August,
676.
Cloyne
26 distinct wasja very
says,
August 8. 1 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 1,1
been placed at March 7th by Caraerarius, who marked him Apostle of the Hebrides, as well as of Northumbrian Notwithstanding such an error of statement, it is evident the memory of St. Colman was held in great venera- tion in both Scotias ; but, in the Scotia of his birth he died and was buried.
ArticleII. —St.
answer for me, since all of us on this side coincide in opinion as observers ofecclesiasticaltradition; while,ashavingmanifestlyabetterknowledgeof the Saxon tongue, he can more properly explain what we think on the subject, than I could through an interpreter. " Whereupon, the King
33 See Willelmi Malmesbiriensis Monachi " De Gestis Pontificum Anglorum," lib. iii. ,
sect. 100, p. 214.
38 Although a Scot, he had learned to
approve the Roman practice.
39 Also called Chad, Bishop of London.
His festival occurs on the 7th of January, wherenoticesofhimmaybefoundinthe First Volume of this work, Art. i.
34
" byVenerableBede SinusPhari. "
This denomination has been interpreted
Albus Sinus," according to Ussher, in ""
Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. xvii. , p. 482.
36 She is venerated as a saint, at the 17th of November.
40 See Matthew of Westminster, in Flores Historiarum," at A. D. dclxiii. ,
p. 217.
4I See Venerable Bede's " Historia Ec-
clesiastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , » He was Deacon to Paulinus, Arch- cap. 25, pp. 233, 234. Editio Cantabri-
bishop of York. gise, 1644, fol.
H
ii 4 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 8.
:
invited Wilfrid to speak, and he thus began " We know that Easter as
celebrated by us agrees with that observed by all at Rome, where the
2
Apostles Peter and Paul* lived, taught, suffered and were buried ; this we
have seen practised in Italy and in Gaul, where we have travelled with a desire to study or pray. Wherever the Church of Christ has spread through various nations and languages, in Africa, in Asia, in Egypt, in Greece, in the whole world, we have found one and the same time specified for it, except among the Picts and Britons, living in the two ocean Islands most remote, where
even there are many exceptions from their obstinacy, in foolishly opposing a
" It is
that you wish to consider those labours of ours foolish, when we but follow the example of an Apostle, who was worthy to repose on the bosom of our Lord,whilealltheworldknowsthathiswassuperiorwisdom. " Thensaid
:
Wilfrid " Far be it from us to accuse John of folly, when he desired to
observe the law of Moses literally, Jewish customs prevailing in the churches, while the Apostles were not able to abrogate on a sudden every legal observance, which moreover had a Divine sanction. Wherefore it was necessary, that those images, which had a demoniacal origin, should be repudiated by all those who believed ; and lest scandal might come upon those Jews, who lived among the Gentiles, the latter were obliged to observe many of their rites. Hence it happened, that St. Paul circumcised Timothy ,«3 that he offered sacrifices in the temple, and together with Aquila and Priscilla at Corinth cut off his hair, as a sign he had made a vow. All of
these ceremonies signified little in themselves, but they were done by him, in order to avoid offending the Jews. And, it was for such reason, that the Apostle St. James said to the same St. Paul: 'Thou seest, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews who believe, and, nevertheless, whoareextremelyzealousforlegalobservances. However,notwithstanding such practices of the Apostles in the beginning ; yet now that the Gospel has been plainly preached and believed throughout the world, there is no necessity —yea, it should be unlawful—either to be circumcised or to offer God carnal sacrifices. Therefore it happened, that in charitable compliance with the Jewish custom, St. John celebrated the Paschal solemnity on the fourteenth day of the first month at evening, not regarding whether that day happened to be a Sabbath or any other day of the week. But, as for St. Peter, he preached at
Rome, and considering that our Lord rose from the dead on the first day of the week, therefore giving the world hope likewise of a resurrection, he under- stood that Easter was to be thus celebrated, so that according to the legal precept, the fourteenth day of the Moon of the first month was to be expected, as St. John also did in the East. An—d that day being come, if it so happened,
that the next — was following Sunday
world-wide Afterwards, Colman practice. "
replied :
strange, indeed,
called in the
or first of the week then, at evening of the Sabbath day, he began to
celebrate the Paschal Solemnity. But, if the next day after the fourteenth of the Moon was not Sunday, but the sixteenth, seventeenth, or so following to the
one and twentieth, he waited until Sunday came, and on the Saturday evening before he began the Paschal feast. Thus Easter day, being a Sunday, was ob- servedfromthefifteenthoftheMoonuntiltheoneandtwentieth. Neitherdoes this Evangelical and Apostolical tradition dissolve but fulfil the law, by which the Paschal feast is to be observed from the evening of the fourteenth of the Moon of the first month, until the evening of the one and twentieth Moon of the same month, which observance was imitated by all St. John's successors
42 Their feasts are observed on the 29th « See Acts, xvi. , 3.
of June. ** See his Life, in the Sixth Volume of
the Lord's Scriptures Day,
August 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 1 1 5
after his death, and by the Universal Church throughout the. world. And that such is the true Easter, and alone to be observed by all Christians, hath been, not merely ordained, but confirmed, as an ancient practice, by the First General Nicene Council, as Ecclesiastical History informs us. Wherefore, Colman, it is clear, that you Scots neither follow the example of St. John, however you may pretend, and you directly contradict the tradition of St. Peter ; so that, in observing Easter, you conform neither to the Law nor to the Gospel. For, observing the Paschal time according to the letter of the
Law, St. John disregarded whether or not it happened on the Lord's Day, whereas you keep it only on the Lord's Day. And, St. Peter observed it from the fifteenth to the one-and-twentieth of the Moon ; but you from the fourteenth to the twentieth, in so much as you often begin that solemnity on the thirteenth of the Moon at evening, for which the Law itself gives no sanction. Nor did the Lord Himself, the Author of the Gospel, either eat the ancient Pasch on that day, but on the fourteenth of the Moon at evening, or deliver the Sacrament of the New Law to be observed by the Church. Moreover, by your irregular observance, you sometimes exclude the one and twentieth of the
Moon from your solemnity, which the Law, nevertheless, commands to be celebrated most solemnly. Thus, as I have stated, you agree neither with St. John nor St. Peaer; nor are you conformable either to the Law or to the
" Do
Law and the Gospel when he wrote that Easter should be observed from the fourteenth to the twentieth day ? Or is it to be asserted, that our most reverend father Columba *><> and his successors, men beloved of God, who followed the same order in reference to Easter, thought or acted in any way contrary to the sacred writings ? Moreover, many were the heavenly signs and miracles which bear testimony to their virtues ; wherefore, not doubting their sanctity, I shall not fail to imitate their lives, morals and discipline. "
"
Then Colman
think that
and much lauded in the said Ecclesiastical History, was contrary-wise to the
Gospel. "
replied :
you
Anatolius,
a
holy man,
It is certain Anatolius was a holy and learned man, and
Wilfrid then said :
worthy of all praise, but what relation have you to him, as you do not observe his decrees? For he followed the right rule in having a cycle of nineteen years to regulate the Easter time, which you either ignore, or as observed by thewholeChurchofChrist,youcontemn,asifithadnospecialimportance. He thus computed the fourteenth of the Moon for Easter Sunday, and he acknow- ledged that same day the evening Moon as the fifteenth, after the Egyptian manner. Soalso,henotedthetwentiethforEasterSunday,whenthesame day set, so that it should be taken as the twenty-first. This proves you to be ignorant of a distinctive rule, that sometimes you have Easter day before the full Moon, that is, you have it when it is only thirteen days old. How- ever, regarding your father Columba and his disciples, whose sanctity you proclaim for imitation, and whose rules and precepts you affirm to be attested by heavenly signs, lean answer, that many on the day of judgment shall say to Christ, that in His name they have prophesied, cast out Devils, and wrought miracles, and to whom He shall answer, that He never knew them. Yet, I am very far from applying this to your Fathers, since it is fair that I should believe what is good rather than evil of persons unknown to me. Therefore, I will not deny they had been devout servants of our Lord, and favoured by Him, since with a pious intention and through rustic simplicity, theyservedHim. Myopinionis,thattheirerroneousobservanceofEaster was not prejudicial or dangerous to them, as they had no one to teach them
this Work, at the 9th of June, Art. i. siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iii. , cap. 4* See Venerable Bede's " Historia Eccle- 25, pp. 235, 236.
n6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 8.
more perfect rvjles. And there can hardly be a doubt, had any Catholic skilled in calculation informed them, they would as soon have followed his teaching, since they obeyed those precepts of God which they had learned. Wherefore, if you and your companions henceforth decline to obey the decrees of the Apostolic See—yea, of the Universal Church—and which, moreover, are confirmed by the Holy Scriptures, beyond all question you sin grievously. Even although your fathers were saints, they are too few in number, and living in the corner of a remote Island, to be preferred before the Universal Church, which is spread over the whole world. And, if your Columba—ours also if he be Christ's—had been a saint, powerful in miracles, shall his
46 St. Gregory of Tours and other writers mention the tonsure as existing in the fifth century. The Council of Trullo, held in the year 690 or 692, has allusion to its estab- lishmentin the Greek Church at that time.
" Dictionnaire de
4? This was ordered by St. Peter, accord-
ing to some accounts, so that ecclesiastics
might be distinguished from laymen as well in the manner of wearing their hair as in their style of dress. Others refer the origin of tonsure to a decree of A. u.
is performed by the bishop with a scissors on the cleric while he recites these words
See L'Abbe
of my inheritance and of my cup : it is thou
that wilt restore my inheritance to me. "
Psalms, xv. 5.
Bergier's Theologie," tome iv. , pp. 554, 555.
48
The Rev. Joseph Bingham asserts, that
that of the to whom our Lord said, ' Thou art Apostle,
authority outweigh
Peter,anduponthisrockI willbuildmyChurch,andthegatesofHellshall
not prevail against it : and to thee I will give the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven ? '"
Having thus ended his discourse, the King addressed Bishop Colman and said: "Tellmetruly,werethesewordsspokenbyourLordtoSt. Peter? " ThenColmananswered,thattheyweresospoken. TheKingcontinued:
" Can you produce any proof of such great power having been conferred on your Columba ? " To this query, Colman replied in the negative. Then the
King added " Do you agree on both sides, that such words were spoken :
specially to St. Peter, and that the Keys of Heaven's Gates were given to
him by our Lord ? "
All present signified their assent, whereupon the King
concludedandsaid "AndIalsoassureyou,Ihavenointentiontooppose :
the gaie-keeper of Heaven, but according to my knowledge and power, I will obey his ordinances in all things, and fearing that when I come to Heaven's gates, he who keeps the keys may be displeased with me, while there should be no other to let me in. "
Such words of the King had great weight with the majority of those who
werepresent. Theseapplaudedhisspeech,andtheyresolvedonrelinquishing their former imperfect ritual, and on adopting that rite which had been defended by St. Wilfrids
At this Synod, likewise,*the proper form for tonsure was debated. It is
6
said, that different fashions prevailed in the Eastern and Western Churches. * The Roman custom is held to have been derived from St. Peter, and it was intended to represent that crown of thorns which our Saviour bore, the top of the head alone being shaved, leaving below, but above the forehead and ears, the hair in a circle. *? This form St. Wilfrid derived from St. Dalfinus, theArchbishopofLyons. Anothermannerofwearingthetonsureissaidto have been derived from St. Paul, and this was practised among the Eastern ecclesiastics. *8 It appears to have consisted in shaving from ear to ear.
Ecclesiastics ; The
108. This is now a ceremony, which pre- of the Christian Church," vol. ii. , book vi. ,
Pope Anicetus,
pares the candidate for Holy Orders, and it chap, iv. , sec. 16.
of the Psalmist :
"
The Lord is the portion
the habit of shaving the head in tonsural
fashion was not practised in the time of St.
Jerome, and he quotes the words of the
latter in proof, where he comments on the
Prophet Ezechiel, lib. xiii. , cap. 44. See
"
Origines
Antiquities
August 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 117
Again, there was a custon of shaving nearly the whole head. TJiis latter mode was that prevailing among the Scottish and British monks, while to them any different one seemed an unwarrantable innovation. However, it has been asserted, that in the time of St. Patrick, the Roman tonsure was that form, which had been adopted in Ireland, as read in some ancient Canons j 49 but the date of these has been questioned, as going back to the period of the Irish Apostle. s° Those who followed the Roman rite, in this matter, were pleased to designate the Irish fashion as that adopted by Simon Magus.
Although this dispute about the tonsure was of less importance, still the
Roman Pontiffs had much desired to see it introduced among the Scots and
Britons and this is manifest, from the action of Pope Vitalian^1 who ;
2
would not suffer Theodore,* Archbishop of Canterbury shaved after the
Eastern manner— to come into Britain, until as ordained sub-deacon, he waited four months to have his hair sufficiently grown such length, as might serve to cut it in the form of a crown. There were other smaller differences about external rites, which have not been thought of sufficient consequence to be recorded. Throughout, that conference was conducted with freedom
and decency. 53 However, in all this dispute, so strangely misrepresented and perhaps misconceived by several controversial Protestant writers, nothing transpired to prove that the Scots, Picts or Britons differed in matters of FaithordoctrinefromtheUniversalorRomanChurch. Onthecontrary, while dissenting on the subject of ritual and disciplinary matters, through ignorance or negligence in certain non-essential observances, all sides were believers in the teaching authority of Rome, and its traditions were respected.
CHAPTER II.
ST. COLMAN LEAVES LINDISFARNE AND RETURNS TO IONA—CHARACTER OF COLMAN— HE LEAVES FOR IRELAND—SETTLES AT INNIS-BO-FINDE—DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE IRISH AND SAXON MONKS—THE LATTER REMOVE TO MAYO—DEATH OF ST. COLMAN—
HIS FESTIVAL AND COMMEMORATION—CONCLUSION.
When the Synod dissolved, Agilbert returned to France, and Colman, unwilling to change his opinions and traditions, soon found that both had been discredited by the Saxon king and by the majority of the ecclesiastics.
Inthethird ofhis year
1 whichwasthe
a. d.
of King Oswy's reign, Colman felt himself obliged to abdicate his office in
Northumbria. Hehaddisciples,however,insympathywithhim,andwho resolved to follow his example. The Breviary of Aberdeen states, that in consequence of the envy of the Angles, our saint only presided over them for three years. As we are informed, moreover, Colman did what he could to
49 Thus is the decree read, " Si non more tique," tome viii. , liv. xxxix. , sect, xlviii. ,
romano tonsi * * * * capilli ejus sint,"
paritera laicis contempnentur, etabEcclesia separentur. "—Joachimus Laurentius Villa- nueva's"SanctiPatricii,Ibernorum Apostoli, Synodi, Canones, Opuscula, et Scriptorum quae supersunt, Fragmenta," p. 2.
50 See on this subject some learned com-
p. 529.
& His feast is kept on the 19th of Sep-
tember. At first he was a Greek monk at Tarsus in Cicilia, and he was consecrated bishop on the 26th of May, 668. He pre- sided over the See of Canterbury for twenty- two years ; and he died A. D. 690.
53 See Rev. Dr. " Lingard's
ments to appended, pp. 34
38.
After a pontificate of fourteen years
Antiquities of the Anglo-Saxon Church," chap, i. , p. 38.
51
and about six months he died in the year 673. See L'Abbe " Histoire Eoclesias-
—
of Scottish
Fleury's
"
episcopacy,
664,
twenty-second
Chapter 11. Kalendars
x
See
Bishop Forbes' saints," p. 303.
—
fc"*
18 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 8.
between the Scots and 2 However, the true cause for promote peac^ Angles.
his retirement was owing to the monks of Fame wishing to adopt the Roman rather than the Irish rite, regarding the tonsure and celebrating of Easter.
Wherefore he brought with him those brothers, who desired a return to Scotia, where further action was intended to be taken. When Colman abandoned that place for his own home, taking with him some of the venerable father Aidan's bones, he left another portion of them in the church of Lindisfame. AvenerableandanamiablemannamedEata,3whohadbeen Abbot in the monastery of Mailros, was appointed superior over those monks,
On his departure, Colman asked and obtained this permission, as a favour from King Oswy ; for, Eata had been one of the twelve Anglo-boys whom Aidan had instructed in Christian discipline, during the early period of his episco- pacy. That king had always entertained a most kind regard for Bishop
Colman, because of his prudence and many virtues. On the departure of Colman, the servant of Christ, Tuda, was appointed bishop over the North- umbrians. He had been educated and consecrated, among the southern Scots. '* He had also come to Northumbria from Scotia, whilst Colman there
presided. Being a good and religious man, he governed only for a short time. 5 Having left some brothers in the church at Lindisfame, Colman went to the Island of Iona.
Although dissenting from his course of religious discipline, yet Bede pays a very high tribute to the genuine merits of this holy man. The subjects,
over whom Colman and his predecessors ruled, manifested their approval of moderationandeconomy. OnthedepartureofColmanandhismonks,few possessionsremainedinthemonastery. Thechurchalonewaswellappointed. Such things as had been found indispensably necessary for a religious estab- lishment alone remained. , The monks never retained money in their posses- sion ; for whatever they received from the rich was distributed among the poor. Cattle were kept solely for monastic use. As those monks only used the church for purposes of prayer, and for hearing God's word preached ; there was no necessity to take measures for the material wants of their house, or to acquire money. Nor had those monks occasion for the support of human
powers. When opportunity permitted, the king himself, with five or six attendants, came to the church, where, having engaged in religious exercises, the company soon departed. If it so happened that the monarch partook of
refreshments, he was always satisfied with the monks' plain and simple daily fare. The whole solicitude felt by these teachers of doctrine had been directed towards serving God and not the world, and towards refreshing their souls and not their bodies. During that time, the monastic profession had been held in great reverence.
Whenever the habit of a cleric or religions had been seen, everywhere its owner was welcomed as a special servant of God. Even if a monk were found on his journey, the people ran with heads inclined to receive the sign of the Cross, or hear some word of benediction from his lips. They even treasured in their recollection all exhortations bestowed on them. On Sundays, the people repaired in crowds to the church or monastery; not for purposes of recreation, but to hear the Word of God announced. If any
*
See Breviariuin Aberdonense, Pars Hye- malis, vol. lvi.
3 He is venerated as a saint, on the 26th
who chose to remain at Lindisfame, when the Scottish brothers left it.
of October, where further
garding him may be found.
re-
5 He was carried off, in the
lence, which spread over England in the year 664.
4
According to Dr. Challenor, this ex-
particulars
great pesti-
pression is interpreted as meaning those "
who dwelt in Munster. See Britannia Sancta," part ii. , p. 76.
August 8. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 119
priest happened to visit a hamlet, immediately its inhabitants collected together, and desired to hear him treat on heavenly topics. Nor, had the
priest or cleric any other object in visiting villages, than that of preaching, baptising, visiting the sick, or administering to the spiritual wants of the villagers. So far were those missionaries from being actuated by a spirit of avarice, that none of them would accept lands or means for building
monasteries,excepturgedtheretobymeninpower. Thesepracticeswere preserved after Colman's time, in the Northumbrian churches. It is declared
by Venerable Bede, that not only Colman, but many of his disciples, had
been reputed holy. Their miracles and virtues afforded proof of their
beatitude. Not doubting they were sanctified denizens of heaven, the holy
Abbot himself never ceased desiring to imitate their lives, morals and
6 discipline.
Having resolved on his final place for settlement, Colman pn leaving Britain brought with him all the Scots, whom he had collected in the Island
of Lindisfarne, as also about thirty brothers belonging to the Anglian nation, and who had been duly instructed in his monastic discipline. * From Iona, Colman sailed for Ireland, where he retired to a small island, called in the Scotic language Innisboufende, i. e. , the Island of the White Cow. It was
8
situated on a remote part of the Western shore.
The site of Innisbofinde has been determined. This place is now known
as Innisboffin, or Ennisboffin. It is an island and a parish, in the barony of Murisk, at the entrance to Ballynakill harbour, and in the county of Mayo.
According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 9 and the Annals of Clonmacnoise, it is stated, that St. Colman, with other holy men accompanying him, left Lindisfarne, and settled on this island in the year 664. However, according to the Annals of Ulster and of the Four Masters,10 these incidents occurred
11
in 667, or as Ussher states, in 668.
by most of our modern writers. 12 The monastery of this saint was named after
during the Progress of the Ordnance Sur-
of
9 Edited, with a translation, by Benjamin Thorpe, vol. i. , pp. 54 to 57, and vol. ii. , p.
the Island, on which it had been built
the saint, as that of Colman of Inis-bo-finne. The ruins of an ancient church are yet seen there, in the townland of Knocks Near it is a holy well, calledTobar-Flannain. BetweenthetownlandofWestquarterandFawn- more, on this island, is situated Loch Bo-finne, i. e. , the Lake of the White Cow. A local tradition has it, that an enchanted white cow, in Irish Bo- finne—which gave name to the island—is periodically to be seen emerging
6
Baert concludes the foregoing account
in these words:—"
vero
Letter
John O'Dono-
ipsique sancto id accomodare liceat, quod de
Sanctis Episcopis canit Ecclesia ex scrmone
S. Maximi ; cum dicat Scriptura, Gloria
Patris est filius sapiens ; quantae hujus sunt
Junii. Acta S. Colmani,
28, 29.
7" See Venerable Bede's
Appendix, pp.
Historia Eccle- siastica Gentis Anglorum," lib. iv. , cap. 4,
P- 27°- *"
Discipulis
ejus
vey
1838," vol.
i.
glorise, qui tantorum filiorum sapientia & 30.
deyotione laetatur ? ILcc dicta sunt, ut nemo
miretur, quod Molani conjecturam secutus,
Culmanum, Lindisfarnensem Episcopum,
Sanctorum cu/tu dignum existimaverim. "
See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus ii. , vii.
,0 See Dr. O'Donovan's Edition, vol. i. ,
pp. 278, 279, and n. (;) ibid.
" See " Primonlia," and Index Chrono-
logicus, at A. D. DCLXVIII.
I2 See Bishop Forbes' " Kalendars of
Scottish saints," p. 303.
13 For an engraving, representing these
ancient remains, and a description of them, the reader is referred to the account of St. Bactan, or Baodan Mor, Abbot of Inismore, or Inis-bo-finne, in the First Volume of this
work, at the 14th of January, Art. i.
m See Dr. O'Donovan's " Annals of the
See a description of it in Letters re-
lating to the Antiquities of the County of Mayo, containing Information collected
These latter dates have been adopted
;
while the church was named from
in
van, dated Westport, July 14th, 1838, pp. 482 to 485.
LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [August 8 .
from its waters. 14 There, St. Colman erected a monastery and established his companions and monks, who were natives of two distinct nations. It is
there
that this foundation took
erected, only a fragment of St. Colman's Abbey now remains. 16
stated,
place
a. d.
667.
buildings
Some differences afterwards arose among the Irish and the Saxon monks ;
when many of the inmates left that monastery, and wandered to certain known
places. Meantime, the Anglo-Saxon brothers appear to have remained during harvest time, and those who had gone returned again when winter approached. The monks desired to use in common, what the English had
garnered. However, Colman found a remedy for such a state of things. Looking around him, for a suitable place in Ireland, where he might erect a
It was so noted for the sanctity of its inhabitants, that in the time of St. Cormac and St. Adamnan, it is said to have been the dwelling for one hundred Saxon, i. e. , English Saints. x 9 This monastery of Mayo became a Bishop's See in course of time, and subse-
quently it was united to the Archbishopric of Tuam.
Colman died in the year 674, observes a calendarist,20 and this agrees
with our best known Annals. 21 in the Chronicle of his Yet, Clonmacnoise,
death is entered at 672, and in the Annals of Ulster at 675. " According to
he selected a
this district belonged, Colman purchased a part, for the erection of his religious establishment ; a condition having been imposed, that the monks, who should settle there, would offer their prayers to God, for the grantor himself. With the aid of that Chief and his retainers, a monastery was there built. The English monks then came to dwell in it, having left Innisbonnde to the Irish. And, even to the time of Bede, Mayo monastery had been
18
monastery,
spot,
called
Mayo.
always occupied by English monks.
Roderick
O'Flaherty,
he died on the 8th of a. d. 23 But Father
Stephen
White
places
his demise about the
year
680 or
690,
24 which must be
a mistake; for elsewhere, we meet with no other account having it so late in
the century. Doubtful regarding the particular St. Colman, which a southern
Irish diocese claims as Patron, a certain writer states, that he is inclined to connect St. Colman of Lindisfarne with Cloyne, rather than his namesake of Kilmacduagh, the latter appearing to have lived and died within the confines of his own diocese. 25 St. Colman of
However,
person from either of them. At the 8th of August, the Martyrology of
2
Donegal 7 enters the name Colman, Bishop of Inis Bofinne, in Conmaicna
mara, in the West of Connaught. This'holy man is entered in the Scottish Calendar, and particularly in that of Drummond,28 at this date. His day has
F«ur Masters," vol. n. i. ,
20 A note Dr. Todd by
(g), p. 279.
15 See Lewis' "Topographical Dictionary tion
at such addi- " a. d. 674. This date is added by the
of Ireland," vol. ii. , p. 18.
16 See a Report on this subject by G.
Henry Kinahan, M. R. I. A. , July, 1869, hi "Journal of the Historical and Archoeo- logical Association of Ireland," vol. i. , third series, 1868-69 part «» P- 348.
17 " natur. "
18 Bede says, that even in his time, they lived there in great continence and simpli- city. They were under the rule of a canoni- cal Abbot, after the example of the Holy Fathers.
19 See Archbishop Ussher's " Britanni-
second hand. "
ai See Dr O'Donovan's " Annals of the
Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 284, 285. * See ibid. n. (c. )
a3 See " Chorographical Description of
West or II-Iar Connaught," 1 18. Edited p.
by James Hardiman, M. R. I. A.
2*
See "Apologia pro Hiberriia,"cap v. , p. 66. 2S See Rev. Courtenay Moore's " Chro- nicies of SS. Colman, and of St. Colman's,
Farahy, Diocese of Cloyne," p. 10.
26
See his Life, at the 24th of November, the date for his feast.
2? Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
Qui lingua Scottorum Magco nomi-
carum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates," cap. 212, 213.
xvii. , p. 499.
.
3» "
Apud Hiberniam Natale Sanctorum
:
x s Of all the
1 ? From that to whom Chief,
August,
676.
Cloyne
26 distinct wasja very
says,
August 8. 1 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 1,1
been placed at March 7th by Caraerarius, who marked him Apostle of the Hebrides, as well as of Northumbrian Notwithstanding such an error of statement, it is evident the memory of St. Colman was held in great venera- tion in both Scotias ; but, in the Scotia of his birth he died and was buried.
ArticleII. —St.
