Qouid Dempster state more regarding him, » Sec O'Sullevan Beare's "Historije
^ See O'Sullevan Beare's
Historice Catholicce Iberniae Compendium," tomus i.
^ See O'Sullevan Beare's
Historice Catholicce Iberniae Compendium," tomus i.
O'Hanlon - Lives of the Irish Saints - v2
51.
See
Rev. Drs. Todd's and Reeves' "
*3
edition of the Martyrology of Donegal,"
PP- 58, 59' —
Article v. See Acta Sanctorum
^ **
Iliberniae," xxvi. Februarii. De S. Aedh-
lugo Abbate de Cluainmicnois, p. 417.
As stated by the BoUandists, Marianus
"" See the BoUandists'
tomus iii. , Februarii xxvi.
Acta Sanctorum," Among the pre-
"
xxvi. Februarii. De S- i^dliliigo Abbate
de Cluainmicnois, nn. 2, 3, p. 417.
9 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
56, 57. *°
See ibid,, pp. 358, 359.
*' See Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hiberni-
carum Scriptores," tomus iv. Annales Ul-
termitted saints, p. 625,
3 Marianus O'Gorman and his Scholiast
have this statement.
* See Rev. Csesar Otway's "Tour in Con-
naught," chap, iii. , p. 71.
The fourteenth
of Domhnall. St. Cronan Mac Ui Loegde, Abbot of Cluain-mic-Nois, died on the l8th
of
July. "
" See " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Colgan's
5 of Christ ''Age
637.
year
—Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of
tonienses, A. D. DOLL, p. 50.
the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 254, 255.
The Annals of Ulster agree with tfiis ac-
count, as to the year. See Dr. O'Conor's
nice,"i. Martii,p. 437,n. 4. Atxxvi. Feb- ruarii, p. 417, it is stated, that our saint died in 551 or 552, and this is again re-
peated, in note 4 ; but, it is quite evident,
these are typographical errors. Yet, relying on such false dates, Archdall tells us, that
"
Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus
iv. Annales Ultonienses, p. 47.
*The "Annals of the Four Masters"
*
makeshimAbbotofCluan-micnoseu. See,
also, Colgan's
Acta Sanctorum Hibernise,"
February 26. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 713
652. ^3 Among the highly interesting monuments, described and so beauti- fully delineated, on stone, by Miss Stokes, there is a fragmentary inscribed cross, with the letters Aed, in the Irish character, and distinctly legible. '* ThiswasfoundatClonmacnois;'5 but,althoughofgreatantiquity,itcannot be proved to record the present abbot's memory.
Article VI. —Reputed Festival of a St. Mathilde, Mathilda, or
Mechtildis, a Scottish Virgin. ^Thirteenth Century. '] Very unsatisfac-
tory are the ensuing notices, we have drawn together, regarding a holy
female, to whose birth Ireland may possibly lay a claim. Dempster' states,
that at the town, Lapiona,^ or Lapion,3 on the 26th of February, was held
the feast of St. Mechtildis, a virgin, and the daughter of a Scottish King, who,
withherbrother,Alexander,-^ despisingthedelightsofthisworld,retiredinto
a wildernesSjS in Gaul. In life and after her death, she was renowned for
miracles. It is said, she addressed a Book to Alexander, and it was designated,
"AdFratremdeMundiContemptu. " Molanus,^JohnofTrittenhem,7and
AntoniusDauroultius,^ have treated concerning this holy virgin, who flourished,
it is stated, about the year 1238. 9 At the present date, the Bollandists
furnish notices of no less than three holy women, named Mathilda or Mech-
thildis. ^° One was a nun of Elpediana, in Saxony ;" one was an Andecensian
virgin,andanabbess,atDiessen;'^ whiletheotherwasanincliisa,atSpan-
heim,'3 where she died, in the odour of sanctity,'* a. d. 1154. A concert of
angels, at this time, was heard. '^ Various visions proclaimed her exalted
favours, and St. Hildegarde, then living, furnished testimony regarding her holiness. ^^ The St. Matilda or Mechtildis, about whom we are treating, at
an Abbot, Oedhlui^h, died at Clonmacnois,
"
Dempster adds,
^ " Catechismus
nisi ea sit alia. "
" Tit. xxiv. ,
on the 26th of
February 551.
—See " Mon-
Historialis,
asticon Hibernicum," p. 380.
'3 See Britannicarum Ecclesiarum An- 9 See Dempster's Historia Ecclesiastica
sect, v. , cap. Iix. ""
tiquitates," cap. xvii,, p. 502, and "Index Gentis Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xii. , num.
Chronologicus," at a. d, dclii. , p. 538.
^'' See tiiat accomplished lady's invaluable artistic and archaeological work, "Christian
Inscriptions in the Irish Language," vol. i. ,
a rubbing taken of the stone, by Rev. James Graves and by W. M. Hennessy, in the
year 1869. —
Article vi. See "Menologium See-
841, p. 449.
^° See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
Februarii xxvi. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 626.
" She is at this in " Kalen- noticed, day,
darium Marianum," of Balinghem, and by
Bucelin. Accordingtosome,herfeastbe-
and
xxix.
*5 It has been drawn by Miss Stokes, from
p. 37,
plate
Fig. 74.
==
According to Matthew Rader, in Ba- varia Sancta. " her feast is on this day.
Others state, she died, on the 31st of May, ^3 Ferrarius seems to confound the present Mechtildis with the Abbess of Diessen, in Bavaria, saying, that she was born in the Baudrand's edition of Ferrarius' "Novum latter place, although she lived at Span-
ticum. " —
^
divided into Swe—- dish, Norwegian and Muscovite lapland
Lappa or Lapponia
is a country of Northern Europe. See
Lexicon Geographicum," tomus i. , p. 407. Yet, the place named represents some town, probably in a more southern part of Europe.
3 In his history, Dempster says, it was near a Cistercian Monastery. See " His- toria Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xii. , num. 841, p. 449.
heim.
''' At this date, Arnold Wion, Hugh
Menard, Gabriel Bucelin and Eugene Dor- gain have her noted as a saint.
*5 Thus Trithemius writes, in his Chro- nicle of Spanheim, and in that of Hirsau- gien. Yet, from his narrative, it does not appear, any public veneration was accorded to her by the church.
4
See notices of him, at the 14th of Ja-
and at the 6th of
nuary, August.
** Her
Eberhard and
•'
5 For this, Thomas de
Cantiprato,
in are
parents,
said, by Trithemius,
Hiltrude, to have lived in the
village of Sponheim, under the castle, and Saints," p. 193. Stephen, Count of Sponheim, for many
See
Bishop Forbes' Kalendars of Scottish her father bravely served in war under
Apiario," lib. ii. , cap. x. , is quoted. "
*
7 In Chronico Hirsaugce, A. D. MCLIV.
In his additions to Usuard.
years.
longs to the 19th of November. ""
714 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February26.
this date, seems rather to have been that holy virgin, Mathilde, respecting whom notices will be found, at the ist of January ; unless, indeed, there be a confusion of names, places, and statements, regarding different holy women, bearing a similar name, and this appears to be no unlikely version of the case.
626.
''
of
is dis-
518.
** Thesamewriter that foolishly remarks,
not only do nol)le Irish names begin with an O, but the Scotch have families similarly dis-
tinguished, as Ogilby, Oliphant, and such like. Yet, no person would be so insane, as he observes, to deny a Scotch descent to such families. See ? '<^? V.
ArticleVII. —St. Ogan,Oghanus,orOgrin,aBishop. TheCar-
thusian— of Hermann Greuen—also known as the Martyrology enlarged
Usuard places St. Oganus, or Ogrinus, a Bishop, in Hibernia, at this date. ' Philip Ferrarius has a similar statement. Canisius and others falsely call
this saint Sophanus, apparently resolved again by a mistake into Stephanus. Besides these varying names, we find the anonymous Catalogue of Irish Saints, published by O'Sullevan Beare, contains the name of St. Ogrinus,' at the 26th of February. In the list of Father Henry Fitzsimons occurs, like- wise, the entry of Ogrinus,3 Bishop, for the same day, and on the authority of Floratius> Dempster tells us, that St. Ogrinus, whose feast he assigns to the 25th of February, was a different person from St. Oganus, venerated at the present or next day, although like the latter a bishop, and leaving Scotia as a pilgrim, for the love of God. The same writer alleges, that he was one of those Scots, who tended the hospitals in Gaul, and which had been built there by their Scottish ancestors. ^ Dempster says, he was one of those holy pilgrims, who through religious zeal was accustomed to visit those places, rendered so venerable on account of our Lord's passion, or the limuia of the Apostles, or who undertook a public mission for the conversion of pagans. It is said, likewise, by some, that he was an Irishman, because, as Dempster avers, he was born in the mountains of Scotia. ^ It is thought, by Colgan, that some corruptions of spelling must have crept into the Martyrologies abroad ; for, in our native Menologies, we do not meet with any of our saints, distinguished under the foregoing titles. If this saint lived beyond the seas, the same writer remarks, that he might properly be called Ogan, as such a name is not unknown in our Annals. 7 If this saint flourished in Ire-
land, perchance Ogrinus and Beganus^ may have been confounded. Properly to identify the present holy man seems to be attended with great difficulty. At the 26th of February, in the anonymous Catalogue of national Saints,
Article vii. —^ See the Bollandists' the year when he flourished being uncertain. '*
"Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Februarii See Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Sco- xxvi. Among the pretermitted saints, p. torum," tomus ii. , lib. xiv. , num. 988, p.
Ogrinus, as a saint
Scotland, tinguished by Dempster, from Oghanus, a saint of Germany, or a saint of Hibernia, as
Ferrarius states.
3 Colf^an thinks, that Ogrinus was spe-
cially venerated at the i8th of February, or at the 1 5ih of December. To the latter date, the Bollandists relegate a future examination of this question. "
have noticed him, in a previous Article, at sit is said, those houses were intended the present day. Colgan thinks it possible, for Scottish pilgrims alone, and the decrees that Oghrin or Ogran may be resolved into of the Council of Meldensis, cap. xl. , are Odhrin or Oghrin, or even into Ogan; as quoted, as authority. The bare name of various saints so called, and Annalistic St. Ogrinus occurs in the German Martyr- entries corresponding, may be found in Irish
ology of Canisius, nor, for want of books, archives. See «7^/fl'. , and nn. 1,2,3. 4.
Qouid Dempster state more regarding him, » Sec O'Sullevan Beare's "Historije
^ See O'Sullevan Beare's
Historice Catholicce Iberniae Compendium," tomus i. ,
lib. iv. , cap xi. , p. 49, and cap. xii. , p. 56.
"
nice," xxvi. Februarii. Dc S. Ogano, alias
Ogrino Eijiscopo, p. 415.
" Said to have been of Ceann-Saile. We
' See Colgan's
Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
February 26. J LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 715
published by O'Sullevan Beare, tlie name, St. Stephanus, is found. In Henry Fitzsimon's list, where he quotes the Carthusian Martyrology, for the same
day, this saint is entered as Sophanus, Bishop. 9 Again, Dempster^° records, that Ogan, a Bishop, and of Scottish race," was venerated in Germany, on the 26th of February. " It also stated, that the Acts of this Ogan—the name again transformed to Ogrin—Bishop and Confessor, were extant,'^ as Cani- sius, Fitzsimon and Ferrarius declare, although Colgan has doubts regarding the authenticity of their information. ^ Now, the name of St. Soghanus^s is entered, in the anonymous Catalogue of national Saints, published by O'SullevanBeare,andatthe26thofFebruary. Atthesameday,inFather Henry Fitzsimon's list of Irish Saints, Soghanus, Bishop, is commemorated.
He cites the Carthusian as the Martyrology,
authority.
various obscurities, and difficulties of reconcilement, are to be found, in the
foregoing notices.
Article VIII. —St. Cronan, of Glinn Assi, Asa, Aesa, or Aosa.
We find a Cornan,^ S. Glinn Asa, is registered, in the Martyrology of Tal- lagh,=' at the 26th of February. Whether the letter S. be here intended to
admit of for speculation,
In the Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman, it would seem, he was set down, at this date, as
Cronanus,Glin-asi. 3 AccordingtotheMartyrologyofDonegal,*onthisday veneration was paid to Cronan, of Glenn-aosa. This place we have not been able to discover.
Article IX. —Reputed Festival of John, Bishop of Constance,
Germany. This holy man is said to have been from Scotia, by Arnold
Wion,^ and Ferrarius,^ while, the English Martyrology makes him a Scotus,3 and a Hibernian. '^ He is stated to have been a disciple of St. Gall,5 the Apostle of Switzerland. Yet, others make him, by family and birth, a native of Rhoetus Curiensis. *^ They state, also, that he was a native of the country, near Constance,7 in Switzerland, of which see he became the bishop. By some of the Continental writers he is styled Beatus f' while this title, or that of Saficfus, is pretermitted, by various other writers. His feast seems to be wanting, in the Breviaries and Kalendars of the Church, at Constance,
mean " a Soggart,
or Sanclus^ ^'a saint,"
the rank of this holy man has not been determined.
is quoted by Dempster. ^^ "
3 See the Bollandists' Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Februarii xxvi. Among the pre- termitted saints, p. 625.
priest,''
may
Catholics Ibernise Compendium," tomusi. , lib. iv,, cap. xi. , p. 49, and cap. xii. , p. 57.
lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. 49, and cap. xii. , p. 57 '
^° See his " Menologium Scoticum. "
Article viii. — This is probably an error for Cronan, the correct name.
" The German Martyrology of Canisius
See his Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xiv. , num. 987, p. 518.
'3 See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
^ Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xvi. *'
Scottish Saints,"
'* See "Acta Sanctorum Ilibernise," xxvi.
Februarii. De S. Ogano, alias Ogrino,
Epibcopo, p. 415.
'5 Dempster states, that some have the
56,57.
Article ix. —'^
pp. See "Lignum Vitix%"
this date. See "
Menologium
Scoticum,"
Life of St. Gall, at the luth of October, ^ "
p. 193.
festival of Soghan and Sophan, Bishops, at
In CatalogusGeneralis Sanctorum. " 3 111 the fust edition.
* In the second edition,
s According to Demochares. See the
xxvii. Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
Scottish Saints," p. 193. Dempster forgets
to mention the foregoing bishops in his nus, Ecclesiastical History.
'" See O SuUevan Beare's " Historiae Catholicse IberniiXi Compendium," tomus i. ,
^ See Theodoras, Abbas Campidonensis, "In Vita S. Magni, sive Magnoaldi, Ma-
^^ It is that evident,
4 Edited Drs. Todd and Reeves, by
lib. ii. , cap. xxxix. -"
See Bruschius, De Episcopis Ger- manise," as also Jacobus ManliusBriganti-
"
by Pistorius.
In Chronico Coustantiensi," edited
7i6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 26.
printed in the sixteenth centiiry. 9 Yet, Henricus Murerus'° styles him Beatus, stating that the day of his death was unknown. He is said to have been the eleventh Bishop of Constance, in the order of succession. Demp- ster, Camerarius, and Henry Fitzsimon, have his festival, at the 15th of December, while Murerus sets it down, for the 25th of the same month. At the present date, the Bollandists place on record the previous statements re- garding him, but conditionally promise, at the 15th or 25th of December, to add other particulars if they could be revealed, in reference to Bishop John's claim, or title, to be included with the beatified. "
Article X. —St. Ethnea, Eithene, Athna, Ethna, Hethna, or Ethni. Nothingispositivelyknown,regardingthefamily,placeortimeof this holy woman. However, her name is found, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the 26th of February, where she is called Ethni. Likewise, in the Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman, at this date, Ethnea, a Virgin, is entered. ^* On the same day. Father John Colgan has a double notice,^ viz. : regarding St. Ethnea, that virgin, who is mentioned with her sister, Fedelmia,^ in St. Patrick's Acts,5 as also in reference to the Blessed Ethnea, a widow, and the mother of the illustrious St. Columkille. ^ He is doubtful, as to whether the present holy Ethnea was one or the other ; for, he contrives to distinguish her from certain Ethneas, named in our Irish Calendars. The fact, that she is styled a virgin, by Marianus O'Gorman, should exclude the notion, that the present saint could have been the mother7 of St. Columba.
If she be that royal convert, mentioned in St. Patrick's Acts, while Probus "
calls her Aethne Alba, or Ethne the White,''^ Jocelyn styles her Etne Rufa, or " Ethne the Ruddy. ^ In the absence of proof, regarding Ethnea, noted
in our Calendars, at the present day, conjectures can alone be hazarded. As we have seen, this noble virgin is thought to have had identity with a Saint
Ethnea, Athna, Ethna, or Hethna,^° whose festival has been already assigned to the nth day of January, where full notices regarding her occur. On the
present day, Eithne, was venerated, as we read in the Martyrology of Done- gal," but nothing more is added, to throw any further light on her history.
gistri," at the 6th of September, and Wala- Iridus Strabo, "In Vita S. Galli. "
^ As by Bruschius, Arnold Wion, &c.
5 Jacobus Manlius, in his work, intituled, "Catalogus Sanctorum indigenarum et ad- venarum Vindonissensis et Constantiensis DicEcesis," has no mention of this Jolm, although towards the end, he even adds
some persons, reputed to be saints there, yet without mention in the canon.
'° "
In Helvetia . ^acra. "
See *'Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
Vidua, p, 416.
4 See the Acts of both, at the nth of
January.
s See St. Patrick's Life, at the 17th of
March.
^
See his Life, at the 9th of June.
^ For further particulars, regarding her, the reader is referred to the Lite of her re-
vSee Colgan's Trias Thaumaturga. " Quinta Vita S. Fatricii, lib. ii. , cap. xiv. , ? • 53.
^ See ibid. Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. Iviii. , p. 77.
^'
Februarii xxvi. Among the pretermitted
saints, pp. 626,—627. '
'°
Article x. Edited by Rev. p. xvi.
Dr.
Kelly,
Thus is she variously named in Henry
* tomus
See the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum,"
" HistoricC Catholicai Ibernite
dium," tomus i. , lib. iv,, cap. xii. , pp. 52, 54.
Februarii xxvi.
the Among pre-
Compen-
iii. ,
termitted saints, p. 625.
3 See " Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," Feb-
ruarii xxvi. De SS. Ethnea et Fedelmia,
VV. , pp. 415, 416, and De B. Ethnea 58, 59.
nowned son.
** "
"
torum Ibernioe. " See O'SuUevan Beare's
Fitzsimon's
Catalogus Aliquorum Sanc-
" Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
February 27. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 717
Ch)ent2-'J>ebentI) lanp of jFebruarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. COMGAN, OR COMDHAN, ABBOT OF GLEANN-USSEN, OR KILLESHIN, QUEEN'S COUNTY.
[POSSIBLY IN THE NINTH CENTURY. }
/^UR primitive saints always remembered, that the Kingdom of Heaven
\^^ was not to be taken, but by violence, according to the admonition of our Divine Redeemer ;' and hence, they regarded self-love as one of their chiefest enemies. By self-denial and by voluntary mortifications, they used violence towards their passions and appetites, while they loved a monastic state, as serving morally and materially to regulate the temper and the will. There, too, they studied to find out their predominant passions, and laboured
to suppress them, by the holy exercises of prayer and penance.
Making due acknowledgments to Father John Colgan, for notices supplied to them, the Bollandists have a brief account referring to this saint, in three paragraphs, —at the present date. ^ His name is written Comgan, in the Book
of Leinster3 and this is the most general form
;
however, it is Com- spelled
dhan, in the Martyrologies. -^ From varioiis sources, Colgan has gleaned what- ever he thought necessary, to compile Acts of the present holy abbot. s However, it must be acknowledged, those sources, for illustration of his Life
and career, are unsatisfactory, and very meagre.
See
Rev. Drs. Todd's and Reeves' "
*3
edition of the Martyrology of Donegal,"
PP- 58, 59' —
Article v. See Acta Sanctorum
^ **
Iliberniae," xxvi. Februarii. De S. Aedh-
lugo Abbate de Cluainmicnois, p. 417.
As stated by the BoUandists, Marianus
"" See the BoUandists'
tomus iii. , Februarii xxvi.
Acta Sanctorum," Among the pre-
"
xxvi. Februarii. De S- i^dliliigo Abbate
de Cluainmicnois, nn. 2, 3, p. 417.
9 Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
56, 57. *°
See ibid,, pp. 358, 359.
*' See Dr. O'Conor's " Rerum Hiberni-
carum Scriptores," tomus iv. Annales Ul-
termitted saints, p. 625,
3 Marianus O'Gorman and his Scholiast
have this statement.
* See Rev. Csesar Otway's "Tour in Con-
naught," chap, iii. , p. 71.
The fourteenth
of Domhnall. St. Cronan Mac Ui Loegde, Abbot of Cluain-mic-Nois, died on the l8th
of
July. "
" See " Acta Sanctorum Hiber- Colgan's
5 of Christ ''Age
637.
year
—Dr. O'Donovan's "Annals of
tonienses, A. D. DOLL, p. 50.
the Four Masters," vol. i. , pp. 254, 255.
The Annals of Ulster agree with tfiis ac-
count, as to the year. See Dr. O'Conor's
nice,"i. Martii,p. 437,n. 4. Atxxvi. Feb- ruarii, p. 417, it is stated, that our saint died in 551 or 552, and this is again re-
peated, in note 4 ; but, it is quite evident,
these are typographical errors. Yet, relying on such false dates, Archdall tells us, that
"
Rerum Hibernicarum Scriptores," tomus
iv. Annales Ultonienses, p. 47.
*The "Annals of the Four Masters"
*
makeshimAbbotofCluan-micnoseu. See,
also, Colgan's
Acta Sanctorum Hibernise,"
February 26. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 713
652. ^3 Among the highly interesting monuments, described and so beauti- fully delineated, on stone, by Miss Stokes, there is a fragmentary inscribed cross, with the letters Aed, in the Irish character, and distinctly legible. '* ThiswasfoundatClonmacnois;'5 but,althoughofgreatantiquity,itcannot be proved to record the present abbot's memory.
Article VI. —Reputed Festival of a St. Mathilde, Mathilda, or
Mechtildis, a Scottish Virgin. ^Thirteenth Century. '] Very unsatisfac-
tory are the ensuing notices, we have drawn together, regarding a holy
female, to whose birth Ireland may possibly lay a claim. Dempster' states,
that at the town, Lapiona,^ or Lapion,3 on the 26th of February, was held
the feast of St. Mechtildis, a virgin, and the daughter of a Scottish King, who,
withherbrother,Alexander,-^ despisingthedelightsofthisworld,retiredinto
a wildernesSjS in Gaul. In life and after her death, she was renowned for
miracles. It is said, she addressed a Book to Alexander, and it was designated,
"AdFratremdeMundiContemptu. " Molanus,^JohnofTrittenhem,7and
AntoniusDauroultius,^ have treated concerning this holy virgin, who flourished,
it is stated, about the year 1238. 9 At the present date, the Bollandists
furnish notices of no less than three holy women, named Mathilda or Mech-
thildis. ^° One was a nun of Elpediana, in Saxony ;" one was an Andecensian
virgin,andanabbess,atDiessen;'^ whiletheotherwasanincliisa,atSpan-
heim,'3 where she died, in the odour of sanctity,'* a. d. 1154. A concert of
angels, at this time, was heard. '^ Various visions proclaimed her exalted
favours, and St. Hildegarde, then living, furnished testimony regarding her holiness. ^^ The St. Matilda or Mechtildis, about whom we are treating, at
an Abbot, Oedhlui^h, died at Clonmacnois,
"
Dempster adds,
^ " Catechismus
nisi ea sit alia. "
" Tit. xxiv. ,
on the 26th of
February 551.
—See " Mon-
Historialis,
asticon Hibernicum," p. 380.
'3 See Britannicarum Ecclesiarum An- 9 See Dempster's Historia Ecclesiastica
sect, v. , cap. Iix. ""
tiquitates," cap. xvii,, p. 502, and "Index Gentis Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xii. , num.
Chronologicus," at a. d, dclii. , p. 538.
^'' See tiiat accomplished lady's invaluable artistic and archaeological work, "Christian
Inscriptions in the Irish Language," vol. i. ,
a rubbing taken of the stone, by Rev. James Graves and by W. M. Hennessy, in the
year 1869. —
Article vi. See "Menologium See-
841, p. 449.
^° See "Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
Februarii xxvi. Among the pretermitted saints, p. 626.
" She is at this in " Kalen- noticed, day,
darium Marianum," of Balinghem, and by
Bucelin. Accordingtosome,herfeastbe-
and
xxix.
*5 It has been drawn by Miss Stokes, from
p. 37,
plate
Fig. 74.
==
According to Matthew Rader, in Ba- varia Sancta. " her feast is on this day.
Others state, she died, on the 31st of May, ^3 Ferrarius seems to confound the present Mechtildis with the Abbess of Diessen, in Bavaria, saying, that she was born in the Baudrand's edition of Ferrarius' "Novum latter place, although she lived at Span-
ticum. " —
^
divided into Swe—- dish, Norwegian and Muscovite lapland
Lappa or Lapponia
is a country of Northern Europe. See
Lexicon Geographicum," tomus i. , p. 407. Yet, the place named represents some town, probably in a more southern part of Europe.
3 In his history, Dempster says, it was near a Cistercian Monastery. See " His- toria Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xii. , num. 841, p. 449.
heim.
''' At this date, Arnold Wion, Hugh
Menard, Gabriel Bucelin and Eugene Dor- gain have her noted as a saint.
*5 Thus Trithemius writes, in his Chro- nicle of Spanheim, and in that of Hirsau- gien. Yet, from his narrative, it does not appear, any public veneration was accorded to her by the church.
4
See notices of him, at the 14th of Ja-
and at the 6th of
nuary, August.
** Her
Eberhard and
•'
5 For this, Thomas de
Cantiprato,
in are
parents,
said, by Trithemius,
Hiltrude, to have lived in the
village of Sponheim, under the castle, and Saints," p. 193. Stephen, Count of Sponheim, for many
See
Bishop Forbes' Kalendars of Scottish her father bravely served in war under
Apiario," lib. ii. , cap. x. , is quoted. "
*
7 In Chronico Hirsaugce, A. D. MCLIV.
In his additions to Usuard.
years.
longs to the 19th of November. ""
714 LIVESOFTHEIRISHSAINTS. [February26.
this date, seems rather to have been that holy virgin, Mathilde, respecting whom notices will be found, at the ist of January ; unless, indeed, there be a confusion of names, places, and statements, regarding different holy women, bearing a similar name, and this appears to be no unlikely version of the case.
626.
''
of
is dis-
518.
** Thesamewriter that foolishly remarks,
not only do nol)le Irish names begin with an O, but the Scotch have families similarly dis-
tinguished, as Ogilby, Oliphant, and such like. Yet, no person would be so insane, as he observes, to deny a Scotch descent to such families. See ? '<^? V.
ArticleVII. —St. Ogan,Oghanus,orOgrin,aBishop. TheCar-
thusian— of Hermann Greuen—also known as the Martyrology enlarged
Usuard places St. Oganus, or Ogrinus, a Bishop, in Hibernia, at this date. ' Philip Ferrarius has a similar statement. Canisius and others falsely call
this saint Sophanus, apparently resolved again by a mistake into Stephanus. Besides these varying names, we find the anonymous Catalogue of Irish Saints, published by O'Sullevan Beare, contains the name of St. Ogrinus,' at the 26th of February. In the list of Father Henry Fitzsimons occurs, like- wise, the entry of Ogrinus,3 Bishop, for the same day, and on the authority of Floratius> Dempster tells us, that St. Ogrinus, whose feast he assigns to the 25th of February, was a different person from St. Oganus, venerated at the present or next day, although like the latter a bishop, and leaving Scotia as a pilgrim, for the love of God. The same writer alleges, that he was one of those Scots, who tended the hospitals in Gaul, and which had been built there by their Scottish ancestors. ^ Dempster says, he was one of those holy pilgrims, who through religious zeal was accustomed to visit those places, rendered so venerable on account of our Lord's passion, or the limuia of the Apostles, or who undertook a public mission for the conversion of pagans. It is said, likewise, by some, that he was an Irishman, because, as Dempster avers, he was born in the mountains of Scotia. ^ It is thought, by Colgan, that some corruptions of spelling must have crept into the Martyrologies abroad ; for, in our native Menologies, we do not meet with any of our saints, distinguished under the foregoing titles. If this saint lived beyond the seas, the same writer remarks, that he might properly be called Ogan, as such a name is not unknown in our Annals. 7 If this saint flourished in Ire-
land, perchance Ogrinus and Beganus^ may have been confounded. Properly to identify the present holy man seems to be attended with great difficulty. At the 26th of February, in the anonymous Catalogue of national Saints,
Article vii. —^ See the Bollandists' the year when he flourished being uncertain. '*
"Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Februarii See Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Sco- xxvi. Among the pretermitted saints, p. torum," tomus ii. , lib. xiv. , num. 988, p.
Ogrinus, as a saint
Scotland, tinguished by Dempster, from Oghanus, a saint of Germany, or a saint of Hibernia, as
Ferrarius states.
3 Colf^an thinks, that Ogrinus was spe-
cially venerated at the i8th of February, or at the 1 5ih of December. To the latter date, the Bollandists relegate a future examination of this question. "
have noticed him, in a previous Article, at sit is said, those houses were intended the present day. Colgan thinks it possible, for Scottish pilgrims alone, and the decrees that Oghrin or Ogran may be resolved into of the Council of Meldensis, cap. xl. , are Odhrin or Oghrin, or even into Ogan; as quoted, as authority. The bare name of various saints so called, and Annalistic St. Ogrinus occurs in the German Martyr- entries corresponding, may be found in Irish
ology of Canisius, nor, for want of books, archives. See «7^/fl'. , and nn. 1,2,3. 4.
Qouid Dempster state more regarding him, » Sec O'Sullevan Beare's "Historije
^ See O'Sullevan Beare's
Historice Catholicce Iberniae Compendium," tomus i. ,
lib. iv. , cap xi. , p. 49, and cap. xii. , p. 56.
"
nice," xxvi. Februarii. Dc S. Ogano, alias
Ogrino Eijiscopo, p. 415.
" Said to have been of Ceann-Saile. We
' See Colgan's
Acta Sanctorum Hiber-
February 26. J LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 715
published by O'Sullevan Beare, tlie name, St. Stephanus, is found. In Henry Fitzsimon's list, where he quotes the Carthusian Martyrology, for the same
day, this saint is entered as Sophanus, Bishop. 9 Again, Dempster^° records, that Ogan, a Bishop, and of Scottish race," was venerated in Germany, on the 26th of February. " It also stated, that the Acts of this Ogan—the name again transformed to Ogrin—Bishop and Confessor, were extant,'^ as Cani- sius, Fitzsimon and Ferrarius declare, although Colgan has doubts regarding the authenticity of their information. ^ Now, the name of St. Soghanus^s is entered, in the anonymous Catalogue of national Saints, published by O'SullevanBeare,andatthe26thofFebruary. Atthesameday,inFather Henry Fitzsimon's list of Irish Saints, Soghanus, Bishop, is commemorated.
He cites the Carthusian as the Martyrology,
authority.
various obscurities, and difficulties of reconcilement, are to be found, in the
foregoing notices.
Article VIII. —St. Cronan, of Glinn Assi, Asa, Aesa, or Aosa.
We find a Cornan,^ S. Glinn Asa, is registered, in the Martyrology of Tal- lagh,=' at the 26th of February. Whether the letter S. be here intended to
admit of for speculation,
In the Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman, it would seem, he was set down, at this date, as
Cronanus,Glin-asi. 3 AccordingtotheMartyrologyofDonegal,*onthisday veneration was paid to Cronan, of Glenn-aosa. This place we have not been able to discover.
Article IX. —Reputed Festival of John, Bishop of Constance,
Germany. This holy man is said to have been from Scotia, by Arnold
Wion,^ and Ferrarius,^ while, the English Martyrology makes him a Scotus,3 and a Hibernian. '^ He is stated to have been a disciple of St. Gall,5 the Apostle of Switzerland. Yet, others make him, by family and birth, a native of Rhoetus Curiensis. *^ They state, also, that he was a native of the country, near Constance,7 in Switzerland, of which see he became the bishop. By some of the Continental writers he is styled Beatus f' while this title, or that of Saficfus, is pretermitted, by various other writers. His feast seems to be wanting, in the Breviaries and Kalendars of the Church, at Constance,
mean " a Soggart,
or Sanclus^ ^'a saint,"
the rank of this holy man has not been determined.
is quoted by Dempster. ^^ "
3 See the Bollandists' Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. , Februarii xxvi. Among the pre- termitted saints, p. 625.
priest,''
may
Catholics Ibernise Compendium," tomusi. , lib. iv,, cap. xi. , p. 49, and cap. xii. , p. 57.
lib. iv. , cap. xi. , p. 49, and cap. xii. , p. 57 '
^° See his " Menologium Scoticum. "
Article viii. — This is probably an error for Cronan, the correct name.
" The German Martyrology of Canisius
See his Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Scotorum," tomus ii. , lib. xiv. , num. 987, p. 518.
'3 See Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
^ Edited by Rev. Dr. Kelly, p. xvi. *'
Scottish Saints,"
'* See "Acta Sanctorum Ilibernise," xxvi.
Februarii. De S. Ogano, alias Ogrino,
Epibcopo, p. 415.
'5 Dempster states, that some have the
56,57.
Article ix. —'^
pp. See "Lignum Vitix%"
this date. See "
Menologium
Scoticum,"
Life of St. Gall, at the luth of October, ^ "
p. 193.
festival of Soghan and Sophan, Bishops, at
In CatalogusGeneralis Sanctorum. " 3 111 the fust edition.
* In the second edition,
s According to Demochares. See the
xxvii. Bishop Forbes' "Kalendars of
Scottish Saints," p. 193. Dempster forgets
to mention the foregoing bishops in his nus, Ecclesiastical History.
'" See O SuUevan Beare's " Historiae Catholicse IberniiXi Compendium," tomus i. ,
^ See Theodoras, Abbas Campidonensis, "In Vita S. Magni, sive Magnoaldi, Ma-
^^ It is that evident,
4 Edited Drs. Todd and Reeves, by
lib. ii. , cap. xxxix. -"
See Bruschius, De Episcopis Ger- manise," as also Jacobus ManliusBriganti-
"
by Pistorius.
In Chronico Coustantiensi," edited
7i6 LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. [February 26.
printed in the sixteenth centiiry. 9 Yet, Henricus Murerus'° styles him Beatus, stating that the day of his death was unknown. He is said to have been the eleventh Bishop of Constance, in the order of succession. Demp- ster, Camerarius, and Henry Fitzsimon, have his festival, at the 15th of December, while Murerus sets it down, for the 25th of the same month. At the present date, the Bollandists place on record the previous statements re- garding him, but conditionally promise, at the 15th or 25th of December, to add other particulars if they could be revealed, in reference to Bishop John's claim, or title, to be included with the beatified. "
Article X. —St. Ethnea, Eithene, Athna, Ethna, Hethna, or Ethni. Nothingispositivelyknown,regardingthefamily,placeortimeof this holy woman. However, her name is found, in the Martyrology of Tallagh,' at the 26th of February, where she is called Ethni. Likewise, in the Martyrology of Marianus O'Gorman, at this date, Ethnea, a Virgin, is entered. ^* On the same day. Father John Colgan has a double notice,^ viz. : regarding St. Ethnea, that virgin, who is mentioned with her sister, Fedelmia,^ in St. Patrick's Acts,5 as also in reference to the Blessed Ethnea, a widow, and the mother of the illustrious St. Columkille. ^ He is doubtful, as to whether the present holy Ethnea was one or the other ; for, he contrives to distinguish her from certain Ethneas, named in our Irish Calendars. The fact, that she is styled a virgin, by Marianus O'Gorman, should exclude the notion, that the present saint could have been the mother7 of St. Columba.
If she be that royal convert, mentioned in St. Patrick's Acts, while Probus "
calls her Aethne Alba, or Ethne the White,''^ Jocelyn styles her Etne Rufa, or " Ethne the Ruddy. ^ In the absence of proof, regarding Ethnea, noted
in our Calendars, at the present day, conjectures can alone be hazarded. As we have seen, this noble virgin is thought to have had identity with a Saint
Ethnea, Athna, Ethna, or Hethna,^° whose festival has been already assigned to the nth day of January, where full notices regarding her occur. On the
present day, Eithne, was venerated, as we read in the Martyrology of Done- gal," but nothing more is added, to throw any further light on her history.
gistri," at the 6th of September, and Wala- Iridus Strabo, "In Vita S. Galli. "
^ As by Bruschius, Arnold Wion, &c.
5 Jacobus Manlius, in his work, intituled, "Catalogus Sanctorum indigenarum et ad- venarum Vindonissensis et Constantiensis DicEcesis," has no mention of this Jolm, although towards the end, he even adds
some persons, reputed to be saints there, yet without mention in the canon.
'° "
In Helvetia . ^acra. "
See *'Acta Sanctorum," tomus iii. ,
Vidua, p, 416.
4 See the Acts of both, at the nth of
January.
s See St. Patrick's Life, at the 17th of
March.
^
See his Life, at the 9th of June.
^ For further particulars, regarding her, the reader is referred to the Lite of her re-
vSee Colgan's Trias Thaumaturga. " Quinta Vita S. Fatricii, lib. ii. , cap. xiv. , ? • 53.
^ See ibid. Sexta Vita S. Patricii, cap. Iviii. , p. 77.
^'
Februarii xxvi. Among the pretermitted
saints, pp. 626,—627. '
'°
Article x. Edited by Rev. p. xvi.
Dr.
Kelly,
Thus is she variously named in Henry
* tomus
See the Bollandists' "Acta Sanctorum,"
" HistoricC Catholicai Ibernite
dium," tomus i. , lib. iv,, cap. xii. , pp. 52, 54.
Februarii xxvi.
the Among pre-
Compen-
iii. ,
termitted saints, p. 625.
3 See " Acta Sanctorum Hiberniae," Feb-
ruarii xxvi. De SS. Ethnea et Fedelmia,
VV. , pp. 415, 416, and De B. Ethnea 58, 59.
nowned son.
** "
"
torum Ibernioe. " See O'SuUevan Beare's
Fitzsimon's
Catalogus Aliquorum Sanc-
" Edited by Drs. Todd and Reeves, pp.
February 27. ] LIVES OF THE IRISH SAINTS. 717
Ch)ent2-'J>ebentI) lanp of jFebruarp*
ARTICLE I. —ST. COMGAN, OR COMDHAN, ABBOT OF GLEANN-USSEN, OR KILLESHIN, QUEEN'S COUNTY.
[POSSIBLY IN THE NINTH CENTURY. }
/^UR primitive saints always remembered, that the Kingdom of Heaven
\^^ was not to be taken, but by violence, according to the admonition of our Divine Redeemer ;' and hence, they regarded self-love as one of their chiefest enemies. By self-denial and by voluntary mortifications, they used violence towards their passions and appetites, while they loved a monastic state, as serving morally and materially to regulate the temper and the will. There, too, they studied to find out their predominant passions, and laboured
to suppress them, by the holy exercises of prayer and penance.
Making due acknowledgments to Father John Colgan, for notices supplied to them, the Bollandists have a brief account referring to this saint, in three paragraphs, —at the present date. ^ His name is written Comgan, in the Book
of Leinster3 and this is the most general form
;
however, it is Com- spelled
dhan, in the Martyrologies. -^ From varioiis sources, Colgan has gleaned what- ever he thought necessary, to compile Acts of the present holy abbot. s However, it must be acknowledged, those sources, for illustration of his Life
and career, are unsatisfactory, and very meagre.
