Celtic and Old English Saints 17 October =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= * St. Louthiern of Cornwall * St. Nothelm of Canterbury * St. Colman of Kilroot * St. Ethelbert and St. Ethelred of Kent =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
St.Louthiern of Cornwall, Bishop -------------------------------------------------------------- 6th century. The Irish Saint Louthiern, patron of Saint Ludgvan in Cornwall, may be identical to Saint Luchtighern (f.d. April 28), abbot of Ennistymon, who is associated with Saint Ita (f.d. January 15) (Benedictines). Troparion of St Louthiern tone 1 Both in Ireland and in Cornwall thou didst win many souls for Christ/ by preaching and witness, O Father Louthiern./ Wherefore as we seek to emulate thy holy example, O Saint, beseech Christ our God that He both bless us and grant us His great mercy. St. Nothelm of Canterbury, Bishop -------------------------------------------------------------- Died c. 740. A priest in London, he was named archbishop of Canterbury in 734. In his preface to his "Ecclesiastical History," the historian the Venerable Bede (f.d. May 27) acknowledges that the chief authority for his work was Abbot Albinus, who passed along to him the recollections of Nothelm, including the research Nothelm had done in Roman archives on the history of Kent and adjacent areas. Nothelm was also a correspondent of Saint Boniface (f.d. June 5) (Benedictines, Delaney). St. Colman of Kilroot, Bishop -------------------------------------------------------------- 6th century. Bishop Colman of Kilroot, near Carrickfergus, was a disciple of Saint Ailbe of Emly (f.d. September 12). He retained his abbacy while also in the episcopal chair (Benedictines). Kill-Ruaidh, called in mediaeval records, Kilroigh, Kilruaigh, Kilroe, and Kilrothe, gave name to the present parish of Kilroot. The "Felire of Oengus" mentions St. Colman in connection with this church on the 16th of October : "Colman of Kill-Ruaidh," and the " Gloss" adds : "Colman, bishop, son of Cathbadh, of Kill-Ruaidh, on the bank of Loch-Laig, in Ulidia " and the " Martyrology of Donegal" also writes, on the same day : "Colman, bishop of Kill-Ruaidh, in Dal-Araidhe, on the brink of Loch Laoigh, in Uladh." Lough-Laoigh was not Lough-Neagh, as Archdall supposes, but the modern Belfast Lough. Close upon its Antrim coast, in the townland Kilroot) is a churchyard of the same name, which still retains some traces of the ancient church. From the " Life of St. Mac Nisse" we learn that St. Colman was still a boy whilst this saint was bishop of Connor. He is there called "Colmanus Episcopus, qui Ecclesiam nomine Kellruaid fundavit" (Acta SS. Bolland, Sept. I, 665) ; and the learned Franciscan, Ward, adds the note : " S. Colmanus fuit Episcopus Kill-Ruadhensis, quae nunc obsoleta sedes est in Aradeorum regione (i.e., Dalaradia) ad oram stagni Juvenci vulgo Loch-Laodh in Ultonia ubi ejus festum tamquam patroni colitur xvi. Octobris." The "Annals of the Four Masters" and the "Annals of Ulster" record, at 1122, that Connor Mac Lochlin, with an army from Tyrone, laid waste " Kill-Ruaidh, in Ulster," and carried away great spoil. >From the " Life of St. Ailbhe, of Emly" we glean .a few interesting particulars regarding the first foundation of this ancient church. It is stated there that, " St. Ailbhe, like an industrious bee with its load of honey, returned from Rome, under the Divine guidance, to his native Ireland. And when he arrived at the sea he blessed it, and, with a breathless calm, he and his whole company crossed its waters in a frail ship uninjured, and landed on the north coast of Ireland. And there, at Ailbhe's order, one of his disciples called Colman, founded a church named Cill-ruaidh. And whereas the spot was unprovided with fresh water, St. Ailbhe blessed a stone, in the name of God omnipotent, and forthwith there gushed from it a stream of water. Then said St. Colman to Ailbhe, " The water is scanty ;" to whom Ailbhe replied : " Though the water is scanty, it will never fail; but will be a running stream as long as the world lasts." Therefore the name of the stream is called Buanan Cylle Ruayd, i.e, the " Unfailing Stream of Kill-ruaidh." (Codex Kilken. Marsh's Libr. fol 136, b). The Irish Franciscan, Father MacCana, visited the spot about 1640, and closed his " Itinerary" with the following note regarding it: "Not far from Carrickfergus, on the east, is the church of Kill-ruaidh, which the English call Killread. In all times it was celebrated, and, even in my time, and that of my forefathers, it was always one of the residences of the bishops of Connor. The church was endowed in former ages with very ample possessions, and, even in my day, it was provided with no mean appurtenances. Of this place mention is made in the ' Life of St. Albeus.' " (See Ulster Journal of Arch, ii, 59.) Monasicon Hibernicum; or A Short Account of the Ancient Monasteries of Ireland , The Irish Ecclesiastical Record, Vol 5, 1869 http://www.archive.org/details/irishecclesiasti05dubluoft Troparion of St Colman of Kilroot tone 1 Thou hast shown thyself to be a teacher of the Faith,/ guide of monastics and bright star of the Church, O Hierarch Colman./ Wherefore we cry to thee to intercede with Christ our God/ that He will save our souls. St. Ethelbert (Aedilberct, Ethelbricht) and St. Ethelred of Kent Martyrs -------------------------------------------------------------- Died c. 640-670; this is the feast of the translation of their relics. These are the sons of Ermenred and great-grandsons of King Saint Ethelbert of Kent (f.d. February 24), who were cruelly murdered by King Egbert of Kent's counsellor, Thunor, at Eastry (near Sandwich). Egbert was held accountable for the assassinations and founded Minster Abbey as a penance. Here their sister, Saint Ermenburga (f.d. November 19) was founding abbess of the convent. Saint Bede (f.d. May 25) does not mention them, and the source that does, leaves them unnamed. Apparently, there was competition for their relics, which were translated to Wakering in Essex. Finally, in the 10th century, Saint Oswald (f.d. February 28) enshrined their relics at Ramsey abbey in Huntingdonshire, where they are venerated (Attwater, Benedictines, Farmer). In art, this pair is portrayed as royal brothers, sometimes with swords (Roeder). They are also venerated at Canterbury (Farmer). 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