Celtic and Old English Saints 9 February =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= * St. Teilo of Llandaff * St. Muirdach MacRobartaigh * St. Alto of Altomuenster * St. Cronan the Wise * St. Cuaran the Wise * St. Eingan of Llanengan =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
St. Teilo of Llandaff, Bishop ----------------------------------------------- Born near Penally by Tenby, Pembrokeshire; died c. 580. There is plenty of evidence, both documentary and from place names and dedications, that Saint Teilo was widely venerated in southern Wales and Brittany. (His name may be spelled Teilio, Teilus, Thelian, Teilan, Teilou, Teliou, Elidius, Eliud, Dillo, or Dillon.) He was undoubtedly an influential churchman, whose principal monastic foundation and centre of ministry was Llandeilo Fawr in Carmarthenshire. Some facts are fairly certain. Teilo was educated under Saint Dyfrig (Dubricius; f.d. November 14) and a Paulinus, possibly Paul Aurelian (f.d. March 12) through whom he met Saint David (Dewi).In his school days, his fellows had suggested that his name was derived from the Greek word for the sun and there is no doubt that in his later life he was regarded as a shining light, illuminating and warming the Church in Wales. We are told among other things that Teilo went with Saint David and Saint Paternus (f.d. April 16) on David's pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and with them shares the title of the Three Blessed Visitors to Britain. It is also related that during the 'yellow plague,' so called "because it made everyone it attacked yellow and bloodless," he went to Brittany and stayed with Saint Samson (f.d. July 28) at Dol. There they "planted a big orchard of fruit-trees, three miles long, reaching from Dol to Cai, which is still called after their names." After the time with his friend S.Samson at Dol, he was a guest for a while with Budic, a chieftain of Brittany, who had married his sister Anaumed. After seven years and seven months, he returned to Llandaff taking his nephew Oudoceus with him, who was later to succeed him. ************************************************ Through the prayers of St Teilo and of all the Saints of Wales, Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! ************************************************ Much of the writing about Saint Teilo was composed in the interests of the medieval see of Llandaff, which claimed him as its second bishop. About 1130, Geoffrey (Galfridus), a priest of Llandaff, composed a "vita" of Teilo in the form of a sermon. A longer version of this life, altered to add importance to the diocese of Llandaff, can be found in the "Liber Landavensis." Teilo is co-titular patron of the Llandaff cathedral with Saints Peter, Dubricius, and Oudoceus (Euddogwy). The last-named was Teilo's nephew and successor at Llandaff. The "Gospels of Saint Chad" (f.d. March 2) (written in southwestern Mercia about 700 AD) became the property of a church of Saint Teilo; marginal notes show that in the 9th century Teilo was venerated in southern Wales as the founder of a monastery called the "Familia Teliavi.". The book itself was regarded as belonging to Teilo; the curse of God and the saint is invoked on those who break the agreements contained in it. One of the wise sayings ascribed to S.Teilo is, "It is not good to contend against God", and he is reputed to have answered S.Cadoc's question "What is the greatest wisdom in a man?" with the words, "To refrain from injuring another when he has the power to do so." When the saint died at Llandeilo Fawr the clergy there contended with those of Penally and Llandaff for custody of his body, but eventually they agreed to leave the decision to God. Next morning they found that the one body had become three so they all could claim to have his relics. His biographer makes it quite clear that he believes that the real body went to Llandaff and was translated into the present Cathedral. It lies on the south side of the presbytery, beneath a Norman window, with an effigy of a bishop on top of the tomb, which dates from the fourteenth century. The tomb of Saint Teilo, on which oaths are taken, is in Llandaff Cathedral. It was opened in 1850. Inside it was a record of another opening in 1736: "the person buried appear'd to be a bishop by his Pastorall Staffe and Crotcher." The staff disintegrated but the pewter crozier remained. In medieval times it was the custom to take solemn oaths "upon the tomb of St.Teilo and upon all the holy relics in the same church". Outside of Wales, Teilo's name is especially venerated in Landeleau (diocese of Quimper), Brittany. His feast is still observed in the archdiocese of Cardiff and on Caldey Island (Attwater, Benedictines, Farmer, Husenbeth, Walsh). Troparion of St Teilo tone 4 As a fountain of the true Faith,/ thou didst issue forth the life-giving waters of salvation, O Hierarch Teilo./ Wherefore, we implore thee,/ intercede with Christ our God/ that our souls may be saved. Kontakion of St Teilo tone 1 O teacher of pure doctrine, joy of monastics/ and Dewi Sant's fellow pilgrim to Jerusalem,/ where thou wast elevated to the episcopate, most pious Father Teilo,/ we keep festival in thy honour, praying for grace to follow in thy footsteps. St. Marianus Scotus (Muirdach MacRobartaigh or Muiredach MacGroarty), Abbot ----------------------------------------------- Born in Donegal, Ireland; died 1088. The noble MacRobartaigh family is related to the O'Donnels, who were the hereditary keepers of the Cathach (Battle Book of Colmcille). In 1067, Muirdach set out with some companions on a pilgrimage to Rome. En route he was induced to become a Benedictine at Michelsberg Abbey (near Bamberg), Germany. The pilgrims stopped to rest at a hostel maintained by the local convent. Its abbess, Emma, learned that Muirdach was extraordinarily gifted at producing manuscripts. Using the seemingly irresistible powers of persuasion that all nuns seem to have, he took up her suggestion and migrated to Upper Minster at Regensburg to create the literary treasures of Saint Peter's Church in Regensburg. The most famous of these are the Pauline Epistles that now reside in the Imperial Library at Vienna, Austria. The quality and quantity of his artful productions, which appear inspired by the Holy Spirit gained for him a reputation for sanctity. In 1078, he founded and became the abbot of the abbey of Saint Peter in Regensburg. Having successfully taken charge of the church and abbey attached to it for the task of copying manuscripts, other Irish monks were attracted to the mission. The abbey expanded to the point that, within 10 years, plans were made for another such monastery. In this way, Muirdach originated the congregation of 12 "Scottish," that is, Irish monasteries in southern Germany. (The reason for the term "Scottish" is that it was used from the time of the Romans for the Irish. Even 200 years after the establishment of the Scottish monarchy, the term was commonly used for things Irish. Saint James Abbey, like the ones to follow, was established with funds sent from Ireland. They retained the character and enjoyed privileges normally granted to Irish monasteries. [St. Muirdach's life straddles the Great Schism which cleft Christendom in two] St. Alto of Altomuenster, Abbot ----------------------------------------------- Died c. 760. Alto was an Irish monk, who crossed over into Germany about 743 and settled as a hermit in a forest near Augsburg. King Pepin, hearing of Alto's holiness, gave him the land there on which Alto founded the monastery of Altomuenster in Upper Bavaria. Saint Boniface (f.d. June 5) dedicated its church in 750. In 1000 AD, according to tradition, Alto appeared in a vision to the king of Bavaria and asked him to restore the abbey, which the king did. Altomuenster, which has been a Brigittine abbey for five centuries, still survives (Benedictines, Montague). Saint Alto is represented as a bishop with the Christ-child and a chalice. At times he is shown with Saint Virgilius of Salzburg (f.d. November 27) or Saint Bridget (Roeder). St. Cronan the Wise, Bishop ----------------------------------------------- 8th century (?). The Irish Bishop Saint Cronan is called "the wise" because he systematized Irish canon law. He was a lover of liturgy and modesty. Cronan may be the same person as Bishop Saint Ronan of Lismore (Benedictines, Encyclopaedia). St. Cuaran (Curvinus, Cronan) the Wise, Bishop ----------------------------------------------- Died after 700. Saint Cuaran was another Irish bishop known for his wisdom. He concealed his episcopal status in order to become a simple monk at Iona, where, however, he was recognised by Saint Columba (f.d. June 9) (Benedictines). St. Eingan of Llanengan, Hermit (Einganor Eneon, Einion, Eneon, Anianus) ----------------------------------------------- 6th century (died c. 590); feast day sometimes shown as April 21. The British (or Scotus) prince Saint Eingan or Eneon Bhrenin, left Cumberland for Wales, where he ended his days as a hermit at Llanengan near Bangor. He is said to have been a son of the chieftain Cunedda, whose family claims no less than 50 saints (Benedictines). Sources: ======== Attwater, D. (1983). The Penguin Dictionary of Saints, 2nd edition, revised and updated by Catherine Rachel John. New York: Penguin Books. Attwater, D. (1958). A dictionary of saints. New York: P. J. Kenedy & Sons. [Attwater 2] Baring-Gould, S The Lives of the Saints, 15 volumes: John Hodges, 1882. Benedictine Monks of St. Augustine Abbey, Ramsgate. (1947). The Book of Saints. NY: Macmillan. Benedictine Monks of Saint Augustine Abbey, Ramsgate. (1966). The Book of Saints. NY: Thomas Y. Crowell. Bentley, J. (1986). A Calendar of Saints: The Lives of the Principal Saints of the Christian Year. NY: Facts on File. Coulson, J. (ed.). (1960). The Saints: A Concise Biographical Dictionary. New York: Hawthorn Books. Delaney, J. J. (1983). Pocket Dictionary of Saints, NY: Doubleday Image. Doble, G. H. (1942). Saint Teilo. Encyclopaedia of Catholic Saints, October. (1966). Philadelphia: Chilton Books. Farmer, D. H. (1997). The Oxford Dictionary of Saints. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ford, Edward. Cathedrals, Abbeys and Famous Churches - Llandaff Husenbeth, Rev. F. C., DD, VG (ed.). (1928). Butler's Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints. London: Virtue & Co. Montague, H. P. (1981). The Saints and Martyrs of Ireland. Guildford: Billing & Sons. Roeder, H. (1956). Saints and Their Attributes, Chicago: Henry Regnery. Tabor, M. E. (1908). The Saints in Art with Their Attributes and Symbols Alphabetically Arranged. London: Methuen & Co. Walsh, M. (ed.). (1985). Butler's Lives of the Saints. San Francisco: Harper & Row. White, K. E. (1992). Guide to the Saints, NY: Ivy Books. For All the Saints: http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/ss-index.htm An Alphabetical Index of the Saints of the West http://www.orthodoxengland.btinternet.co.uk/saintsa.htm These Lives are archived at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celt-saints ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
