Celtic and Old English Saints 29 August =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= * St. Fiacre of Breuil, & Kilfiachra * St. Sebbi of the East Saxons * St. Edwold of Carne * St. Velleicus of Kaiserswerth * St. Winnoc of Rath-Easpuic Innic =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
St. Fiacre of Breuil, & Kilfiachra (Ireland) (Fiachra, Fiaker, Fiacrius, Fialer, Fevre) ------------------------------------------------- Born in Ireland; died c. 670; feast day formerly August 30. The Irish hermit of Kilfiachra, Saint Fiacre, migrated to Gaul about 626 where he was given hospitality and a piece of land by Saint Faro (f.d. October 28) at Meaux, which was part of his own patrimony. Tradition has it that Bishop Faro offered him as much land as he could turn up in a day, and that Fiacre, instead of using a plough, drove furrows into the ground with the point of his staff. He cleared the land of tree and briars, made himself a cell and garden, and built an oratory to the Blessed Virgin. Thus, Fiacre's hermitage arose, which became the abbey of Breuil to house his many disciples, and a hospice for travellers. Although many sought his advice, and the poor and sick looked to him for relief, he strictly guarded his hermitage and chapel from women. Stories are told about the fates of those females who trespassed--even after his death. There was a persistent tradition that Fiacre had been offered and declined the throne of Scotia (Ireland). He has one of the strongest cults in France, one that had already started within his own lifetime because of his extraordinary sanctity, concern for the poor and suffering, and remarkable cures. His chapel and shrine, eventually at Meaux, were much visited by those seeking healings, especially those suffering from haemorrhoids. After the Battle of Agincourt, Henry V allowed his soldiers to pillage Fiacre's shrine, but the cart bearing his relics could not be moved beyond the boundary of Fiacre's monastery. It is said that Henry died of haemorrhoids on the Feast of Saint Fiacre. Three towns (in Brie, Plougat, and Brittany) bear his name, as do 30 churches in France. He has another shrine in Ireland at Kilkenny, and Saint Fickers Bay near Aberdeen, Scotland, also bears his name as does a church a few miles away. When cabs for hire first appeared in Paris in 1620, their stand was close by the Hotel Saint-Fiacre: from this came the French "fiacre" for a taxi. Thus, the name of an Irish saint is perpetuated in the French language (Attwater, Benedictines, Encyclopaedia, Montague, White). In art, Saint Fiacre is portrayed as an abbot carrying a shovel. He might also be shown in a Benedictine habit with a heavy staff, interceding for the sick, with pilgrims in the background, and a basket of vegetables in the foreground (Roeder). He is venerated at Kilfiacha, Ireland, and Saint Fiacre at Seine-et-Marne, France. He is the patron of cabdrivers, gardeners, florists, trellis-makers, boxmakers, brass-beaters, coppersmiths, lead-founders, needle-makers, hosiers, tile-makers, and potters. He is also the protector of field and garden fruits (because of the vegetables he grew around his hermitage), and invoked against fistula, haemorrhoids, tumours, colic, headache, sterility, and sickness (Roeder). Brief Life of the Gardener Saint by Richard Marius http://tinyurl.com/jrqhz A Garden Plaque, and other scraps of information on St. Fiacre: http://saintspreserved.com/fiacre.htm St. Sebbi, King of the East Saxons, Monk of London (Sebba, Sebbe) -------------------------------------------------------- Died c. 694. Sebbe, king of the East Saxons (Essex, Hertfordshire, and London) during the time of the Heptarchy, was the uncle of King Sighere who married Saint Osyth (f.d. October 7). He sustained Bishop Jaruman of Mercia in his evangelization of his people after the apostasy of Sighere. After reigning for 30 years (664-694), Sebbe retired to London where he lived as a hermit, known for his prayers, penance, and almsgiving. Saint Bede (f.d. May 25) gives an account of his dignified death. Sebbe was buried in Old Saint Paul's in London by the north wall. He is reputed to have built the first monastery at Westminster (Attwater, Benedictines, Encyclopaedia, Farmer). St. Edwold, King and Hermit of Carne, Dorsetshire, England, Brother of Saint Edmund the Martyr -------------------------------------------------------- Died 871; Farmer gives him two feast days: August 29 and the feast of his translation, August 12. Saint Edwold is reputed to be the brother of Saint Edmund the Martyr, king of East Anglia. He lived on bread and water as a penitential recluse near Cerne in Dorsetshire. He worked many miracles and was buried in his cell near which the abbey of Saint Peter's was built. His relics were later translated into its church (Benedictines, Encyclopaedia, Farmer). St. Velleicus (Willeic) of Kaiserswerth, Abbot -------------------------------------------------------- 8th century. The Anglo-Saxon Saint Velleicus, disciple of Saint Swithbert (f.d. March 1), helped to evangelize Germany and later became abbot of Kaiserwerth on the Rhein (Benedictines, Encyclopaedia). St. Winnoc (Uindic) of Rath-Easpuic Innic ------------------------------------------------- Also on this day, 29 August, O'Hanlon lists the commemoration of St Winnoc, an early disciple of St Patrick and relates this miracle from The Acts of St Patrick: WHEN with indomitable zeal, St. Patrick preached the word of God throughout Ireland, he found there numerous disciples, who accepted his teaching and profited by his example. Their names are also recorded in the lists of our National Saints ; although, indeed, their acts seem discoverable in many instances, only as episodes among those given in Lives of the great Apostle. An instance occurs in the case of the present holy man. By Colgan, he is styled St. Uindic, Bishop of Rath-Easpuic Innic. He is also called Winnoc. In O'Sullevan Beare's Catalogue, this Saint's name is likewise entered. However, very little is known regarding his early history,or the place where he was born, He flourished in the fifth century. This Saint is registered as one of St. Patrick's disciples ; but, when he became attached to the Irish apostle is uncertain. The following anecdote has been preserved for us, in the Acts of St. Patrick, and, it serves to give us an idea, that while a confidential friend and esteemed highly by the great Patriarch of the Irish Church, Winnoc well deserved that trust, owing to his spirit of devotion and true humility. At one time, St. Patrick and St. Winnoc sat together, when engaged at a religious conference. While speaking of the Deity, and of things which especially concerned Him, these holy councillors referred to the Divine precept of charity, and they remarked that both by word and work were they bound to part with their garments, to clothe persons, who were in need of such comforts. At that moment, a cloak appeared to descend from Heaven, and it fell between them. This portent they regarded, both as an approval of their pronounced sentiments, on the part of the Most High, and as an earnest of those rewards, which they should not fail in obtaining, from the Father of lights, to recompense their future sacrifices. The saints felt greatly rejoiced and comforted ; but their minds were filled with divergent opinions, regarding that miracle. Each one ascribed it to the other's merits. St. Patrick asserted, that this gift was intended for Winnoc who had perfectly renounced all his worldly possessions, for the sake of Christ. On the other hand, St. Winnoc alleged, that it had been sent to St. Patrick, who, although possessing everything yet kept nothing ; for, he had left himself naked for God's sake, while clothing numbers, who were poor and naked. While such discussions, dictated by sincere humility on both sides, continued, the cloak was again elevated towards Heaven, and it suddenly disappeared. But, in its stead, two cloaks were next seen to descend from above. These were intended respectively for both Saints ; and thus, all reason for future discussion on that point was removed, owing to this celestial indication, that both were eminently deserving Divine approbation. O'Hanlon, Lives of The Irish Saints, Vol 8. http://www.archive.org/details/livesofirishsain08ohanuoft Sources: ======== Attwater, D. (1983). The Penguin Dictionary of Saints, NY: Penguin Books. Benedictine Monks of St. Augustine Abbey, Ramsgate. (1947). The Book of Saints. NY: Macmillan. Encyclopaedia of Catholic Saints, August. (1966). Philadelphia: Chilton Books. Farmer, D. H. (1997). The Oxford Dictionary of Saints. Oxford: Oxford University Press. For All the Saints: http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/ss-index.htm These Lives are archived at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celt-saints *****************************************
