Part 6 (1/2)

This saint was the sixteenth Abbot of Iona. There had been before him another abbot of {97} the same name. Suibhne, p.r.o.nounced ”Sweeney”, is identical with an Irish appellation not uncommon in our day.

25--St. Moluag or Lughaidh, Bishop. A.D. 592.

This saint was born in Ireland and became a monk in the renowned abbey of Bangor. He was so fervent a follower of monastic life that, as St. Bernard testifies, he founded no less than a hundred monasteries. Fired with missionary zeal, he left his native land to preach to the pagans of Scotland. Tradition says that the rock on which he stood detached itself from the Irish coast and became a raft to bear him across the waters to the island of Lismore, in Loch Linnhe, where he landed. St. Moluag converted the people of the island to Christianity, and then moved into Ross-s.h.i.+re, where he built many churches, dedicating them to the Mother of G.o.d.

He lived to extreme old age, and died at Rosemarkie on the Moray Firth. Here he is said by some to have been buried, but his relics must in that case have been afterwards translated to Lismore; for his remains were honoured in the cathedral there, which was H {98} called after him.

Great devotion was shown to this saint in Catholic ages both in Scotland and Ireland. There were many dedications to him in Scotland.

At Lismore, the cathedral of Argyll bore his name. Other churches were dedicated to him at Clatt and Tarland, Aberdeens.h.i.+re; Mortlach, Banffs.h.i.+re; Alyth, Perths.h.i.+re; also in Skye, Mull, Raasay, Tiree, Pabay, Lewis and other islands. An ancient burial ground at Auchterawe, near Fort Augustus, styled Kilmalomaig, is called after this saint. In these dedications his name appears in various forms.

The original Celtic name Lughaidh (p.r.o.nounced _Lua_) became changed, as in many other cases, by the addition of the t.i.tle of honour _mo_, as a prefix, and the endearing suffix _ag_.

At Clatt was held annually for eight days ”St. Mallock's Fair”, and at Tarland ”Luoch Fair”. Others were held at Ruthven (Forfars.h.i.+re) and at Alyth; at the latter place the fair was styled ”St.

Malogue's”. At Mortlach, where some of the saint's relics were preserved, an abbey was founded in 1010 by Malcolm II. in thanksgiving for a victory obtained over the Danes in that place, after the Scottish army {99} had invoked the aid of Our Lady and St.

Moluag. His holy well was nearby.

The crozier of the saint is now in the pos session of the Duke of Argyll; it was long kept by its hereditary custodians, a family named Livingstone, on the island of Lismore. The bell of St. Moluag was in existence up to the sixteenth century; but disappeared at the Reformation. An ancient bell, discovered in 1814 at Kilmichael-Gla.s.sary, Argylls.h.i.+re, has been thought to be the lost treasure. The feast of this saint was restored by Leo XIII. in 1898.

JULY

1--St. Servan or Serf, Bishop, 6th or 8th century.

Much that is legendary has become mixed up with the history of this saint, and it is difficult to fix upon what is authentic.

He founded a monastery at Culross, Fifes.h.i.+re, where he lived in great veneration on {100} account of his virtues and miracles. He is said to have befriended the mother of S. Kentigern when she was cast on the sh.o.r.e near his dwelling, and to have baptised and educated her child. A very ancient life of St. Serf, however, places him a century later than St. Kentigern, and makes him contemporary with St.

Ad.a.m.nan.

On account of the many difficulties presented by conflicting traditions, it has been suggested that two saints of the same name have lived at Culross in different centuries.

St. Serf died at Culross in extreme old age, and was buried there.

Within the grounds belonging to Lord Rosslyn at Dysart is pointed out the cave where the saint is said to have encountered and overcome the devil. The name Dysart (desert), which marked his place of retreat, became afterwards extended to the town which grew up there. The cave of the saint became a favourite place of pilgrimage.

The churches of Monzievaird-Perths.h.i.+re, and Alva-Stirlings.h.i.+re, were dedicated to this saint, and at each place is a well called by his name. Another well of his called ”St. Shear's Well” exists at Dumbarton. All three were {101} considered miraculous. St. Serf's Fairs were formerly held at Culross, Abercorn (Linlithgows.h.i.+re) and Aberlednock (Perths.h.i.+re).

At Culross a custom prevailed from time immemorial for the young men to perambulate the streets in procession, carrying green boughs, on the 1st of July each year. The Town Cross was decorated with garlands and ribbons, and the procession would pa.s.s several times round it before disbanding to spend the day in amus.e.m.e.nts. This was doubtless the remains of a procession in honour of the saint. At the accession of George III. the population, being strong Hanoverians, began to celebrate that King's birthday on June 4th, and to avoid too many public holidays, the procession of July 1st, the signification of which has become lost, was transferred to the King's birthday. It survived the accession of Queen Victoria, but has now probably fallen into disuse.

3--St. Killen, Abbot, A.D. 752.

This saint was the fourteenth Abbot of Iona. The old church of Laggan, near Loch Laggan, Inverness-s.h.i.+re, was dedicated to St.

Killen. {102}

4--St. Maria.n.u.s Scotus, Abbot, A.D. 1088.

The monastery of St. James, Ratisbon, owes its first beginnings to this saint. Most historians are now agreed in maintaining that Maria.n.u.s was a native of Ireland, which for many centuries bore the designation of Scotia. The holy man with several companions entered a Benedictine monastery at Bamberg. Some time afterwards, when on a pilgrimage to Rome, they pa.s.sed through Ratisbon. A holy hermit who was living there persuaded Maria.n.u.s to forego his visit to Rome and take up his abode in Ratisbon. He obeyed the injunction, and founded a monastery in connection with the Church of St. Peter, which the nuns to whom it belonged made over to him.

After the death of Maria.n.u.s a larger abbey was built in honour of St.

James and St. Gertrude which eventually became peopled by Scotsmen, and became, after the Reformation, an important seminary for the education of clergy for mission work in Scotland. This venerable abbey was appropriated by the Bavarian Government about the middle of the nineteenth century, a compensation of L10,000 being paid to the Scots College in Rome. {103}

A valuable MS. consisting of selections from the homilies of the Fathers of the Church, in the actual handwriting of St. Maria.n.u.s himself, was presented to the Benedictine Abbey, Fort-Augustus, by the last survivor of the community of the Scots Monastery, Ratisbon, and is one of the greatest treasures of the Fort-Augustus library.