ON ST. MACCARTHENNUS, BISHOP AND CONFESSOR,
AT CLOGHER IN IRELAND,
IN THE YEAR DVI.
PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY.
His cult and Acts.
Maccarthannus, bishop in Ireland (S.)
P. B.
Of this holy prelate the Reverend Father John Colgan treated of set purpose in the Acts of the Saints of Ireland on the XXIV day of March, The Saint's cult, on which day we, placing him among those passed over, deferred him to this XV of August, likewise sacred to his memory; in case perhaps we might meanwhile obtain, as was noted there, his complete Acts, which Colgan published from our Salamanca manuscript in an acephalous state, or others better than these, which are not altogether trustworthy. Now therefore, being cast down from this hope, we are compelled to bring forward not what we should prefer, but what we can, and as briefly as we can, cutting away those things which the praised author laboriously collected concerning the Saint's family and genealogy from Irish records that not rarely vary, in the Appendix to his Acts. Yet for the knowledge and distinguishing of him it seems above all to be observed that, although he had of old in Ireland not one name but four (namely Aedh or Aidus, Ferdachrich, Kerthennus or Caerthennus, and Maccarthennus or Maccaerthennius), this last alone is now known by common usage, however variously expressed in different places; and since by this name he is not sufficiently distinguished from his own brother or from others of the same name, there is generally added the title of the church over which he alone of this name presided as bishop — of Clogher, Clochar, de Clochar, etc.
[2] Now Clochorum, Clochar, Clogaria (commonly Clogher) is a little episcopal town of Ulster in the county of Tyrone, under the archbishop of Armagh, most celebrated in the church of Clogher, from whose metropolis it is distant about twenty English miles toward the west. That our Maccarthennius died there in the year of Christ 506 is recorded by Ussher in the chronological Index to the Antiquities of the British Churches. Others agree, as James Ware in his Commentary on the Prelates of Ireland, page 41, and Francis Porter in the Compendium of the Ecclesiastical Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland, page 173, adding that he was then buried there in the cemetery of his own church. Whence there can be no doubt that there his cult both first began and chiefly flourished, although its beginnings are not so clear to us from Porter, already cited, when he says: Then after some centuries, namely in the year MXLI, this church was built anew and dedicated to the memory of St. Maccartin. And about the year MCCXCIII Matthew Mac-Catasaid, bishop of Clogher, restored it. He further founded a chapel over the tomb of St. Maccartin, and surrounded the cemetery with a wall. At last a hundred years later, on the XXVIII of April, while Arthur Mac-Camaeil, bishop of the place, was seeing to the rebuilding of Maccartin's chapel, the cathedral church itself and two chapels and the monastery of the Blessed Mary, and likewise the bishop's court together with thirty-two other buildings, etc., were burnt up in a fire. Upon the structure of the church and the court this Arthur afterwards bestowed every care. Thus he concerning the principal place of St. Maccarthennus's cult; most of which may also be read in Ware among the bishops of Clogher, drawn from the Register of the place compiled before the middle of the sixteenth century.
[3] he is announced in the Martyrologies on this day, and on 24 March. Concerning the time of his cult, or rather his anniversary feasts of old, thus Colgan in the Appendix to his Acts, chapter 1: The Martyrologists record that two feasts of this Saint are celebrated in Ireland. The first on the XXIV day of March; on which day the Salisbury Martyrology (published in English at London in the year 1526 by Richard Whitford with some additions) records that his birthday is celebrated; Ussher .. (in the Primordia of the British Churches, page 856); the Martyrology of Tallaght … (which he says elsewhere was written or interpolated about the year of Christ 900); Marianus the German … (whose Martyrology he refers to about the year of Christ 1167); the Cashel Calendar .. (of about the year 1030, as he has determined before); Maguire (I understand the Martyrology of Maguire of the full fifteenth century) and the Martyrology of Donegal, collected from various sources before the middle of the seventeenth century. Then going on immediately to his feast of this day, His second feast, he says, most of those cited record to be celebrated on the XXV day of August (read XV August, as it is twice read on the same page and often elsewhere). Compare, if you please, this passage of this author with his own Annotations in the Triad, page 181, number 174.
[4] His Acts. The Acts of St. Maccarthennus, as has already been said, we now have none other than those which Colgan long ago published, taken from our Salamanca codex, written at least four hundred years ago. Whether Ussher saw others, or indeed the same but with the beginning which ours lack, is uncertain. Certainly there are not in ours the words concerning the Saint which he transcribed on page 856 from his own: Mac-Kartinus, sprung from the noble stock of the Aradenses. We shall here reprint what has long since been printed, but again collated with the same codex; not because we think it now to be more highly esteemed than our predecessors once judged, but because no others are at hand.
MUTILATED ACTS
By an anonymous author, from our parchment codex of Salamanca, marked P. Ms. II.
Maccarthannus, bishop in Ireland (S.)
BHL Number: 5105
A. By an Anonymous Writer.
The Saint is made bishop and abbot of Clogher On a certain day he carried his holy master across a certain river, as he was accustomed to do a: and when he set down the sacred burden, he showed by sighing the signs of his weakness. When he was pressed by the pious father to tell the cause of his weakness, he said: "Now, father, with the coming on of old age my strength fails me, and the constant journeying weighs heavily upon me; make me therefore, father, to serve God and you in some one place." The father, assenting to this, said: "Go in peace, my son, and build yourself a monastery in the open place before the royal seat of the men of Oriel, to rise again in glory from thence. For the seat of those who savor earthly things shall be made desolate; but yours shall increase from day to day b; and from its holy cemetery* very many shall rise to the blessed life." And he added: "Take," he said, "the staff of my journeying, by which I support my limbs, and the shrine in which are contained portions of the relics of the holy Apostles, and of the hairs of holy Mary, and of the holy Cross of the Lord, and of his sepulchre, and of other holy relics." Having said these things, he dismissed him with the kiss of peace, supported by his fatherly blessing. And so, arriving there, he founded the monastery of Clogher c.
[2] At that time Echodius d, holding the sceptre of the kingdom, harassed the man of God in many ways: he is troubled by the ruler of the place, for he shut off from the meadows an ox which used to carry the necessary things for the use of his disciples, and ordered it to be tied to a stone. And when the ox was afflicted by long fasting, it gave three loud bellowings. Hearing them, his magician said to the king: "Know that you incur a great loss, in that you have caused the ox of the Bishop e to be tied. For his shall be the possession wherever the bellowing of the ox reaches": which the outcome of the matter proved. But the king, hearing the words of the magician, was afraid, and wishing to make the prophecy void, sent his son, Corpreus f by name, though small in years, commanding him to drive the servant of God out of his land. But the queen forbade the boy's attempt, lest he should in anything offend the man of God, and instead of the blessing which she would procure for her son should bring down a curse. And when the father compelled his son to fulfill his commands, he went in obedience to him, though unwilling and struggling in mind and bursting into tears. When his mother saw this, weeping herself, she gave a certain apple to the weeping boy. And when the boy had come to the middle of the open place, he lost the gift which his mother had given him: but when he had long sought the lost thing and could by no means find it, his distress supplied him with a means of sleep. A wonderful thing, and to be marveled at with all astonishment! A troop of horsemen passes by, a multitude of footmen passes by; but he is touched by none, nor roused from sleep, nor even seen by anyone. The father, wondering that his son delayed so long, sends messengers after him; but though sought, he is not found. The king's courtiers lament, and that night is passed in the weeping of all. But when the next day dawned, he awakes from sleep, and the apple, anxiously sought, is easily found. So rejoicing he returns home. At the son's coming his parents and the rest are glad. Being questioned about the cause of his delay, he tells the matter in order; and with the holy Bishop
he thinks himself to be under his garment and to perceive an excellent fragrance in his nostrils.
[3] whom by frequent miracles he renders beneficent. The king, having seen so many and so great miracles, did not believe; but asserting that they were done by magic arts, he sent one of his men, and commanded him both to put out the fire that warmed the man of God, and to drive him out of his borders. And when this man came to the Saint and tried to put out the fire, his hands grew stiff. Perceiving the wrath of God raging against him, on bended knees he humbly asked pardon of the servant of the Almighty. This being granted, he was released from his punishment, and reported what he had seen. But the king, seeing that his men availed nothing against the man of God, seized a sword and went himself to kill him. And when he raised his hand to strike, he grew rigid like a statue of stone, and could neither lower it, nor move his foot, nor fit his tongue to speak. But when the queen hastened to check the king's attempt, and beheld him scourged with a punishment so justly deserved, she poured out tears and suppliantly entreated that he might be loosed from so many stripes. The pious Father is moved by prayers so devout, and sprinkling the king with holy water g, he was presently restored to entire soundness. And when this affliction gave the king understanding, prostrate on the ground before the man of God, he promised truly that he would do whatever he should command him, and gave him land for the work of the monastery h.
[4] Other miracles of his On a certain day, while he was reading through the divine Scripture with vehement desire, and grieved that the darkness of the oncoming night was falling, God, who is the true light of his own, fulfilling the desire of his beloved son, poured down light from above and illuminated his monastery the whole night through, as though it were the radiance of the sun. Likewise on one occasion he continued a sermon begun at dawn until the following morning. And not only did he shine here in the truth of preaching, but he also abounded in the works of mercy. For at a certain time, when some strangers came as guests to the man of God, and he had no food wherewith to refresh them, having recourse to the fountain of charity he suppliantly asked that he who sufficiently feeds the brute animals and the beasts would open a vein of mercy to his servants in this necessity. Nor did the supreme liberality of God delay to fulfill the desire of his friend: for presently corn began to rain plentifully from heaven upon his monastery, nor did it cease so raining the whole night; and where before there had been no water, a most limpid spring burst forth. All who were present marvel, and glorify God, who is always wonderful in his Saints. Then from the manna given from heaven i the Israelite men are refreshed, and are revived by the wondrous water. The bread had the savor of honey, and the water the sweetness of wine. The Lord magnified his Saint in these things; and endowed him not only with these signs, but also with the spirit of prophecy.
[5] in his lifetime For there was a certain cruel man, unmindful of mercy and piety, from whom the man of God asked that he would permit an ox, which they had in the monastery, to be pastured on his estate. But Pharaoh's heart was hardened; he refused to hear the man of God. Then the man of God said prophetically: "Nine soldiers shall behead you; but whence they came or whither they returned shall not be known. And because you have denied fodder to the ox that threshes in the plough of God, your estate shall be mine." All of which was fulfilled. For afterwards nine men came and beheaded him, and carrying his head in a wallet no long distance, they cast it away without honor, and immediately vanished. By these and such things the elect of Christ, like the sun, illuminated this world in his life. But no less did he shine with miracles after his passing from the world, of which let us call a few to remembrance.
[6] A certain man of the diocese of Clogher had a wife vexed by a demon, whom he left chained in a certain dark place in the town of Clogher, and after his death. and took another to himself. But when a year was completed he brought the demoniac out of prison, and kept her bound in his house. And when the unhappy woman was thus vexed by a twofold affliction, the Sun of justice rising from on high, a light of immense radiance shone round about her; and in its splendor she saw a reverend man surrounded with exceeding brightness approaching her chamber. Asking him with wonder, she said: "Lord, who are you, and what do you seek?" And he answering said: "I am Maccartin the bishop, who come to heal you of your infirmities; for tomorrow you shall be set free, and shall be whole." His promise was made the fulfillment of truth: for when the next day dawned, she was found whole in mind and body, to the wonder of all who saw; and being loosed from her bonds, she survived for a time in her husband's house k.
ANNOTATIONS.
* read cœmeterio