ON ST. EUGENIUS OR EOGAIN BISHOP OF ARDSTRAW IN IRELAND,
6th century.
PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY.
The Saint's cult, see, age, and Acts.
Eugenius or Eogain, bishop in Ireland (St.)
BY G. C.
Irish writers everywhere adorn this Prelate with the title of saint, At once a church was built from whom without doubt Castellanus inserted him into his universal Martyrology, and today celebrates his annual memory with a French announcement, which I render into Latin thus: At Derry (this city, after the colony of Londoners was led thither, is commonly called Londonderry) in the Ulster province of Ireland, holy Eugenius de Magher, first bishop of Ardstraw, in whose honor a great church was at once built above the place of his tomb, since he had been buried in the cemetery of that same city. Further, concerning the immemorial cult of St. Eugenius I trust chiefly to the testimony of the Reverend Father John Colgan, a Minorite
the Irishman, who consulted various Irish Martyrologies and the ancient Acts of the Irish Saints, in which the name of saint is everywhere ascribed to this prelate of Ardstraw, as will appear from what is to be said below.
[2] Now Castellanus seems to have drawn his knowledge of this Saint and the other things pertaining to him chiefly from Sir James Ware, knight, who in his Commentary on the Prelates of Ireland, page 67, has the following to our purpose: above the tomb of this holy Prelate, Of the monastery of Derry, built at Derry by the holy abbot Columba in the year of salvation 545, we have spoken elsewhere. But the cathedral church was the work of a much more recent time: for the bishop of that diocese first had his see established at Ardstraw on the river Derg, where the first bishop set over it was St. Eugenius, whom some hand down as a disciple of holy Patrick, and consecrated bishop by him. But others make him a contemporary of the holy Cainnech and Comgall. The times indeed cohere but little, unless perchance we ascribe to holy Eugenius (among the long-lived of that age) so great a longevity. He was an excellent and assiduous preacher; and he is said, moreover, to have been born of the royal blood of the Leinstermen. They report that he died on the twenty-third of August in the year 618, and he was buried in the cemetery of his own church, above whose sepulcher a chapel was afterwards built. From Ardstraw the episcopal see was translated to Maghera, which is dedicated to holy Lurach, whose feast is kept on the seventeenth of February. And thence (as I think) the bishops of that see were called of Rathluriens. But when at length the see of Derry was established (of which afterwards), that diocese of Rathluriens was joined to this one.
[3] Thou seest that here there is controversy among the authors about the time who lived in the sixth century, in which St. Eugenius lived: for if he was consecrated bishop by holy Patrick, who passed to the heavenly ones in the year of Christ 460, his death cannot be deferred to the year 618, which Ware in this place notes from others. But if St. Eugenius was a fellow-disciple of St. Tigernach, as we shall read in the Acts to be published below, he could not have been consecrated bishop by holy Patrick: for St. Tigernach died about the year of Christ 550, as in the preliminary Commentary to his Life on the fifth day of April, that is, in the first volume of that month, page 402, we established with Ussher. Certainly St. Eugenius flourished at the beginning of the sixth century, since he foretold the birth of St. Columba the abbot, who was brought into the light about the year of Christ 520, as Colgan in the fourth Appendix to his Life, chapter 6, demonstrates. Hence it further follows that St. Eugenius probably did not live down to the year 618, in which Ware from others assigns his death. We have not wished to cling longer to these chronological trifles, and therefore at the beginning of this Commentary we placed his death in the margin broadly in the sixth century.
[4] For the rest, we have the Acts of this holy Prelate in the parchment codex of our museum marked P. Ms. 11, and according to the Acts he was renowned for various prodigies. to which in the same place, folio 215 verso, column 2, this title is prefixed: Here begins the Life of Bishop Eogan of Ardstraw. Perhaps part of this title is expressed in the Irish idiom, from which nevertheless we clearly enough understand that the Life of Eugenius, bishop of Ardstraw, is here set out. To this Commentary we shall subjoin that Life, in which some wonderful prodigies are related, such as are wont to occur frequently in the Acts of the Irish Saints. Of the truth of those prodigies we do not dare to pass judgment, since we are ignorant of the name and age of our biographer, and from elsewhere we know for certain that the hand of the Lord is not shortened.
[5] At least the prophetic spirit of St. Eugenius is confirmed from the fifth Life of St. Columba the abbot, and especially by a prophetic spirit which the great O'Donnell, prince of Tyrconnell, wrote in Irish, and which the praised Colgan contracted into a Latin summary, where in book 1, chapter 13, that is, page 391, the following is read: Likewise the powers above judged holy Eugenius, bishop of Ardstraw, worthy to foreknow from heaven the birth of the divine Columba and his sublime progress in virtue. For when Lugadius, son of Sethna, Columba's cousin, came one day with his son Fiacrius to this monastery of Ardstraw, Fiacrius sacrilegiously slew one of the monks with whom he had engaged in some quarrels. The Bishop, moved by the atrocity of the crime, called down evil upon the homicide, foretold his death within nine days, and that his offspring should thereafter be without hope of the kingdom, never to be numbered more than five persons at a time, and that out of this very number each, in punishment of their father's crime, should be marked either with joined limbs or with some other defect of mind or body.
[6] The father, taught by the death of his son, taken away within the prefixed time, that the imprecations of the holy man were ratified with God, and meaning now to guard against the danger threatening himself and the rest of his offspring, which is confirmed from the Acts of St. Columba the abbot. meeting the Bishop a second time, entreats him as a suppliant not to wish himself and the rest of his offspring liable to the threatened execrations, who are free from the crime; but rather by a favorable prayer to make good against every curse, being about to weigh out [] — if he would so act — whatever fine that man should decree, in expiation of the perpetrated crime. To this the Pontiff said: "Thou hast obtained what thou hadst asked, chiefly out of regard for that blessed son, and thy own cousin too, Columba, who is to be brought into the light not many years from now; who, sublime in integrity of faith, in piety of mind, and in heavenly wisdom, will join many peoples to Christ, and will prop up the holy Church, lest it fall even in these kingdoms, and, being in favor, will obtain from the thrice-holy Trinity whatsoever he shall will." Having said these and other things of the kind in praise of Columba, whom he foretold would set out even to Rome to holy Pope Gregory, with holy Mochonna for companion, the Bishop, turning to Lugadius, said: "Thee, on account of this man's merits, God has not willed to be smitten with the penalties imprecated through me; nevertheless, that thou mayest recompense, as is fitting, the damages of the homicide committed by thy son, thou and thy heirs after thee shall pay one pension to me and to my successors every third year; and shalt moreover protect my city and church from all unjust force and violence."* These things will be narrated below in a somewhat different manner in the Acts, which we shall now publish in print, and which we shall try to illustrate, so far as may be done, with the customary annotations.
AnnotationsPerhaps appensurum*.
LIFE
by an anonymous author
From the parchment Codex of our Museum, which is marked P. Ms. 11, from folio 215 verso.
Eugenius or Eogain, bishop in Ireland (St.)
BHL Number: 2677
FROM THE MS.
The Saint by pirates from Ireland into Britain The holy and venerable pontiff Eugenius sprang from his father Cainnech of Leinster a, from his mother Muindecha, of the race of the Mugdorna b. He, coming to boyhood's age, was led captive by pirates from Ireland into Britain, together with a numerous multitude of both sexes, among whom was Tigernach c, bishop of Clones, then a tender boy. These two the holy and wise man Neunyo d, who is called Maucenus, of the monastery of Rosnat e, asking them of the king of Britain, received free; and being brought up with him under ecclesiastical discipline, they read their lessons docilely.
[2] and from Britain carried off into Gaul, And when they had spent some years there in the commandments of Christ, pirates coming from Gaul into Britain, carrying off booty of men and of furnishings, transported them and their fellow-disciple Corprus f, afterwards bishop and founder of the monastery of Coleraine, as captives into the region of Armorica g, where they labored at the mill in the household of the king of the Gauls. But when a space of time had passed, when on a certain day these three were reading while grinding, the king's overseer, coming upon them, urged them to press on urgently at turning the mill; and when he had gone away, they asked the almighty Lord that He would grant them a relief of the work and the opportunity of reading. And without delay, the Angels of God turned the mill before the holy men as they read in safety. Hearing this, the aforesaid king ordered them to return free to the monastery of Rosnat, and they returned in spiritual gladness, with the wonder of men and the praise of God.
[3] he is sent back to his fatherland, But after some years Eugenius and Tigernach, by the command and prayer of the aforesaid Maucenus and of the brethren, sailed to Ireland, and founded monasteries in Leinster; Eugenius indeed built in the region of Cualann h a holy place which is called the Cell of the Monks i, where he himself, as chief pastor with his holy community — in which not a few bishops and very many presbyters are reported to have been — remained fifteen years without spot and wrinkle; with whom Coemgen k, the son of his brother, afterwards a most illustrious abbot, learned the psalms, and afterwards there discharged the office of cellarer.
[4] Then he was warned by a divine revelation that he should proceed toward the northern quarter of Ireland to disseminate the word of God, where he established various monasteries, which he bore very heavily, but nevertheless would not be disobedient to the commands of God. But the monks, hearing this, came to him exceedingly sad, saying: "Holy father, when thou art about to depart, who will be our abbot?" And he said: "Let each one of you be abbot, and prior, and servant; but I, though absent in body, will nevertheless always be present with you in spirit. What you shall say silently I shall hear; but what you say aloud, how much more shall I hear it?" Which was truly fulfilled: for not only the chants, but also the voices, however small, which they uttered in the Cell of the Monks in confessing their sins, the admirable man used to hear in the monastery of Ardstraw, which is distant many thousands of paces from the other, as though they were spoken into his ear.
[5] And so he directed his step into the northern parts of Ireland, together with St. Tigernach, and there sowed abundantly the grain of the divine word, which brought forth ample fruit. He also there founded the monastery of Ardstraw, which is held famous in those parts. But bishop Tigernach, of whom we made mention before, led by divine prompting, left Leinster, and went to the northern parts, not much removed from the monastery of blessed Eugenius, in which he founded three monasteries with the help of the same Eugenius, of which the more famous is called that of Clones l, another that of Gaballium; but the third can be called in Latin THE LOWLY WOOD. For these holy pontiffs entered into a spiritual covenant, and often dwelt together.
[6] It came to pass on a time, while they were dwelling together in the Lowly Wood, who was also his familiar friend that Eugenius, returning to his own place, was escorted by the other as far as the nearest mountain, and that, sitting there before they departed from one another, they held divine conferences between themselves. These being finished, they withdrew from one another with tranquillity of heart; but Eugenius's servant had through forgetfulness left on that same mountain the cup out of which he was accustomed to pour blessed water over the sick. And so on the next day they returned by the same way, and found it where they had left it. A thing very wonderful: a certain fox, seizing with its teeth the strap by which it was carried, but unable to gnaw it through because of the merits of the holy man whose it was, was found dead there; and the thong was whole between its teeth.
[7] Meanwhile virgins of Christ of the Metheorii were dwelling in a little monastery which is called Rosscay, and where he raises a dead man, whose abbess was called Mosseram m, to whom
the aforesaid pontiffs came at one time to visit them, as they were wont. But Eugenius, by the laying on of his staff — placed, at the bidding of holy Tigernach, upon the body — restored to life and health a certain boy, namely the servant of those nuns and faithful to himself whenever they came, who had died that day.
[8] Likewise, when a certain cruel king, by name Amalgid, wished to consecrate — nay rather to exercise [*] — in the blood of innocents, after the heathen rite, a spear of five points lately made for him, he foretells death to a stubborn man, blessed Eugenius, moved by piety, hastened to him to restrain him from committing so monstrous a deed. Yet he could not prevail upon the impious tyrant, either by prayer or by price, not to do it. He suffered him therefore to use his own evil: for, as the holy prophet had then promised him, on the third day after this he perished, pierced through by that same spear.
[9] he confounds perjured thieves, A certain ram, which they called Bethanus, having been stolen by stealth from his monastery, answered him with a most clear bleating out of the throats of nine brothers who were perjuring themselves against him that they had not stolen it, when he called it by its own name, in the presence of the whole army of the people of the Eoganacht. But the pious Father delivered those guilty men, who had been seized by the aforesaid king to be handed over to death, from the destruction of body and of soul. For he joined to himself those who were then renouncing the world, who nine days afterwards were struck with a horrible leprosy.
[10] he frees captives, Likewise a hundred persons of both sexes were once surrounded by pirates as they were feasting in a town by the name of Lettach, and they sent to Eugenius that he should come with the help of God to free them. He, coming at once through the midst of the enemy's troops to the town, appeared to none of them, and first baptized those set in the peril of death; and then, the doors being opened, he led them, himself going before, through the midst of the camps of the heathen, yet seen by none of them, and thus, God helping, made them safe to escape death.
[11] he suddenly heals a leper, Once, as he was making a journey in a certain great forest, which stretched sixty thousand paces in length, beside a river by the name of Bann n, a certain leprous beggar met him in the middle of the journey. To him, asking for his chariot-horses in charity, he gave them straightway for the same; in place of which, after a little, he received two others sent to him by Corprus, bishop of Coleraine, to whom this had been revealed. Likewise a book of the four Gospels, which the aforesaid Corprus had asked to be given him before the Pasch so nearly at hand, when neither of them had the means by which it might be conveyed under any such necessity, blessed Eugenius, being in a strait, placed upon his own altar on the paschal night; and the angels of God, taking it up, straightway placed it upon the altar of Corprus.
[12] he knows things absent, On a certain day the cellarer, in his absence, being about to go out of the monastery, exchanged words with a certain alluring young woman; and when these were heard, the excellent shepherd, who that day was distant from the monastery by no small interval, set the sign of the cross against them, and at that same moment the cellarer, thinking he heard the voice of Eugenius already singing clearly in the door of the oratory that verse whose beginning is I will go into Thy house, O Lord, hastily enters the monastery, and thus the diabolical temptation is avoided.
[13] and among other prodigies, At that same time, as he was making a journey through a certain forest, by name Croibeth, with one boy accompanying him, he chanted fifty psalms, and then said the Lord's Prayer as far as BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL, and, when the boy answered Amen, all the woods round about, answering him, said Amen.
[14] by a prophetic spirit, Among the other gifts of the Holy Spirit, blessed Eugenius was abundantly strong in the grace of prophecy; concerning Columcille o indeed he prophesied beforehand that he would be born, and of what sort and how great he would be in sanctity and merits. To Lugidius also, son of Secneus, a noble man who sprang from the race of Conall son of Niall, and to Fiachna his son, who slew one of his monks in the door of the oratory of the monastery of Ardstraw, his father consenting to this, he prophesied wonderfully, saying thus to that same Lugidius: Of thy seed none shall ever reign, none shall be without the blemish of bodily deformity. When nine days from today are past, thy one son Fiachna shall die, and his seed shall never at one time exceed the number five. Then, after the death of his son, to the same man doing penance, and promising a silver scruple, by himself and by one of his posterity, always in the third year, to him and to his successors, and complaining of the taking away of the kingdom from his own, he said: Thy posterity shall be counselors and judges of the kingdom, but the kingdom of none in thy nation shall stand except by their counsel; all which things have been fulfilled, and are being fulfilled.
[15] Nor must it be passed over that whatever the man of God blessed was blessed, and renowned for various miracles and whatever he cursed, his curse sufficiently appeared in it. Of this we shall give one example. To a certain town, in which fifty persons of both sexes were already feasting, the venerable man turned aside at evening, that he might lodge there. But lodging is denied him. He, however, passed that night in fasting and prayer, keeping vigil under the open sky. And then he said: In this place there shall never be a banquet, and the acres which are about this town shall bring forth no useful fruit; which is fulfilled to this day. But on the next day one of those feasting, whose name was Caitne, and his wife's name Brig, led him into his house, and set before him and his companions, with a cheerful countenance, the dinner which he had caused to be prepared for his workmen, that is, an ox and a pig cooked, and a vessel full of ale; and these being blessed, the servants of God were refreshed, and then gave thanks. When these things were ended, he blessed the house and the storeroom, and said: These provisions shall not fail until a foolish word be uttered concerning them; which was proved in the event: for from the Kalends of November until Pentecost they had not failed. For then a certain fool said: We live badly, since through this whole half-year we eat only meat; and from that day the aforesaid provisions disappeared.
[16] These few things concerning the virtues of blessed Eugenius having been briefly said, he dies piously. we shall speak a little of the end of his life, which could not be passed by. As that end drew near, ripe in years and in merits, he is seized by a grave infirmity, and as this pressed more and more, the whole company of monks is called together, and the venerable body is anointed with holy oil, and his departure is fortified with the Viaticum not failing. These things being finished, while two choirs of brethren stood by singing psalms with melody on this side and that, the holy soul is rendered to Christ by the hands of angels, to whom be honor and glory unto the ages of ages. Amen.
ANNOTATIONS.
Perhaps execrare*.