Olcanus

CONCERNING ST. OLCANUS, OR BOLCANUS, BISHOP IN IRELAND.

Around the Year 1000.

Olcanus, or Bolcanus, Bishop in Ireland (St.)

By G. H.

[1] Richard Whitford, who flourished in England around the year 1520, among other works of piety published a Martyrology in the English language, which Colgan calls the Salisbury one. St. Olcanus is venerated on February 20 In it the following is read for February 20: "In Ireland, the feast of St. Bolcanus, born of noble English blood. His mother, after the death of her husband, while carrying him in her womb, set out for Ireland, and there died and was buried; but afterward she was raised by her own blood brother St. Patrick, at whose prayers she was restored to life. And she immediately began the labor of childbirth, and brought forth this holy son, who was distinguished for the extraordinary perfection of his life and for many great miracles." So Whitford; but these things are related in quite a different way in the Life of St. Patrick, both the Tripartite version and the other written by the monk Jocelin, who call him Olcanus, as does the Martyrology of Tallaght; but in the Festology of Gorman he is called Bolcanus. The Martyrology of Donegal, as cited by Colgan, has this: a church dedicated to him in Northern Ulster "St. Bolcanus, Bishop, of Arthermugia" -- not far from which, as the same Colgan asserts, there is a church dedicated to this Saint and called by his name Kill-Easpuic-Bolcain, that is, "the cell of Bishop Bolcanus," in the region of Dalriada, or as it is commonly now called, the Route, which is situated in Northern Ulster, as will shortly be established from the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick, in which the following is related about the birth of St. Olcanus:

[2] In the course of his appointed circuit of the neighboring regions, and the propagation of faith and ecclesiastical discipline through them, the holy Bishop Patrick resolved first to visit the province of the Dalriadans, and afterward that of the Dalaradians -- the former being the northern, and the latter the eastern region of Ulster. He came first therefore to a certain place in the region of Dalriada toward the north, called Carn-sedna, where he found the Prince of that region, named Darius, who had recourse to the Saint's helping power for the remedy of a rare and prodigious event. For when this Prince was journeying through Dalriada, he heard a sound coming from a mound that lay before him, born of a dead and buried mother not unlike the wailing of a weeping infant. When the mound was opened, he felt a sweet odor pervade his nostrils, and immediately found a living infant lying beside its dead mother. And when he sought to discover the causes of this rare event, he learned that the dead woman had come from overseas, suffering from alternating cold and hot fevers, of which she finally died before she could deliver the child she carried in her womb; and that it was now the seventh day since she had been laid in that tomb. And since the chieftain, moved by piety and compassion for the miserable orphan, called him Olcanus -- that is, "wretched one" (for Olc in Irish means the same as evil or miserable) -- the appellation which chance had given later passed into usage as a proper name. And even after the child had grown to manhood, he is baptized by St. Patrick he was customarily called Olcanus. The holy man therefore baptized the infant and, having admirably instructed him in piety and good letters, afterward appointed him Bishop of the Church of Rathimugia, or as others call it Arthermugia, the principal town of the Dalriadans.

[3] Thus far from the Tripartite Life of St. Patrick. Jocelin the monk has the same, describing the birth of St. Olcanus more briefly but the literary studies more brilliantly, in these words: "A certain chieftain, while journeying, heard with no small amazement something like the voice of a weeping infant coming from a tomb. Standing still, he ordered his men to open the sepulcher; which being opened, they found within, to their great amazement, a living infant lying beside its dead mother. By common counsel, therefore, they brought him out from his sepulchral dwelling and carried him to St. Patrick, who, baptizing him, called him Olcanus on account of the sorrow he had endured. And after a time he handed him over to be instructed in letters; and when he had grown somewhat older, in his eagerness for learning he went to Gaul, [he studies in Gaul, teaches in Ireland various men, afterwards Bishops and Saints] and living there for a long time, having acquired great knowledge and learning, he returned to his homeland. Having returned, he directed schools and, by educating innumerable disciples, many of whom became holy Bishops, he advanced them to an abundance of learning." So Jocelin. Ussher records the return of St. Olcanus from Gaul to Ireland in his Chronological Index at the year 450 in these words: "Olcanus the Irishman, returned from Gaul, where he had long devoted himself to letters, to his homeland, directed schools, and imbued innumerable disciples, many of whom were holy Bishops, with erudition and learning." But Colgan arranges his chronology differently, asserting that the coming of St. Patrick to Dalriada (which we shall examine in its proper time in his Life) and the birth of St. Olcanus occurred around the year 440, and his return from Gaul around the year 460 or 470. But let us proceed to the episcopal See of St. Olcanus, about which the same Jocelin narrates the following:

[4] "Twelve brothers, their father having recently died -- he who had ruled in Dalriada -- assembled to divide the inheritance among themselves. Holding their youngest brother, named Fergus, in contempt, various possessions offered to St. Patrick by Fergus they dismissed him empty and without a share of the portion that pertained to him. That young man besought St. Patrick to make him, by the merit of his prayers, a participant in his father's inheritance, promising that he would give the better part of his portion for the building and maintenance of a church of God. When the holy Bishop prayed on his behalf and pleaded his cause, Fergus was numbered among his brothers. He received his fitting portion of the paternal property, the better half of which he offered to the most holy Bishop for building a church. he accepts The Saint, lest he seem to have sold his intercession, refused to accept it, but ordered it to be conferred upon the above-named Olcanus. And St. Olcanus built a church within the territory bestowed upon him, in a place called Der-Chon, he builds a church and there, having been made Bishop, he persevered in holiness and justice." So Jocelin, around the year 474 and Ussher believes these events took place in the year 474. On page 951 he indicates that the church of Derkan in the Routane territory of Antrim still retains the name of Bishop Olcanus under the form Clon-derkan. And he reports that Tirechan names him among the distinguished and holy Bishops, full of the Holy Spirit, founders of churches in Ireland, placed in the first order of Irish Saints, and ordained by St. Patrick.

[5] Finally, if what is found in the Tripartite Life is true, St. Olcanus did not lack occasion for patience and merit, since perhaps on account of his excessive goodness he incurred the displeasure of St. Patrick. To explain this better, I first present the following from Jocelin: "Coming," he says, "into the borders of Dalriada, St. Patrick began to build a church in a place called Eluin, where at that time twelve brothers, sons of Coelbadius, held sway. One of them, named Saranus, before the tyrant Saranus held the chieftaincy in that land, and seizing the hand of the holy Bishop as he was beginning the holy work, to prevent him from completing what he had started, violently ejected him from the place. St. Patrick, although he bore patiently the injury done to him, rejected by St. Patrick nevertheless, grievously taking the hindrance to the holy work and knowing by divine prompting what retribution would come, said prophetically: 'Yet a little while and you shall be expelled from this land, and the power of ruling in it shall be given to one better than you.'" Similar things are read in the Tripartite Life, and then the following is added about St. Olcanus in Book 2, chapter 134, as given by Colgan: "After Saranus had thus incurred the displeasure of St. Patrick and had earned the curse we have related, it happened that he attempted something that became for him the beginning of conversion and salvation. For when with tyrannical invasion he was laying waste the borders of Dalriada

and leading many captives from there, St. Olcanus went out to meet him and the captives. When the captives saw him -- well known to them for his piety and holiness -- he intercedes for the captives they begged him as suppliants and in lamentation to act as intercessor and advocate before Saranus for their redemption."

[6] When the holy man, moved by piety, assented and humbly interceded, the tyrant refused to comply with his prayers unless the man of God, by a rare type of stipulation, would promise him eternal life. When the man of God, knowing the man to be still a sinner and a pagan devoted to crimes and unless he is admitted to baptism and raging against the servants of God, refused to make such a bargain, alleging that he was a great persecutor of the Church of God and had therefore been struck by the javelin of Patrick's curse, the tyrant again thundered forth death to all the captives and to the companions of the man of God, threatening the slaughter of all binding himself by every oath that he would destroy all monks and clerics he encountered by the edge of the sword, unless he were admitted to baptism and eternal life were promised to him. The man of God, judging the man to be seeking a good end by bad means more foolishly than wickedly, and thinking he labored more from ignorance than malice, baptizes him when he promises amendment decided he should be admitted to the gateway of the heavenly kingdom -- the sacrament of regeneration -- and actually admitted him; and to the man who promised works worthy of a Christian, he imparted his blessing and promised eternal life.

[7] After this deed was perhaps reported to the ears of St. Patrick -- differently from how it had been done -- who had previously struck the obstinate and persecuting Saranus with the javelin of his curse, he incurs the displeasure of St. Patrick the humble and devout disciple Olcanus understood that he had incurred the displeasure of his Father and Master. He therefore hastened as quickly as possible to appease St. Patrick, and when he had come into his sight, gradually approached on bended knee, and thus at last, as a suppliant and penitent, begged pardon for his fault -- throwing himself prostrate on the public road before St. Patrick, who was proceeding in his chariot and refusing to speak to him. he meets him as a suppliant When the charioteer halted at such a sight, the stern elder commanded him to drive the chariot and continue the journey. The driver humbly excused himself, saying that he did not dare, lest he commit a crime, having regard for the person of a Bishop prostrate and lying in the road. Then the strict Master, after the manner of the ancient Fathers -- who demanded the strictest submission and obedience throughout life in every disciple, however advanced in age or dignity -- severely punished his disciple for having dared to impart a blessing to a public malefactor; he hears of the punishment to be inflicted upon himself and his church and as a penalty for such a transgression he decreed that, although the reward of eternal glory would not be taken away from him or diminished, nevertheless his worldly honors would be diminished, and the church committed to him would be destroyed three times and polluted with much bloodshed.

[8] Thus far the Tripartite Life, published in Latin from the Irish by Colgan. There are also appended some additions in smaller type, as if inserted by later writers, namely how the aforesaid church was devastated two hundred or more years after the death of St. Olcanus -- which may be read there. I conclude with the words of Jocelin, in whom the preceding is not found: he dies, illustrious for miracles "He himself," he says of St. Olcanus, "an outstanding Doctor, attained the episcopal rank, ending his life in great holiness, and was also illustrious for many miracles."