Ita of Killeedy

ON ST. IDA, OR ITA, VIRGIN IN IRELAND.

Sixth Century.

Ida or Ita, Virgin in Ireland (St.)

[1] In the calendars of the Irish, St. Ida the Virgin is celebrated, also called Ita, and also Yta, Ide, Ite, Itha, Itta, and Mida; The name of St. Ida, for, as we shall observe elsewhere again, the Irish are accustomed to prefix to proper names the letter M, or me, or mo, which signifies "my" and indicates love and reverence, so that Mida is the same as "my Ida"; thus on the 31st of January, Medocus, elsewhere Medanus, Molua, Mocholmoc, Molassus.

[2] St. Ida is venerated on the 15th of January with a solemn feast in the region of Hua-Conaill of the diocese of Limerick, in the province of Munster, and especially in the church of Cluan-Credhail; feast day, also in the region of the Desii of the County of Waterford, in the place called Rosmide. In the Catalogue of the principal Saints of Ireland, however, her name is inscribed under the 14th of January; in the new English Martyrology under the 25th of January.

[3] Life We received the Life of St. Ida from the Reverend Father John Colgan of the Order of St. Francis, Professor of Sacred Theology at Louvain, who had transcribed it from a very ancient Kilkenny codex. The author was nearly a contemporary of Ida herself, when written; as he himself indicates in chapter 5, number 27: A certain man, he says, named Feargus, whose son is still alive, was brought to St. Ita. Another somewhat more elegant and briefer life from the manuscript of the Island of Saints in Lake Ree had once been shared with us by Hugo Ward, Guardian of the monastery of St. Anthony of Padua at Louvain, with which we have collated the older one.

[4] Mention is made of St. Ida in the Life of St. Aidan, or Medocus, on the 31st of January, chapter 8, number 51: her memory elsewhere. At another time when St. Maedhog was in the borders of the Munster people, namely in Hua-Conaill, near the monastery of St. Itha, etc. In the life also of St. Pulcherius on the 13th of March, much is said about St. Ita, his aunt and nurse, and in the records of many other Irish Saints. In Cornwall there is a town named after St. Itha, commonly called St. Ives, or St. Ithes, and the adjacent bay St. Ives Bay. Wilson in the English Martyrology and our Henry Fitz-Simon in the Catalogue of the principal Saints of Ireland hold that the name is derived from our Ita or Ida, as both cite William Camden, who in his description of the Dumnonii says that this town owes its name to Ita, an Irish woman who lived here with singular holiness. But our Ita did not live there; so it is necessary either that Camden is wrong, or that there is another Ita, or Ia, who gave the name to the place.

LIFE BY AN UNKNOWN AUTHOR

from an ancient Irish manuscript.

Ida or Ita, Virgin in Ireland (St.) BHL Number: 4497

By an Anonymous Author, from manuscripts.

CHAPTER I.

The youth of St. Ida; her virginity consecrated to God.

[1] We wish to narrate briefly some account of the life and miracles of the most blessed Virgin Ita: for many of her miracles are hidden from us, because she herself always concealed them, and those which happened to her alone she told to no one: other things which we know, we omit for the sake of brevity. The most holy Virgin Ita was indeed born of the most noble family of Ireland, that is, from the line of Feighlim Reachtmhuir, by whom all Ireland was ruled for many years in the greatest power from the royal seat of Tara. The illustrious lineage of St. Ida, He indeed had three sons, namely Fiacha, Conn, and Aeochaidh. Fiacha, having three sons, died without reigning, or rather before the paternal kingdom came to him. But Conn, his surviving brother, after his father, mightily ruled all Ireland in the greatest prosperity; and he himself (alas!) was killed in the battle which was fought in the plain of Cotha by the King of the Ulstermen, who was called Tibraide Tireach. But those three sons of his brother Fiacha came with many troops and a great army from Tara to the land of the Munster people, and there they nobly and bravely seized a great region with their swords. That people is today called the Hua-Desi. From this most noble people the holy Virgin Ita was born, who was filled with the Holy Spirit from the font of baptism: for all marveled at the continence and character of her infancy, holy ways from very childhood, and her abstinence on the days when the handmaid of God was obliged to fast; and many signs were seen to be worked through her when she was a small child. And when she was able to speak and walk, she appeared prudent in speech and deed, sweet in conversation, and steadfast in mind; always uttering the most chaste words from her mouth, gentle to all, very generous, fearing and loving God; always prohibiting evil, counseling good. Thus she lived in the house of her parents in her girlhood.

[2] On a certain day also, the holy girl Ita slept alone in her chamber, and that entire chamber seemed to men to be burning. the chamber illuminated with heavenly light, But when those men approached to help, that chamber appeared unburnt and untouched by the flames. And all, marveling greatly at this, were told from above that the grace of God was burning around the handmaid of Christ who was sleeping there. And when St. Ita arose from sleep, her entire form was seen as if angelic; her face resplendent, for she had at that time such beauty as she had neither before nor afterward: for her appearance then seemed such that her friends could scarcely bear to look upon her, and then all recognized that the grace of God was thus burning upon her: and after a brief interval the Virgin of God returned to her normal appearance, for she was indeed sufficiently beautiful.

[3] On another day when St. Ita had slept, she saw an Angel of the Lord coming to her and giving her three precious stones. And when the handmaid of Christ arose from sleep, she did not know what that vision signified, and the Holy one of God pondered this question in her heart. Then an Angel of the Lord descended to her, saying: Why do you search concerning the vision? Those three precious stones which you saw given to you signify that the Holy Trinity comes to visit you, and visits you, that is, the visitation of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: a heavenly gift, a pledge of divine visitation; and always in sleep and in waking, Angels of God and holy visions shall come to you; for you are of the Deity in body and soul. And saying this, he departed from her.

[4] On another day, the most blessed Virgin Ita went to her mother, preached to her the divine precepts, taught by the Holy Spirit, and asked her to intercede with her father on her behalf; that with her father's permission St. Ita might be consecrated to Christ. But he was in no way willing to give this permission; because a noble and powerful young man had sought her from him; her purpose of virginity opposed by her father; and this greatly displeased her mother: and when others were added to entreat him, he refused this with an oath. Then St. Ita, filled with the Spirit of prophecy, said to all: Leave my father for a time: my father now prevents me from being consecrated to Christ, but he will again advise and command it; for he will be compelled by my Lord Jesus Christ to let me go wherever I wish to serve God. And so it happened. How this came about shall be told afterward.

[5] Afterward, not long after, the blessed Virgin Ita fasted for three days and three nights. During those days and nights, the devil openly through dreams and waking, by the devil. fought against the Virgin of the Lord with many assaults: and the most blessed Virgin most wisely resisted him in all things, both sleeping and waking. On the last night, the devil appeared sad and mourning, and at the break of day he departed from the handmaid of God, saying in a mournful voice: Alas, not only yourself, Ita, will you free from me, but many others as well. On that very night an Angel of the Lord came to the father of St. Ita, saying to him: Her father, warned from heaven, voluntarily urges it. Why do you prevent your daughter from receiving the veil of virginity in the name of Christ? For she will be a great and proven Virgin before God and his Saints, and the patroness of many on the day of judgment: you will not only give her permission to receive the sign of virginity, but you will let her go wherever she wishes to serve Christ: for she will serve the Lord in another people, and she will be the patroness of that people. The father of the girl came to her without any delay and narrated all these things to her; and, just as the Virgin had prophesied above concerning him, he not only gave the desired permission, but even urged her to receive the veil of virginity on that very day and to go wherever she wished.

[6] And on that very day, with the three-day fast completed, the Virgin of the Lord went to the church of God which was in that same district to receive the virgin veil. And as Blessed Ita was making her way, behold, many demons came against her on the road and began to quarrel fiercely against the Virgin of God. with demons vainly clamoring, Then the Angels of God came from above and fought bravely for the bride of Christ against the demons. And when the demons had been defeated by the Angels of God, they fled through byways crying out and saying: Woe to us, for from this day we shall not be able to contend against this Virgin: and we wished to avenge our injuries upon her today; and the Angels of the Lord freed her from us. For she will destroy our habitation in many places and will rescue many from us in this world and from hell. But the Virgin of the Lord, with the Angels of God comforting her on earth, arrived at the church, with the Angels helping her, she takes the veil. and in that vision of Angels she was immediately consecrated by the clergy and received the veil of virginity.

a The Ree Island MS.: of King Feldiminus, surnamed Rectmar.

b The same MS. calls them Fiachus, Cond, and Euchadius.

c The same MS. adds: surnamed Cedfadach.

d Ultonia, Ulster in English, the northern kingdom in Ireland.

e MS. Ree: Tibrayn Tirech.

f These are said to have been Rossius, Engusius, and Eugenius; from whose family many Saints afterward arose.

g Momonia, Munster in English, the southern kingdom of Ireland.

h That territory is now contained in the County of Waterford, near the city of Lismore. In the life of St. Aidan, January 31, it is called the land of the Desii. And Hua-Desy signifies the clan of Desy. The other MS. has: the land which they call Desy.

i We have learned from the most learned Colgan that the father of the holy Virgin was called Kennfuiladius, son of Cormac, son of Conchovar, son of Conall, son of Engus; and her mother was Necta.

k The Ree Island MS. more clearly: From now on she will take away many habitations, namely the hearts of sinners in which we dwell, from us, and will rescue many from our power.

CHAPTER II.

A monastery built; a most holy life.

[7] Then the Virgin Ita prayed to the Lord that he might show her a place in which to serve him. And behold, an Angel of the Lord came to her, At the Angel's command saying: Leave this homeland and go to that region which is called Hy-Conaill, and you shall dwell in the western part of that same region near the foot of Mount Luachra; and there an Angel of the Lord will come to you and will show you the place in which your city shall be, in which you shall depart to Christ: for you shall be the patroness of the people of Hua-Conaill; which people has been given to you and to St. Senanus by the Lord. Having heard these words of the Angel, St. Ita with her companions went to that region and dwelt near the foot of Mount Luachra, she leaves her homeland: as the Angel had told her. And immediately an Angel of the Lord came to her and assigned her the place in which she should serve God. And at once the fame of the most holy Virgin was spread throughout that entire region; and many Virgins came from here and there to St. Ita, to serve God under her care: she trains Virgins: and she piously and with a cheerful mind received them all.

[8] Having heard of the very great holiness of the most blessed Virgin Ita, the people of Hua-Conaill came with their Chief to her and wished to give her and to God in perpetuity all the land which was around the cell of St. Ita. But the handmaid of the Lord, she refuses the offered possessions, not wishing to be entangled in secular cares, accepted nothing of the land from them except only four acres for the use of gardens. And this greatly displeased the Chief and his companions, and they said: What you do not wish to accept now, when you depart to the kingdom of God, it shall be given to you. And so it happened. Then the entire people of Hua-Conaill received St. Ita as their patroness here and in the future, which were nevertheless afterward given to her monastery: as the Angel had foretold; and the holy Virgin blessed that same people and their land with many blessings, which are always fulfilled. And they returned to their homes with great joy, and they always brought great gifts and alms and donations to that same cell, for the use of the holy Virgins who were there, in honor of Blessed Ita.

[9] The most blessed Virgin Ita devoted all her effort to living on two-day, three-day, and frequently four-day fasts. she is told to relent from excessive abstinence: But one day when she was wearied by fasts and hunger, an Angel of the Lord came to her and said to her: You afflict your body with fasts beyond measure, and do not do so. But when the bride of Christ wished to relax her burden, the Angel said to her: The Lord has granted you such grace that from this day until your death you shall be refreshed with heavenly food, and you will not be able to refuse eating, at whatever hour the Angel of the Lord comes to you bringing you a meal. Then St. Ita, bowing to the ground, gave thanks to God: and from that meal St. Ita gave to others she is fed with heavenly food. to whom she knew it was worthy to be given: and thus without any doubt she lived on heavenly sustenance until her death, with an Angel ministering to her.

a Ree Island MS.: Yconaill. Here it is soon called Hua-Conaill, that is, the clan of Conall.

b The same MS.: Luac.

c St. Senanus the Bishop is venerated on the 8th of March.

d The Ree Island MS.: fearing to be distracted in mind or overly occupied by the occasion of temporal things, she refused to accept anything except, etc.

e The Ree Island MS. more clearly: You afflict your body beyond your strength; do not therefore do so, but let your service be reasonable.

f The same MS.: And the Virgin replied: I wish to press on toward what lies ahead, and not to turn back.

CHAPTER III.

The grace of miracles: whence? The gift of prophecy.

[10] One day a certain devout Virgin came to St. Ita and was speaking with her about the divine precepts; and when they were speaking to each other, that Virgin said to St. Ita: Tell us in the name of God, why are you loved more by the Lord than other Virgins whom we know to be in the world? She obtained the grace of miracles through devotion to the Holy Trinity; For a meal is given to you from heaven by God; you heal all ailments by your prayer; you prophesy concerning past and future things; you drive out demons everywhere; the Angels of the Lord speak with you daily; you always persist in meditation and prayer of the most Holy Trinity without impediment. Then St. Ita said to her: You yourself have answered your own question, saying: Without impediment I persist in meditation and prayer of the Holy Trinity. For if anyone should be so, the Lord will always be with him: and if I have been so from infancy, all these things which you have said have therefore happened to me. That holy Virgin, hearing these words from Blessed Ita concerning prayer and meditation on God, departed rejoicing to her cell. And God bestowed upon St. Ita so great a grace of prophecy that she herself knew whether the sick would survive their illness or would die.

[11] The holy Abbot Comganus, knowing that the time of his reward was approaching, asked St. Ita to come to him, and St. Comganus said to her: Behold, I shall die shortly of this illness; and I ask you in the name of Christ, she is present at the death of St. Comganus: to place your hands upon my lips and close my mouth in the hour of my falling asleep. For I know from an Angel of God that upon whomever who is dying you shall lay your hands, the Angels of the Lord will immediately lead his soul to the kingdom. The holy Virgin said to him: O holy Father, what do you say? A sinful man should be the one to say this word. Great is your reward with God, and you shall be glorious among the Saints of God. Why do you need me? St. Comganus said: I truly say that because of what I have asked, no demon will dare to approach our path or accuse us in any way. Meanwhile the holy man Comganus departed from this world amid the choirs of the holy Angels, and St. Ita performed what he had asked.

[12] Then the glorious Virgin of God, Ita, returned to her cell. And as the handmaid of God was approaching her monastery, she heard from nearby an immense and great wailing. For there were three Nobles who had died, who had departed on that day; and their friends were wailing and mourning them: and they, knowing that St. Ita was passing by, came down, she raises three dead persons by her prayers: and with a tearful voice begged the handmaid of God to come and at least pray for their souls. Immediately the Virgin Ita said to them: What more you desire than praying for their souls, in the name of Christ it shall be done for you. They did not yet understand this word. Blessed Ita said this word because, being full of the Spirit of prophecy, she knew that she would raise them from death in the name of God. And the Holy one of God went down with them to where the dead lay, and praying, she signed the bodies lying there with the sign of the holy Cross: and they rose alive at her command, and the bride of Christ presented them alive before all.

[13] In that same place there was a man afflicted with paralysis, held by the greatest infirmity; and friends, seeing the dead raised, seized him and brought him to St. Ita, that she might heal him; for they did not doubt that she would cure the sick, since she had raised the dead. she heals a paralytic with the sign of the Cross: And the handmaid of God, seeing his great misery, looked up to heaven and said to him: May the Lord have mercy on you. And saying this, she signed him with the sign of the holy Cross. It is truly wondrous to say: while the handmaid of Christ was still signing the paralytic, he immediately rose sound and whole before all, as if he had never been seized by paralysis. Then the cry of the entire people was raised to heaven, praising God and giving him thanks, and magnifying his handmaid with worthy honor. Afterward the handmaid of God with her companions reached her cell.

[14] A certain nun who had been under the care of St. Ita had secretly committed fornication: and on the next day Blessed Ita called her to herself and said to her: Why, Sister, did you not take care to keep your virginity? She knows by divine revelation of a Virgin's fall; But she, denying what she had done, St. Ita said to her: Did you not yesterday commit fornication in that place, and so it happened to you? And immediately she, knowing that Blessed Ita was a prophetess of past and future things, confessed the truth of the matter, and was healed, performing penance according to the command of St. Ita.

[15] Another Virgin also, who was far from St. Ita, that is, in the province of Connacht, was secretly committing adultery with a certain man. also of another, But holy Ita, full of the spirit of prophecy, knowing this, commanded St. Brendan to bring her to her. And St. Brendan made her come to St. Ita. The handmaid and bride of Christ narrated to that Virgin, among other things, how she had conceived and given birth to a daughter, for she had borne a daughter to that man. And she, hearing her iniquity from the mouth of the handmaid of God, performed worthy penance, and her soul was restored to eternal salvation, thereafter living a life in holiness. and other secrets of souls: Moreover, the entire household of St. Ita, and all others who knew of her prophetic knowledge, feared her as much when absent as when present.

[16] A certain good craftsman, who was an honorable man from the province of Connacht, came in exile to the land of the Munster people. And Blessed Ita, hearing the fame of his skill, asked him to construct buildings for her. That craftsman sought a wife from St. Ita and land to dwell upon. And the most blessed Ita gave him her sister and land in which they might dwell. The craftsman Beoanus And he with all devotion was building structures in the monastery of St. Ita. But it happened that two Chieftains waged war against each other on a certain day, and that craftsman went out to war with one of those Chieftains, for he was proven in military service. But that Chieftain with whom the craftsman was turned to flight, and all his men were killed; killed in battle among whom that craftsman was killed and beheaded; and his head was carried far from him. And when this was reported to St. Ita, it greatly displeased her. For she had promised the craftsman in the name of Christ that he would have a son after him; and he then had no offspring, because his wife was still barren. And St. Ita came with her companions to where the truncated body of the craftsman Beoanus lay (for that craftsman was called Beoanus); and when his head was not found, St. Ita prayed that the head might be shown to her: and the head by divine power flew through the air and stopped where the body was, before the handmaid of God: and the Lord, at the insistence of his handmaid, she raises him by her prayers; caused the head to adhere to the body, as firmly as if it had never been cut off; but only the trace of the wound remained. And with the Holy one of God praying, after the space of one hour, he rose alive, greeting the handmaid of God and giving thanks to God, and all who were there likewise gave thanks to God and to St. Ita. And the holy handmaid of God rising, went to her monastery. And he who had been raised from the dead went in their company. she nurtures his son, St. Pulcherius: Then that craftsman Beoanus slept with his barren wife, and she conceived and bore a son, just as the Holy one of God, Ita, had long before promised him. Which son that same Holy one of God, Ita, nurtured, who is called Pulcherius, and he is a most holy Abbot, in whose honor the city of Liath was built.

[17] A certain wise man lost his speech by misfortune, and became mute, and came to St. Ita with his disciples to seek healing. she restores speech to a mute man. And the holy handmaid of God prayed to the Lord for him: and immediately, while she was still praying, speech was given to him, and he spoke clearly: and praying to the Lord for each other, he returned to his own home with joy.

a The Ree Island MS. more clearly: And if the mercy of God has granted me that grace, the rest, which you have enumerated, are bestowed upon me.

b St. Comganus. This section is missing from the Ree Island MS. This seems to be St. Comganus of Glennissen, nephew of St. Columba, Abbot of Hy, through his sister Ethnea, whom we have learned is venerated by the Irish on the 27th of February.

c The other Life: Conacteorum. Connacht, or Conacia, is the fourth part of Ireland.

d This is St. Brendan, or Brendanus, of Clonfert, of whom we shall treat on the 16th of May.

e St. Brendan. The Ree Island MS.: they more carefully guarded themselves from illicit things.

f This was Nesa, or Nessa, as is said in the Life of St. Pulcherius on the 13th of March, where these things are narrated somewhat differently and at greater length. Another sister of St. Ida was St. Fina the Virgin.

g The Ree Island MS.: who merited to advance in grace and virtues by the merits of his nurse; so much so that he afterward became a holy Abbot and the Father of many monks, by the name of Mochaemoch. Colgan testifies that this name signifies the same as Pulcherius in Latin.

h The Ree Island MS.: in whose name the church of Liath-Mochaemoch was founded.

CHAPTER IV.

Piety, hospitality, and other virtues.

[18] On a certain holy feast day, Blessed Ita asked God that she might receive the body and blood of Christ from the hand of a worthy Priest on that day. She is transported far away to receive communion from the hands of a holy man: And the grace of God led his handmaid through long distances of land to the city of Clonmacnois, and she received the body and blood of the Lord from the hand of a worthy Priest, just as she had wished; but no one saw her coming there, or receiving, or returning, and immediately on that same day she was found in her own place. And the Priests, not knowing what had happened to the body and blood of the Lord, the entire people and clergy fasted with them on that day, so that the Lord might show them the mystery of this event. Afterward an Angel of the Lord came to a certain holy elder among them and narrated to him all that had happened.

[19] That Priest who had offered the sacrifice which St. Ita had received came with other Clerics on a long journey to her, that the handmaid of the Lord might bless them. And while they were traveling, one of them by some mishap became blind. Consoling each other, they said: Blessed Ita, the bride of Christ, when we reach her, will ask by God's grace for the light of our Brother's eye. she restores sight to a blind man: And the blessed Virgin Ita prophetically announced and foretold their coming to her household. And arriving there, the handmaid of the Lord received them joyfully, and immediately by God's grace she gave to that blind Brother the light of his eyes. And St. Ita commanded that Priest from whom she had received the Lord's communion secretly in the city of Clonmacnois to sing Mass before her. And the blessed Virgin commanded her Sisters and daughters to give to that holy Priest the Mass vestments in which he then celebrated. But he refused, saying: We cannot now take anything with us, because our Abbot Aeneas has commanded us not to accept anything from you except only your prayer. The holy prophetess Ita said: It will not displease your holy Abbot Aeneas to accept this from me, because I will give you a sign for him. One day he himself came to the monastery of the holy Virgin Cinreacha Dearcain, and the holy Virgin asked him to wash his feet, and he consented. she wipes the feet of St. Aeneas: Then the most holy Virgin Cinreacha washed the feet of St. Aeneas and wiped them with a linen cloth; but I myself (God is my witness) held the end of the cloth and wiped his feet with the Virgin. When your Abbot hears this, he will rejoice and will gladly accept my gift. Afterward they, receiving these things, and the disciples marveling at them, and having received the blessing of the Saint, returned on their way, and all things happened just as the holy Virgin Ita had predicted.

[20] A certain secular man, very rich and very eloquent, came to Blessed Ita, having a great gift of silver as alms, and placed it at the feet of the most holy Virgin: who, extending her hand, touched the silver, and despising it, cast it from her feet, not wishing to see it with her mind or her eyes. she shudders at the touch of money. Therefore after the handmaid of God had touched the aforesaid silver with her hands, she said to the daughter who served her: Give me water that I may wash the hand with which I touched corruptible silver. Thus the handmaid of God shuddered at silver and all the profits of the world, as if she had touched something unclean. Then the one who had given the gift asked Blessed Ita, saying: To whom should a gift be given, to the rich and powerful, or to the poor and pilgrims? The handmaid of God answered: It should be given to both; to the rich and powerful for the sake of worldly honor, but to the poor and pilgrims for the sake of reward in heaven. He said: If I cannot give to both, what shall I do? The holy handmaid of God answered: It is in a man's power to give his substance for the honor of the world, or to the Lord God, from whom he received it, and who will repay eternal life for temporal goods. He, edified by these words, departed having received a blessing.

[21] St. Brendan once asked Blessed Ita about the three works which most please God and the three which most displease him; Three things most pleasing to God; three most hateful. the handmaid of Christ, Ita, answered thus: True faith with a pure heart in God, a simple life with religion, generosity with charity: these three things greatly please God. But a mouth that detests men and an inclination toward evil things in the heart; a tenacious confidence in riches: these three things greatly displease God. St. Brendan and all who were there, hearing such a judgment, glorified God in his handmaid.

[22] A certain holy Virgin, wishing to explore how the most holy Virgin lived in the most secret place in which she was accustomed to devote herself to God alone, went out at a certain hour to see her. Entering there, she saw three most brilliant suns, similar to that sun of the world which illuminates the entire world, While praying she is illuminated by three Suns. shining upon the entire place and space around, and from terror she could not enter, but immediately turned back. The mystery of this portent is hidden from us, unless they were gifts of the most Holy Trinity, which made all things from nothing, whom the most blessed Virgin Ita served assiduously in body and soul.

[23] There was a certain Virgin in the plain of the Liffey, named Rethna, who had a holy foster-child whose name was Colmanus, who, going to the island of Hy to St. Columba, She knows by divine revelation of the arrival of guests, there received the degree of Bishop, and again returned to his homeland. Coming to his foster-mother St. Rethna, the blessed Virgin said to him: My son, my dear daughter is afflicted with a great illness, and therefore come with me to St. Ita, that she may bless you and that she may help your companion. And so the Bishop gladly accepted this. Afterward, having placed horses in a chariot, the Bishop and his foster-mother with their companions took to the road. But the devil began to set many snares for them on the way. Blessed Ita the prophetess said to her household: Prepare a bath and a feast, because today holy guests will come to us from the distant land of the Leinstermen. On that very day they arrived there, and immediately St. Ita said: and that Colmanus is a Bishop. Let the Bishop come to me and place his hand blessing my head. They marveled that the Holy one of God knew that he was a Bishop, with no one having told her. Blessing each other, as it pleased the Bishop, Blessed Ita said, they not yet having told her about the sick Virgin: Your daughter, whom you have brought, choose: The usefulness of sickness. whether she should be healthy in body and die in sin; or be here in suffering and live in eternal life? As the Apostle says: For power is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9. They, choosing with the daughter that she should be in pain here and live in eternal rest, it was done thus. St. Ita, turning to St. Rethna, said to her: Handmaid of God, your journey would not have been safe Wandering is harmful for nuns. unless the Bishop had come with you, because many demons lie in wait for our sex. And staying for several days with St. Ita in true charity, they began to return. Then St. Rethna said to Blessed Ita: I have, dearest one, a companion Virgin in the southern part of Ireland: and what do you advise me, my Lady, should I go to visit her? Blessed Ita said to her: No, but with your companions go straight to your cell, and that Virgin will meet you on the border of Leinster and Munster, St. Ida predicts someone's arrival. wishing to visit you. So it happened. And as they went with a blessing, there the aforesaid Virgin met them, and they blessed St. Ita the prophetess, rejoicing together.

a The Ree Island MS. adds: which was forty miles or more distant from her.

b The same MS. adds: which they placed in diligent custody.

c The same MS. more accurately: she humbly asked that Priest.

d In the same MS. he is called Engus, by others Aengus, and Oena. He was Abbot of Cluain, successor of St. Keran, St. Aeneas the Abbot. of whom we treat on the 9th of September. St. Aeneas is said to be venerated by the Irish on the 20th of January.

e The Ree Island MS.: to the cell of such Virgins. Colgan noted that this holy Virgin is more correctly called Cunnera than Kenreacha, St. Cunera the Virgin. or Kenreacha, and is venerated on the 5th of November. Moreover, St. Ida seems here to have been present invisibly.

f This plain, situated in the County of Kildare, is mentioned very often in the life of St. Brigid on the 1st of February, as is the river Liffey which waters it and empties into the sea at Dublin.

g In the Ree Island MS. she is called Rithena, by others Rathna and Rathnata; she is said to be venerated on the 5th of August.

h The Ree Island MS. calls him Colmanus, others Columbanus; and these diminutive forms, derived from the name of St. Columba, all signify the same thing. St. Colmanus. He is venerated on the 26th of September. Mention of him is made in the Life of St. Columba published by Canisius, book 1, number 5, where he is called Columbanus, but in the MS. the title of that section reads Colmannus. But book 2, number 13, in the printed edition and MS. he is called Columbanus. For it is clear from the MS. that the discussion there is about him, where in the title he is called the son of Beognus.

i The Ree Island MS. adds: devoted to God.

k The Ree Island MS.: on the border of Munster and Leinster. This is the eastern region of Ireland, called Leinster in English, whose capital is Dublin.

CHAPTER V.

Various miracles and predictions.

[24] A certain man killed his brother and, touched by penitence, came to St. Ita and performed penance according to her command; and the most blessed Ita, seeing that his spirit was devout, said to him: If you will adhere to my words, you shall not die a sudden death, but shall depart to eternal life. It happened afterward that he went with his Chief to war, because he was a soldier, and when the battle pressed hard against his side, he was killed among the rest. Hearing this, Blessed Ita said: I promised that man to complete the course of his life happily, A certain slain man she summons to herself, and he immediately rises: because he observes what I commanded him; and she said to her servants: Go from me, and in the name of my God, in the field of slaughter, call him by his name, and I believe that he will rise to you. And they, doing thus, he rose from the slaughter as if he had never been slain, and ran to those who called him, and came with them to Blessed Ita, and afterward it happened to him as the handmaid of God had promised.

[25] At a certain time a certain rich secular man came to Blessed Ita, saying: I ask you, holy one of God, that my mares may bear male foals with white heads and red color this year. St. Ita answered him: What you say is not of my smallness; but it is God's to do with his elements what he wills. Then he entreated her more earnestly, saying: she obtains and predicts that foals of a certain color will be born: Ask the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, who as God, three and one, of heaven and earth, sea and men, has colored the colors of garments and cattle, that he himself may produce the colors of the foals as I wish. The Handmaid of God said to him: Because you believe thus in God, so shall your foals be this year as you wish. He, rejoicing at such a prophecy, departed, and all things happened to him just as the handmaid of God had said.

[26] At another time, in the convent of nuns which is called Doirechuisgrigh, a most troublesome question arose about a theft which had been committed there. It was being investigated from each one of them. When all denied it, the Abbess of that place said to her daughters: Let us go to Blessed Ita the Virgin, and I believe that this obscure question will be resolved through her: for it displeased them that this entire suspicion had fallen upon one innocent Virgin of Christ. Afterward she went to Blessed Ita. And St. Ita prophetically said to her household: Prepare food and a bath, she predicts the arrival of guests: because a handmaid of Christ will come to us today. Afterward, arriving, they entered in order to St. Ita, kissing her. But she upon whom the suspicion rested did not dare to approach closer to the handmaid of God, although she was innocent and of pure conscience. Then Blessed Ita said to her: Come, most innocent Virgin of Christ, she knows by divine revelation and reveals one's innocence, and give me a kiss; it is certain that you did not commit the theft for which you are sought. Immediately those Virgins in the name of Christ asked St. Ita about the person who had stolen it. Blessed Ita answered them: She who for another fault is placed among you in penance, she stole it and hid it between the wood of the veil and her field, and another's theft, and the apostasy to follow: and she added, saying: You will find it unharmed; but she who stole it will not remain in your convent, but, as the Prophet says, the brow of a harlot has become hers. And so all things came to pass. For that theft was found, and that unhappy woman, abandoning her habit, remained debauched in fornication among rustics. Jeremiah 3:3.

[27] At another time a certain man named Feargus, whose son is still alive, was brought to St. Ita in the greatest pain of his eyes and body. she heals one who is going blind and sick. For his friends scarcely knew whether he was alive or dead. But this sick man, nearly dead, his eyes extinguished and despaired of by all, returned home sufficiently strong in body and with most keen eyes, and lived until his death with sound limbs through the prayer and blessing of the most blessed Ita.

[28] At a certain time the uncle of St. Ita died, who had eight sons. They lived in the region of the Desii; and the handmaid of God sent for them from the land of Hua-Conaill, summoning them. Who, coming, the bride of Christ addressed them, saying: My uncle, your father, has died: alas for us! because he is tormented with harsh and dreadful pains for his transgressions; She frees her uncle from Purgatory by her prayers and the alms of his sons. but it has been divinely shown to me how he is being tortured; but let us do something for the salvation of his soul, that he may be delivered: therefore do what I say, that is, let each one of you give throughout this entire year daily bread with a portion of meat or butter for his soul, and as many candles, and at the end of the year return to me. For they were wealthy men, and they did as the handmaid of Christ commanded them, and returned after a year to Blessed Ita, who said to them: Your father has been extracted halfway from his pains through your gifts and my prayers: now go and give equal gifts this year, and come to me again. And so they did. Returning, the Virgin of Christ spoke to them thus: Your father has been entirely delivered from his pains; but now he is without garments, because he gave no one a garment in the name of Christ; therefore give alms of garments so that he may be clothed, and they, giving alms of garments through another year, returned to St. Ita. To whom she said: Your father now has rest through your gifts and my supplications, through the great mercy of God. Therefore guard yourselves from illicit secular desires and lusts, for which your father was tortured, and they, giving thanks to the Lord and rendering thanks to his handmaid, returned to their homes.

[29] One day a secular man, greatly saddened by the death of his son, came to St. Ita weeping, and declaring in a rustic manner, saying: Know this, Holy one of God, for certain: I will not leave your dwelling, and I will not cease wailing, until you raise my dead son. Blessed Ita answered him gently: What you ask of me, O man, is not of my power, but of the Apostles and those like them. Then that man said: I grieve most especially because the tongue of my son was lost before his death, so that he could not confess God, nor speak any words to us: I ask you to pray to the Holy Trinity that my son may live again for at least one day, so that I may hear his words. Blessed Ita answered him: she raises a dead man and predicts how long he will live: How long will you be content, if the merciful Lord who raises the dead should have mercy on you and raise your son? He said: I am grateful even for the space of one day. The handmaid of God said to him: He shall live seven years and seven months and seven days. Afterward, at the prayer of the blessed Virgin, that dead man immediately rose, and he lived neither less nor more than had been foretold to him through the mouth of the Virgin prophetess.

[30] At another time St. Luchtighernus and St. Lasreanus, Abbots, said to each other: Let us go to visit the handmaid of God, St. Ita. Then a certain youth foolishly and unwisely said to them: What is there for you, wise and holy men, to go to that decrepit old woman? The Saints, rebuking him, she knows things done in her absence. said to him: You have spoken ill, Brother, for the prophetess of the Lord already knows what you have said. Then the Saints proceeded to St. Ita, bringing that young man with them. Arriving at the door of the monastery, the Virgins recognized St. Luchtighernus, because he frequently visited Blessed Ita, and entering, they announced to the bride of Christ, saying: This is a good day for us, because St. Luchtighernus visits you. The holy Mother answered them: He who comes with him is no less before God, that is, St. Lasreanus, son of Colmannus, whom you did not greet because you did not know him: for through the spirit, St. Ita knew him by name and merit whom she had never seen. And coming to Blessed Ita, that she might bless them, immediately the handmaid of God said to that aforesaid young man: Why have you come to a decrepit old woman, when you said, what would it profit the Saints to come to me? Then he performed penance, with the Saints interceding for him, and remaining there happily for three days, having received permission and a blessing from the most holy Ita, they returned to their homes.

a This section is lacking in the Ree Island MS.

b Other Life: Fergus.

c Thus the Ree Island MS.; which must be understood of the pains of Purgatory. The Kilkenny MS. had: with infernal pains; which itself should be taken to mean Purgatory, and below: from the waves of hell, from all of hell, etc.

d The Ree Island MS.: and candles for celebrating Masses.

e This indicates that he was indeed delivered from the pains, but did not yet enjoy the vision of God or was clothed in heavenly glory; but was still tormented by the desire for perfect beatitude.

f The Ree Island MS.: that he might confess his sins at the end.

g The Ree Island MS.: Luchugernus. He is said to be venerated on the 28th of April.

h This Lasrianus the Abbot is said to be venerated (for other Saints of the same name are also celebrated) on the 25th of October.

CHAPTER VI.

Other predictions; death.

[31] The prophecy of St. Ita was shown in many miracles, as you will hear in this miracle. One day the Virgin of Christ, Ita, said to her household: What words do I hear? Look, who has come to our place. And some of her household went outside and saw two uterine brothers well known to them. And returning, they said to the handmaid of God: These are two brothers from this land, whom we know well. Then the prophetess Blessed Ita said, groaning: Woe, woe to them, and sorrow increases for me and for them, because one will soon kill the other; She predicts a fratricide: which the outcome indeed proved. For the brother killed his brother with his own hands. Then that evildoer was bound in chains by the Chief of the region of Hua-Conaill, soon to be handed over to death. But the Virgin of Christ, Ita, had compassion on him, saying: Their mother will be sorrowful when she has lost the first, and if she loses this one, she will be bereft of both. Also the Son of God, whom my soul loves, does not wish this man to perish in his sins, but to preserve him for pardon. Afterward she sent to the aforesaid Chief, asking that he be released to her, and that man was sent to her, she asks for the criminal to be given to her for penance; the messengers saying to her: Release him, Virgin of God, and receive him into your care, if it seems good to you: and if he does any evil against the kingdom, it shall be upon you. Take him, therefore, that he may do penance. St. Ita answered them: I know that he will not do penance quickly: but afterward he will repent well. And so it happened. For immediately upon being released, the criminal did not wish to do penance; but as St. Ita the bride of Christ had foretold, she waited for him patiently, which he does not do immediately. that he might now perform not a forced but a voluntary penance, because God has left each one to his own free will.

[32] When these things had transpired, a great war was stirred up against the people of Hua-Conaill by many enemies. The aforesaid people, in the presence of their patroness Blessed Ita, sought the help of God through her, against a very great multitude of enemies. Then Blessed Ita, having compassion on them, prayed to God, saying: Holy Trinity, and inseparable Unity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to my poor and wretched people, who kindly received me in your name within their borders and accepted me as their patroness: come therefore with your aid, for whom there is no human help against this excessive multitude of western Munster. The people of Hua-Conaill, trusting in the prayers of Blessed Ita, boldly went out against the very great multitude of enemies; and they fought courageously, and fighting each other with the greatest wounds, by God's aid, evidently through the prayer of St. Ita, they were turned to flight in battle, and the people of Hua-Conaill wrought the greatest slaughter upon them: and returning most victoriously from battle, the people of Hua-Conaill gave thanks to God and to the most blessed Ita, their patroness, for the victory granted to them. The few victors of Christ were against the many, because St. Ita had prayed for them. Then St. Ita said to one of her servants: Go where the battle was fought, and seek there the one who promised me to do penance and has not yet done so, and you will find him lurking among the slain of the battle and wounded. but wounded in battle, he did penance. For he was a soldier, and was wounded in the first line of battle; and the messenger of the Virgin found him just as she had indicated to him, and brought him back to Blessed Ita, and he was kindly received by her; and he was healed of his wounds, and afterward performed worthy penance according to the command of the most blessed Ita, and died in a blessed life.

[33] On another occasion Blessed Ita said to her daughters: At this hour a soul of our household is being stained; go and diligently investigate which of our flock is now being seized by the wolf that lies in wait. She knows by divine revelation of a nun's sin: Then the household of Blessed Ita investigated the crime committed and could not discover which person among them had sinned. And the entire household was gathered before Blessed Ita, and all denying individually said: I did not commit that sin; she who had sinned also denying with the rest. Filled with the Spirit of prophecy, Blessed Ita said to her who was denying: You have sinned today in fornication: and she neither repented nor confessed; but departed with the disgrace of sin. Who, wandering through many places, became a slave in the region of Connacht and bore a daughter. After much time had already passed, St. Ita said to her household: having left the convent, now penitent, Our sister, once free, is now a slave and servant in the house of a certain great man in the region of Connacht, and she is already doing penance: and if she were now free, she would faithfully amend her life. Afterward the holy Virgin Ita sent messengers to Blessed Brendan the Abbot, living in the region of Connacht, that he himself should seek the freedom of the aforesaid woman. And St. Brendan, humbly obeying the command of the bride of Christ, went to the King of Connacht on her behalf, and obtained freedom for her and for her daughter, and she, together with her daughter, sent by St. Brendan, came to St. Ita, and was received by her, rejoicing at her coming. she arranges for her to be restored to herself: And she, performing worthy penance in holiness until her death, remained with her daughter in the monastery of the most pious Virgin Ita.

[34] One day the most blessed Virgin Ita, in venerable old age, having gathered her Virgins before her, indicating that her death was near, gently said to them: The Abbot of Clonmacnois, Macnissius, has sent messengers to me, to bring back water blessed by me for the Abbot Aeneas, who is very seriously ill, she predicts her own death and that of St. Aeneas: because they hope for his recovery if it should happen that he would drink water consecrated by me: now I shall bless water for him. The messengers are sad, and tell them that I have blessed the water for him. For I shall not die before they arrive here; and before they return home, that same St. Aeneas will depart to heaven. And so all these things happened according to the prophecy of the most holy Virgin Ita.

[35] Afterward the most holy patroness Ita was seized by illness, and began to bless and admonish her city and clergy and the people of Hua-Conaill, who had accepted her as their Patroness: and visited by many Saints of both sexes, amid the choirs of the Saints, with Angels rejoicing and proceeding to meet her soul, she dies. after the greatest multitude of virtues, the most happy and most glorious Virgin St. Ita departed in the sight of the most Holy Trinity on the eighteenth day before the Kalends of February. Her most blessed body, with many peoples gathered from the surrounding area, after miracles were performed which even now do not cease to be shown there, was most gloriously consigned to burial in her monastery after the solemnities of the Masses (which was marked out by the same St. Ita, who appears in no way inferior to St. Brigid in merits and character), in the reign of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who with God the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

a The Ree Island MS.: blood brothers.

b St. Macnissius. St. Macnissius was the successor of St. Aeneas, Abbot of Cluain, and is venerated on the 13th of July; he is different from St. Macnissus, or Engus, Bishop of Connor, of whom we treat elsewhere.