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May 24, 2018 by Alexander Meldrum
Saint Columba (c. 521 - 597) Birth name : Colmcille.
Although actually Irish (he was born in Donegal, Ireland), St. Columba is seen as Scotlands' second patron saint (after St. Andrew).
Saint ...Saint Columba (c. 521 - 597) Birth name : Colmcille.
Although actually Irish (he was born in Donegal, Ireland), St. Columba is seen as Scotlands' second patron saint (after St. Andrew).
Saint Columba (Irish: Colm Cille, 'church dove'; Scots: Columbkille; 7 December 521 – 9 June 597) was an Irish abbot and missionary credited with spreading Christianity in what is today Scotland at the start of the Hiberno-Scottish mission.
He was a missionary and established a monastery on the Isle of Iona in 563, and tried to convert the native Picts to Christianity. The abbey and the community established on the Isle of Iona still exist today.
Birth name : Colmcille.
He founded the important abbey on Iona, which became a dominant religious and political institution in the region for centuries. He is the Patron Saint of Derry.
He was highly regarded by both the Gaels of Dál Riata and the Picts, and is remembered today as a Christian saint and one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland.
Colmcille studied under some of Ireland's most prominent church figures and founded several monasteries in the country.
Around 563 he and his twelve companions crossed to Dunaverty near Southend, Argyll, in Kintyre before settling in Iona in Scotland, then part of the Ulster kingdom of Dál Riata, where they founded a new abbey as a base for spreading Christianity among the northern Pictish kingdoms who were pagan.
He remained active in Irish politics, though he spent most of the remainder of his life in Scotland. Three surviving early medieval Latin hymns may be attributed to him.
Colmcille was born to Fedlimid and Eithne of the Cenel Conaill in Gartan, a district beside Lough Gartan, in Tír Chonaill (mainly modern County Donegal) in the north of Ireland.
On his father's side, he was great-great-grandson of Niall of the Nine Hostages, an Irish high king of the 5th century.
He was baptised in Temple-Douglas, in the County Donegal parish of Conwal (midway between Gartan and Letterkenny), by his teacher and foster-uncle Saint Crunathan.
It is not known for sure if his name at birth was Colmcille or if he adopted this name later in life; Adomnán (Eunan) of Iona thought it was his birth name but other Irish sources have claimed his name at birth was Crimthann (meaning 'fox').
In the Irish language his name means 'dove', which is the same name as the Prophet Jonah (Jonah in Hebrew is also 'dove'), which Adomnán of Iona as well as other early Irish writers were aware of, although it is not clear if he was deliberately named after Jonah or not.
He founded the important abbey on Iona, which became a dominant religious and political institution in the region for centuries. He is the Patron Saint of Derry.
He was highly regarded by both the Gaels of Dál Riata and the Picts, and is remembered today as a Christian saint and one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland.
Colmcille studied under some of Ireland's most prominent church figures and founded several monasteries in the country.
Around 563 he and his twelve companions crossed to Dunaverty near Southend, Argyll, in Kintyre before settling in Iona in Scotland, then part of the Ulster kingdom of Dál Riata, where they founded a new abbey as a base for spreading Christianity among the northern Pictish kingdoms who were pagan.
He remained active in Irish politics, though he spent most of the remainder of his life in Scotland. Three surviving early medieval Latin hymns may be attributed to him.
He left Ireland, to return only once, many years later. In 563, He travelled to Scotland with twelve companions (said to include Odran of Iona) in a wicker currach covered with leather.
According to legend he first landed on the Kintyre Peninsula, near Southend. However, being still in sight of his native land, he moved farther north up the west coast of Scotland.
The island of Iona was made over to him by his kinsman Conall mac Comgaill King of Dál Riata, who perhaps had invited him to come to Scotland in the first place.
However, there is a sense in which he was not leaving his native people, as the Ulster Gaels had been colonising the west coast of Scotland for the previous couple of centuries.
Aside from the services he provided guiding the only centre of literacy in the region, his reputation as a holy man led to his role as a diplomat among the tribes.
There are also many stories of miracles which he performed during his work to convert the Picts, the most famous being his encounter with an unidentified animal that some have equated with the Loch Ness Monster in 565.
It is said that he banished a ferocious "water beast" to the depths of the River Ness after it had killed a Pict and then tried to attack Colmcille's disciple named Lugne (see Vita Columbae Book 2 below).
He visited the pagan King Bridei, King of Fortriu, at his base in Inverness, winning Bridei's respect, although not his conversion. He subsequently played a major role in the politics of the country.
He was also very energetic in his work as a missionary, and, in addition to founding several churches in the Hebrides, he worked to turn his monastery at Iona into a school for missionaries.
He was a renowned man of letters, having written several hymns and being credited with having transcribed 300 books. One of the few, if not the only, times he left Scotland was towards the end of his life, when he returned to Ireland to found the monastery at Durrow.
Colmcille died on Iona and was buried in 597 by his monks in the abbey he created. In 794 the Vikings descended on Iona. Colmcille's relics were finally removed in 849 and divided between Scotland and Ireland.
The parts of the relics which went to Ireland are reputed to be buried in Downpatrick, County Down, with St. Patrick and St. Brigid or at Saul Church neighbouring Downpatrick. (Names of Iona), Inchcolm and Eilean Chaluim Chille.
Colmcille is credited as being a leading figure in the revitalisation of monasticism. The Clan Malcolm/Clan McCallum claims its name from Colmcille and was reputedly founded by the descendants of his original followers.
It is also said that Clan Robertson Clan Donnachaidh / Duncan are heirs of Colmcille.
Clan MacKinnon may also have some claim to being spiritual descendants of St Colmcille as after he founded his monastery on Isle Iona, the MacKinnons were the abbots of the Church for centuries.
This would also account for the fact that Clan MacKinnon is amongst the ancient clans of Scotland.
The cathedral of the Catholic Diocese of Argyll and the Isles is placed under the patronage of St. Colmcille, as are numerous Catholic schools and parishes throughout the nation.
The Scottish Episcopal Church, the Church of Scotland, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England also have parishes dedicated to him. The village of Kilmacolm in Renfrewshire is also derived from Colmcille's name.
For more facts go to Wikipedia.
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