On March 10, we commemorate a Scottish saint, Kessog (Kessoc) of Lennox, also known as Kessog of Luss . It is claimed that this saint was a native of Cashel and related to the ruling family of Munster. One of the sources, the lessons from the Aberdeen Breviary, begins: ‘Kessog, the noble confessor of Christ, drew his origin and name from the state of Munster and the stock of illustrious Irish kings…’ However, the saint appears to be unattested in Irish sources, his name is not found on the Irish calendars of the saints, nor in the Irish genealogies or Annals. It was suggested by W.J.Watson in his 1926 study of Scottish place names that our saint may be the same as a Saint Cessán who acted as a chaplain to Saint Patrick:

Cessóc, Ceaság, March 10, is stated by the Aberdeen Breviary to have been born in Cashel in Munster, of royal family, a statement which would be of much interest if it were confirmed. He is perhaps the same as Cessán, who is styled ‘son of the king of Alba, and a chaplain of Patrick.’ His name is a reduced form of some compound beginning with cess, a spear. He is specially connected with Luss on Loch Lomond. In 1566 (RMS) mention is made of ‘the lands of Buchquhannan, with the bell and alms of St. Cassog’ (cum campana et elimosina S. Cassogi). On the east he is the patron of Auchterarder, ‘ecclesia Sancti Mechesseoc de Kohterardeuar,’ 1200 (Chart. Inch.), ‘ Sancti Mahessoc de huctherardouer,’ 1211, 2b. Tom mo Cheasaig, ‘my-Kessock’s knoll,’ and Féill mo Cheasaig, ‘St. Kessock’s  fair,’ are at Comrie and Callander in Perthshire. Cladh nan Ceasanach in Glenfinglas, near Glen Main Burn, seems to mean ‘graveyard of St. Kessock’s people.’ In Strathearn there is ‘ Barrnakillis (Church-hill) with the chapel and holy bell of St. Kessog,’ 1538, 1542 (RMS). Port Cheiseig, Kessock Ferry on the Beauly Firth, is probably named after the saint. In 1270 (Reg. Pasl.) ‘Mauricius filius Gilmekesseoch ’ was witness at Paisley.

W.J. Watson, The History of the Celtic place-names of Scotland (Edinburgh, 1926), 277-78.

Watson also records the traditions preserved in the twelfth-century Book of Leinster that the Eoganacht dynasty of Munster were the forbears of the mormaer (mormáir) or Earl of Lennox. Doctor Alan Macquarrie, editor of the 2012 edition of the Aberdeen Breviary, suggests that this may provide a context for the claims that Cashel was the birthplace of Saint Kessog:

Perhaps an exotic Munster origin has been constructed for a local saint of Lennox to parallel the Munster origin claimed for the mormáir of Lennox. This may have lifted material from the vita of a Munster saint, but the source has not been traced.

A. Macquarrie, ed., Legends of Scottish Saints – Readings, Hymns and Prayers for the Commemorations of Scottish Saints in the Aberdeen Breviary (Dublin, 2012), 376.

So it seems that, as Watson remarked, the statement in the Aberdeen Breviary that Saint Kessog was born in Cashel in Munster, of royal family ‘would be of much interest if it were confirmed’, such confirmation still eludes us. Canon O’Hanlon, brings in all of the traditional sources in his account of the saint found in Volume III of his Lives of the Irish Saints:

St. Kessog, Mackessog, or Makkessagus, Bishop, and Confessor, Patron of Lennox, Scotland.
[Sixth Century]

This holy bishop is venerated, and not unmeritedly, in the church of Scud, on his natal day, as elsewhere in Scotland. There, while living on earth, he sought out the true way of living for ever in heaven. The Bollandists have the Acts of St. Kessog, at the 10th of March. These consist of two preliminary sections, with the lection of his Life, as found in the Breviary of Aberdeen. From this we learn, that it had been compiled, from a special Life of St. Kessog. Bishop Forbes gives an interesting account of this Scottish bishop. The Rev. S. Baring-Gould has some notices about St. Kessog. He was born,as we are told, in Cashel, the capital city of Munster, while his name and family were derived from the royal race of Irish Kings. From early youth, his virtues were remarkable, and he was distinguished for his miracles. His father was King of Cashel; and, in that station, he not only desired to cultivate the friendship of other Irish kings, but he hospitably invited them to banquets, and he even desired, that his noble guests should be accompanied by their sons. We learn, from the Aberdeen Breviary, that the King of Cashel was accustomed to receive his visitors, in great state, when trumpets and musical instruments welcomed them to his royal city. On one of those occasions, while Kessog, still a child, played with two other handsome young princes, who were sons of a visitor, near a lake, or pond, all fell into it, and Kessog alone escaped with life. He told the tale in secret to his father. A certain Elinthus, a citizen of Cashel, feared that such intelligence should cause a great commotion among the kings; and, he endeavoured, as best he could, to relate all the circumstances of the sad accident, so as to excuse Kessog, who, in some manner, seems to have been blamed, in connexion with its occurrence. Filled with grief and indignation, the strange kings vowed they would burn the city of the King of Cashel, and that they should devastate all his province. But, after a night spent in prayer by Kessog, at the request of his aftrighted father, the boy heard an angel of the Lord say to him, towards morning, “Kessog, rise at once from prayer, for the Lord hath heard you, since the kings’ sons, for whom you prayed, have come to life and are restored.” Soon were their parents satisfied on the matter, and their rejoicing was very great. Many other miracles were wrought by him, as related in his special Life. According to their National Breviary, St. Makkessagus ruled over the Scots, as a bishop. His feast occurs, on the 10th of March, and he flourished, it is said, A.D. 520. According to Dempster’s conjecture, he was elected from the Culdee order. His church was in Levinia, near the county of Menteth, and, it was called, “Templum Portus.” Celebrated for its fair, the place was much resorted to by crowds. He is stated to have written “Manipulum Precum,” lib. i., and ” Catechesin ad Neophytos,” lib. i. He is thought to have lived, in the Island of Inchta-vanach, where he devoted himself to prayer and to evangelizing the neighbourhood.

According to tradition, St. Kessog suffered martyrdom for the truth, at Bandry. There a cairn, and a large stone, on which an ecclesiastic’s effigy is carved, were erected to his memory. Another account has it, that he was martyred in a foreign land, and that, embalmed in sweet herbs, his body was brought to the church of Luss, his native place. There he was buried, according to the Breviary of Aberdeen. These herbs, called Luss, in Gaelic, germinated, and gave name to the parish. At the place of his burial is Carn-ma-cheasaig. Malcolm, Earl of Lennox, granted a charter to John of Luss, “for the reverence and honour of our patron the most holy man, the blessed Kessog.” In 1313, Robert Bruce granted a sanctuary-girth of three miles, to the church of Luss, in a charter, which is preserved at Buchanan. In the Lennox, a bell of St. Kessog was held in reverence, during the seventeenth century. The church of Auchterarder is dedicated to him, and he was honoured at Callander. In this latter place was a curious conical hill, or mound, which seems to be artificial. It is called Tom-ma-chessaig, and there an old church stood. In like manner, the fair of Fel-ma-chessaig is held, on the 21st of March, the 10th, old style. There is a Kessog’s fair, in Cumbrae, on the 3rd Wednesday in March, and there is a Kessog Ferry, at Inverness.

The Rev. Dr. Todd identifies this saint with Moshenoc, of Beitheach, at the 11th of March. According to the Kalendar of Arbuthnott, we find, at the 10th of March, or vi. Ides, St. Kessog, Bishop, and Confessor; while, the same notice occurs, in the Kalendar of the Breviary of Aberdeen, having the addition, that his Office was celebrated with Nine Lessons. Adam King’s Kalendar, at the 10th of this month, enters S. Makkessage bisch. and cof. in Scotl. Dempster, in his “Menologium Scoticum,” at this same date, has in Levinia, Makkessag, bishop, who is depicted in a military habit, and whose intercession is earnestly implored by soldiers. Also, in the Scottish entries, as found in the Kalendar of David Camerarius, we have, at the 10th of March, St. Makkessog, who is also called Kessog, Confessor and Bishop “in Boina Scotie provincia,” celebrated for the lustre of his miracles. The “Circle of the Seasons” has its note of St. Kessog, at this date. In art, it is said, he was represented as a soldier, with a stretched bow and arrows in his hand, and a quiver at his back.

Note: This post, first published in 2014 has been revised in 2025.

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On March 8 we celebrate the feastday of Saint Duthac, a Bishop of Ross in Scotland. Although it seems that there was some disagreement over the exact period in which he flourished, the concensus seems to be that the saint reposed around the year 1068. In his account of Saint Duthac, Canon O’Hanlon provides a good overview of the sources for the Bishop’s career, his links with Ireland and some of his miracles.

St. Duthac or Dubthac, Patron and Bishop of Ross, Scotland.

[Eleventh Century.]

Despising alike the applause of princes and of people, this holy man avoided company, banqueting, and all worldly comforts. Yet, by this course of life, he acquired a just meed of fame, among the people of Britain and Ireland, where his travels produced grace. A Life of St. Duthac was written by Father Patrick Anderson, a Scotch Jesuit, who compiled Lives of the Scottish Saints, which manuscript had been preserved, in the Scotch College, at Paris. He flourished, in the beginning of the seventeenth century. The Rt. Rev. Bishop Challenor, the “Memorial of British Piety”, Rev. Alban Butler and Rev. S. Baring-Gould have their respective notices of Duthac. Also, the Bollandists, and Bishop Forbes, who give an account of this saint, tell us, that he sprung from no ignoble family of the Scoti, and that his wise instructors early imbued him with a knowledge of the Christian Faith. While engaged at his youthful studies, it pleased God to perform a wonderful miracle. His preceptor having sent him for fire to a workshop, snatching up with a tongs some burning thorns, the workman there cast them into the youth’s bosom. His clothes even remained unsinged and unscathed, while Duthac carried the burning thorns safely to his master. By Divine direction, it is stated, that Dubthac crossed over to Hibernia. There, he applied to study the precepts and laws of the Old and New Testament, and on his return to Scotland, he taught these publicly with all gentleness. Shortly after, he was consecrated by his cobishops, as universal and chief pastor. He was remarkable, for his gift of miracles. One of these throws a picturesque light, on the manners of his time. Duthac had been invited to a feast, where one of the company, after drinking, had a sick headache. He had sent a portion of swine’s flesh, with a gold ring, by one of Duthac’s disciples; but, the latter, on passing a cemetery, laid down the flesh and ring there, desiring to offer prayers, for the souls departed. Meantime, a hungry kite snatched them up and flew away across a river, towards a dense wood. Fearing the anger, both of the donor and of his master, the disciple straightway returned, with an account of what had happened. Whereupon, St. Duthac retired for a few minutes, and he prayed; when the kite soon returned, and laid what he had taken, at the saint’s feet. Blessed Duthac accepted the ring, but he restored the flesh to that kite, which anon flew away. Again, in the case of a cake, made with honey and butter, food was miraculously increased, and the remains worked cures. While celebrating the feast of St. Finbarr of Cork, a canon of Dornoch Church caused a fat ox to be killed for the poor. Determining to carry a portion of it himself to St. Duthac, during a dark and stormy night; the spit, on which this food was carried, gave a light both coming and going.

According to Dempster, he wrote a Book, “Meditationes solitariae,” a Book “De Vanitate Philosophorum,” and a Book, “De Dei Nominibus ex S, Dionysio.” While some state, he flourished A.D. 807, others have it at A.D. 1249. The Office and Lessons of St. Duthac or Dubthac occur in the Breviary of Aberdeen, on the 8th of the March Ides, when his death occurred, and when his festival is celebrated. The date for his demise, given by Bishop Forbes, is A.D. 1068. If the supplement to Fordun may be trusted, St. Duthac had another tie to Scotland, in his disciple Malisius or Maeliosa, who, he prophesied, should become Episcopus Scotorum. The Annals of Ulster enter his decease, at A.D. 1065; and, while calling him Albanach, the principal Confessor of Erin and Alban, they state, that he rested at Armagh. He was venerated in Ross, and indeed throughout all Scotland, by princes and people. He flourished during the time of Vilhelmus, or Gulielmus, the ninety-third King of Scotland, according to Lesley. This should bring him into the twelfth century. Again, Hector Boece states the report, that St. Duthac lived, during the reign of Alexander II., and, it is said, he was preceptor to Blessed Gilbert, Bishop of Cathanensis. He is greatly honoured, in the Church of Tayne, in the diocese of Ross, and to this place, great numbers of pilgrims resorted.

Seven years after death, his body was found incorrupt, and his relics were translated to a grander shrine. His shirt, his stock, and his bell, were preserved. The following places in Scotland are named after him: Kilduich, at the head of Loch Duich; Kilduthie, near the Loch of Leys; Arduthie close to Stonehaven, and the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of St. Dupthac, at Arbroath. He is reputed to have foretold an invasion of the Danes, which happened A.D, 1263, when they were defeated by Alexander Stuart, the great grandfather to King Robert. In the Kalendar of Hyrdmanstoun, at the viii. Ides, or 8th of March, is entered St. Duthac, Bishop and Confessor. The same entry occurs in the Kalendar of Arbuthnott, and in that of Aberdeen, his feast is similarly noted, with the remark, that he had a Duplex Office, consisting of Nine Lessons. In Adam King’s Kalendar, at the 8th of March, is entered S. Duthake bischope and cofess. in scot, vnder King Alexander 2. Dempster states, that in the town of Thana, Duthac, Bishop of Ross, whose holiness was proved by frequent miracles, had been venerated, on the 8th of March. Also, David Camerarius, at the same date, has St. Duthac, Confessor and Bishop of Ross, renowned for his sanctity, in the provinces of Ross and Moray, in Scotland. We also find this holy bishop noted, in the “Circle of the Seasons,” and in the Martyrology of Cologne.

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