OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

ALL THE SAINTS OF IRELAND

  • Saint Tassach of Raholp, April 14

    On April 14 we commemorate a saint with a role in Patrician hagiography, Tassach of Raholp, County Down.  For tradition says that it was Saint Tassach who administered the Holy Communion to Saint Patrick on his deathbed. He is associated with the site of a small church at Raholp, and an online report on recent excavations at the site can be read here. Below is Canon O’Hanlon’s account of the saint which draws on the various traditions surrounding him, chief of which was that Tassach was a skilled craftsman whose name is linked to the most famous relic of Saint Patrick, the Bachall Íosa, or Staff of Jesus.

    ST. TASSACH, BISHOP OF RAHOLP, COUNTY OF DOWN.
    [FIFTH CENTURY.]

    FROM his peculiar connexion with the great Irish Apostle, St. Patrick, the present holy personage deservedly fills a niche, among our earliest Christian celebrities. The name of Tassach, Bishop, occurs, in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at this date. While the Bollandists enter his name, S. Tassagus, from the same authority, they state, that nothing had come under their reading regarding him, or the other Irish Saints it notices, on the 14th of April. Our national hagiologist. Father John Colgan, appears to have prepared some acts of this saint, for publication, at this day; and, he promised a further dissertation, regarding the present holy man, at the 14th of April. In one passage of the Tripartite Life, our Saint’s name seems to have been rather erroneously written Tassa. The name of this holy bishop is to be found, likewise, in Fitzsimon’s Catalogue of our national Saints.

    It may be reasonably conjectured, that St. Tassach was born some time, in the earlier part of the fifth century ; but where or when, we are not able to ascertain. His parents were pagans, we may presume, and it seems not unlikely they were connected with the northern parts of Ulster, which are associated, likewise, with the ministry of this holy bishop. Being classed, as a disciple of St. Patrick, St. Tassach was baptized, most probably, among the earliest converts made, when that part of Ultonia, where the Irish Apostle first landed, had been visited. Either he was brought up to some skilled workmanship in metals, or he had a natural taste for mechanics and art, in such a direction. But, we are at a loss to discover, when the Irish Apostle formed the acquaintance of Tassach, and learned to appreciate his sincere piety and artistic ingenuity…

    It seems probable, that St. Tassach had been prepared for the priesthood, by St. Patrick himself; but, by whom he was ordained, we do not discover. Again, Tassach had the gift of prophecy, for the Apostle of Ireland, he had predicted, should receive the Holy Viaticum, at his hands. We are informed, that St. Tassach was appointed as bishop over the Church, at Raholp; but, our early annals do not record any successors in this See. The townland lies, in the west angle of Ballyculter Parish. In a sub denomination, called Banagher, or Benagh, about 100 yards to the right of that road, leading from Downpatrick to Ballyculter, are the ruins, called Churchmoyley. Tradition ascribes the foundation of the Church of St. Patrick, to whom the present saint was artificer, and bishop, as stated in an old gloss, to the Martyroiogy of St. Aengus. Here, St. Tassach most probably lived, and in close relationship, with his venerated Master, especially during the declining period of St. Patrick’s life. The church ruins and cemetery there occupy about half a rood of ground. From its elevation above the surrounding field, the latter appears to have been formerly a rath.

    We are furnished with very few details, which might enable us to form a proper estimate of St. Tassach’s missionary career. He was one of Patrick’s most favourite companions, and an artificer, who manufactured for him croziers, crosses, shrines, and bells, according to received accounts. Even, by St. Fiach, we are told, that Tassach was a worker in metals, for St. Patrick; and, it is stated, that he first covered the staff of Jesus, with elegant workmanship, in his art. One of the most remarkable events of his life is the recorded fact, that he was the Tassach, who gave the body of Christ to St Patrick and at the request of the Apostle, in the monastery of Sabhall, or Saul, as the Life of Patrick states. Besides, various Acts of our Apostle allude to him, as having administered the Holy Communion to St. Patrick, when he had been admonished by the Angel of his approaching end, and during the holy man’s last illness. At Kill-Chlopta,near Down, his Natalis was celebrated; but, we have no account of when he died, only that we may safely infer, St. Tassach survived his illustrious master, in the government of his particular See. From an early date, this holy Bishop seems to have been venerated in the Irish Church; and, we find him commemorated by St. Aengus, in his Feilire, at the 14th of April. At the same date, he is noticed, in the Martyrology of Marianus O’Gorman. Likewise, on this day, we find mentioned in the Martyrology of Donegal, the name of Tassach, Bishop, of Rath Colptha, or Raholp, in Ulster, i.e., in Leth-Cathail, now known as Lecale. Under the local heading, Duald Mac Firbis enters, Bishop Tassach—in Rath-Colpa—Patrick’s artist—it was he that gave the communion to Patrick, before his death; at April the 4th is the date for his feast. In Scotland, St. Tassagh was commemorated, likewise, on this day, as we find it, in the Kalendar of Drummond. This commemoration was due, doubtless, to the circumstance of his close connection during life with St. Patrick, whose glorious and holy departure he helped to sooth and lighten, by the body and blood of our Divine Lord.

     

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  • Saint Mochaemhog of Inis Caoin, April 13

     

     

    A saint from the lakeland county of Fermanagh, Mochaemhog, is commemorated on April 13. He was an abbot of the island monastery of Inis Caoin, anglicized as Iniskeen, but we do not have many other details of his life, as Canon O’Hanlon explains:

    ST. MOCHAEMHOG, ABBOT OF INIS CAOIN, NOW INISHKEEN, COUNTY OF FERMANAGH.
    [SEVENTH CENTURY]
    THIS holy man is recorded in the Martyrology of Tallagh, at the Ides or 13th of April, as Mocammoc Innsi Cain. There is an allusion to him, by Colgan, under the Acts of St. Mochoemog or Pulcharius [feastday March 13]. We are told there, that this holy man was the son of Endeus, son of Cormac, and belonging to the Colla Dachrich race. He flourished on Iniscaoin Island, about the middle of the seventh century. He was Abbot over Inishkeen, on Lough Erne, in the county of Fermanagh…A commemoration has been made of St. Mochaemog, by Marianus O’Gorman, at the present day. Likewise, at the same date, as we read in the Martyrology of Donegal Mochaemhog, of Inis Caoin, had veneration paid him. A similar notice is to be found, at the 13th of April, or at the Ides of this month, in that Irish Calendar, preserved in the Library of the Royal Irish Academy. However, these brief notices give us no particulars, that could afford us any light, regarding his personal history.
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  • Saint Ailell (Helias) of Cologne, April 12

     

    April 12 sees the commemoration of an Irish abbot of Saint Martin’s Monastery in Cologne, Ailell, or Helias as he was also known. Our saint fell foul of the Bishop of Cologne, but being an Irish saint it didn’t do to cross him and His Grace did not live to carry out his threat to expel the Irish monks from their foundation. It seems that it was not a good idea to cross Abbot Helias over monastic discipline either, as one of the brethren found out. Abbot Helias is a fascinating man, one of many Irishmen who made a contribution to the Christian life of Continental Europe. Canon O’Hanlon’s account of him follows below, in the future I hope to reprint some papers dealing with the subject of Irish monastic foundations in Germany.

    ST. HELIAS, OR AILELL, OF MUCNAMH, AND ABBOT OVER ST. MARTINS MONASTERY, COLOGNE, GERMANY.

    [TENTH AND ELVENTH CENTURIES.]

    MANY, among our Irish Saints, seem to have heard a voice resounding in their ears, like that speaking to Abraham, “Go out of thine own country, and from thy Father’s house, into the land which I shall show thee.” Those holy men left their native land, not to acquire riches, but to follow Christ, and to bear his sweet yoke. Some Acts of St. Helias, or Ailill, seem to have been arranged by Colgan for publication, at the present date. The Bollandists insert some particulars, regarding Helias Scotus, at the 12th of April; and, he is distinguished, as having been a beatified and a chief servant of God. According to the Martyrology of Donegal, there was a festival held on this day, to commemorate Helias, or Ailell. It is probable, this holy man was born, in the latter part of the tenth century. According to Marianus, he was a Scot by descent, as also a prudent and religious man. He belonged to the family, or religious house of Mucnamh. This place is now known as Mucknoe, a parish in the barony of Cremorne, and county of Monaghan. The present holy man must have been very much distinguished, since he is called by the Four Masters, “head of the monks of the Gaeidhil;” and, it seems most likely, that his religious training was received in Ireland, where he dwelt for some time, before setting out for the Continent. His course was directed to Cologne, where a religious foundation, for men of the Irish or Scottish race, had been long established. It seems probable, that he lived under direction of the Scottish Abbot Kilian, who ruled the house of St. Martin there, from A.D. 986, to the day of his death, A.D. 1003. Helias left Ireland, to embrace a solitary life. He became Abbot over the Scots house, at Cologne, having succeeded Kilian, A.D. 1004, and he governed St. Martin’s Monastery, in that city, for twenty years. Some of his Scottish countrymen lived there, and in the monastery of St. Pantalion. The discipline he enforced was strict and rigorous; and, as we learn, some immortified inmates of the latter house contrived to prejudice the mind of Piligrinus, bishop of Cologne, against their Irish abbot and their fellow monks of Scottish birth. In the year 1027, it is stated, that the cause of religion was greatly promoted, by this holy man, according to Sigebert; but, it seems doubtful, that he survived to this latter year. He was regarded as a prudent and religious man. Marianus Scotus relates a prophetic declaration of this Helias, respecting the death of Piligrinus, bishop of Cologne, who had threatened him and the Scots under his rule, that if they did not remove from the monastery of St. Pantaleon, before he returned from a royal station, they should be expelled. They replied to his threat: “If Christ be for the strangers, Bishop Piligrinus himself should not return from that place alive to Cologne.” It so happened, that his death took place, on the 8th of the September Kalends, A.D. 1037, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Helias.

    We are told, that Ailill died, A.D. 1042; and, at the same year, on the second of the April Ides, corresponding with the 12th day of this month, the death of Helias Scotus is noted, by Marianus Scotus, according to the Bollandists. According to Thomas Dempster, he edited many tracts, but all perished, except a small one, intituled, “De Scotorum Peregrinorum Innocentia ad Imperatorem.” ..Among the illustrious men of the Benedictine Order, Helias is classed, by Trithemius who styles him a saint, and who states, that after death, his many-sided merits became recognised by indubitable evidence. His temper or habits of thought must have been moulded, in extreme views of duty; for, we are told, that a French monk, having written a beautiful Missal without his leave, in the monastery of St. Pantalion, Helias ordered it to be publicly burned, in presence of the monks, so that no other should transgress, in a like manner, without permission. His death may be assigned, to the year 1042, if we follow the computation of G. Waitz, and on the 3rd of the April Ides, as found in the Chronicle of Marianus Scottus. Dempster has an entry of Helias the Solitary, and Abbot of the Scots, as also Arnold Wion, at the 12th of April. He was succeeded by Maiobus Scottus, a chaste, patient and wise man, who ruled eighteen years. Besides the foregoing writers, Dorgan, Menard, Bucelin, and Ferrarius, in his General Catalogue of the Saints, have the same date for his feast. Both at home and abroad, its commemoration seems to have been observed.

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