OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

ALL THE SAINTS OF IRELAND

  • 'The Lord's chaste apostle, Bartholomew to whom I pray'

    August 25 is the feast of Saint Barthlomew the Apostle, whom tradition says met a particularly gruesome death by being flayed alive. His feast appears on the Irish calendars with the Martyrology of Tallaght simply noting ‘Passio Bartholomei apostoli‘, at this date. The Martyrology of Oengus has a rather fuller entry:

    F. viii. cal. Septembris.
    Ro sreth scél a chesta cech leth co sál srúamach, iar mórchroich ro rígad in Bartholom búadach. 

    25. The story of his suffering has been declared on every side even to the streamy sea: after a great cross he has been crowned, the triumphant Bartholomew.

    The scholiast notes add:

    25. Bartolom. Bartholomeus in Indiam perrexit et in ea passus est sub Astrige rege eorum .i. gladio decollatus est, uel uiuus sepultus est, post pellem rasam suam de corpore toto ante, et sic uitam finiuit. 

    25. Bartholomew proceeded into India etc. i.e. he was beheaded with a sword, or he was buried alive, etc. 

    The twelfth-century Martyrology of Gorman also notes the feast at the beginning of its entries for the preceding day:

    24. E.

    Apstol cáid in Coimdedh
    Bartholom fris mbenaimm 

    The Lord’s chaste apostle, Bartholomew to whom I pray:,..

    Canon O’Hanlon also notes the feast in Volume 8 of his Lives of the Irish Saints:
    Festival of St. Bartholomew, Martyr. 

    The festival of St. Bartholomew, Martyr, was observed in the early Irish Church, on the 25th of August, as may be found in the “Feilire” of St. Aengus. There his name takes the Irish form Parrthalon. To this, the scholiast has added an explanatory note in Latin.  Wherefore it seems we are to regard him as St. Bartholomew, the Apostle, and whose Acts are fully set forth by the Bollandists, at this date. These Acts have a previous learned commentary by the editor, Father John Stilting, SJ.; and they are followed by a narratives of the posthumous honours, translations, relics and miracles of this celebrated Apostle of the Indies.

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  • Saint Seighein, August 24

    Another saint known only from the recording of his name on the Irish calendars is Saint Seighein, whose feast is recorded on August 24, as Canon O’Hanlon explains:

    St. Segin or Seighein.

    Scant justice has been meted to many of our holy men, in human records; although their careers were not unnoted by traits of a sublime and noble character, during their life-time. The Martyrologies of Tallaght and of Donegal register Segin or Seighein, as having been venerated at the 24th of August; but, without giving further information regarding him.

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  • Saint Sedrach, August 22

    Another obscure name is found on the Irish calendars at August 22 – Saint Sedrach. Canon O’Hanlon records that the Martyrology of Tallaght describes him as a bishop, but otherwise has no other information to offer:

    St. Sedrach, Bishop.

    The published Martyrologies of Tallagh and of Donegal register Sedrach, at the 22nd of August. The former Calendar designates him as a bishop, and this is found, likewise, in that copy of the Tallagh Martyrology, contained in the Book of Leinster, at this same date. The see over which he presided is not known, nor the date for his episcopacy.
    Content Copyright © Omnium Sanctorum Hiberniae 2012-2017. All rights reserved.