Family of Saints: Sts. Kentigerna, Fillan and Comgan

Celtic saints lived all over Wales, Cornwall, Ireland, Scotland, Brittany and on hundreds of large and tiny coastal islands. These western lands indeed produced thousands of saints, who lived mostly from the fourth to the eighth centuries.

Celtic saints were very closely connected with each other. The monasteries they founded were interconnected as well and this continued on to following generations. Amazingly, Celtic holiness is unique for its “families of saints”, which were sometimes very large and included representatives of several generations who were relatives by blood: holy parents and children and grandchildren, holy brothers and sisters, cousins, uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces. We can only wonder at the piety and level of Christian life of that age.

One of the families was the holy relatives Sts. Kentigerna, Fillan and Comgan.

The holy woman Kentigerna († 734) is often called “an island anchoress.” Widowed, she left her native Ireland together with her saintly brother, Comgan, and her children, among whom was St. Fillan, and moved to Scotland in order to preach the Gospel of Christ to pagan people and evangelize some parts of the country that were still not Christian. With time she settled on the island of Inchebroida. The name “Inchebroida” means “the isle of the eldress.” Today this island is commonly known as Inchcailloch, situated on Loch Lomond.

Inchebroida Island

St. Fillan moved together with his mother and other relatives to Scotland. There he became a monk and lived the monastic life until the end of his life. It is known that for some time Fillan preached the Good News together with Sts. Kentigerna and Comgan and then retired to live as a hermit. During his life, Fillan by his prayer healed from many diseases the sick who flocked to him, and worked many miracles.

St. Comgan went to Scotland with his sister Kentigerna and her three children, among whom was Fillan. There were seven companions with them. The missionaries landed in the Highlands in the north of Scotland. Soon Comgan settled at Lochalsh opposite the Isle of Skye (the largest island in the Inner Hebrides off the north-western coast of Scotland) where he founded a monastery and became its abbot. The saint, known as a great ascetic, lived here for many years. St. Comgan has been widely venerated in many parts of Scotland for many centuries. A number of settlements of Scotland bear the name of this saint, among them are Kilcongen, Kilchoan (in Highland, where there is a very ancient ruined church of St. Comgan in this westernmost Scottish village) and others. Several churches in this country are dedicated to him, and there are traces of his monastic and missionary activities in such places as Islay, North Uist, Ardnamurchan and Turriff.

Venerable Kentigerna, Fillan and Comgan, pray to God for us, that He might watch over our families and keep them safe from harm, that He will help us to love and support one another, and always remember that we are blessed. Amen.

Read the full article at orthochristian.com. 

St. Ita

 

Saint Ita was born in the fifth century in County Waterford. At the age of sixteen, she moved to Cluain Credhail, now known as Killeedy (from Cille Ide, meaning ‘Church of St. Ita’) in County Limerick, where she founded a school and convent. A holy well still marks the site of her church, called Tobar Bhaile Ui MhÈidÌn, My Little Ita's Well, although the monastery was destroyed by Viking invaders in the ninth century.

Legend has it that Ita was led to Killeedy by three heavenly lights. The first was at the top of the Galtee mountains, the second on the Mullaghareirk mountains and the third at Cluain Creadhail, which is nowadays Killeedy. Her sister Fiona also went to Killeedy with her and became a member of the community.

The convent became known as a training ground for young boys, many of whom became famous churchmen. She received St. Brendan the Voyager when he was only a year old, and kept him until he was six. She also cared for her nephew Saint Mochaemhoch in his infancy.

Saint Ita once told Saint Brendan that the three things most displeasing to God are: A face that hates mankind, a will that clings to the love of evil, and placing one’s entire trust in riches (Compare Proverbs 6:16-19).

The three things most pleasing to God are: The firm belief of a pure heart in God, the simple religious life, and liberality with charity.

Brendan sailed away from Ireland in 510, traveled the oceans and founded monasteries for 40 years. He then returned to Ireland, visiting the holy island of Iona, off the west coast of Scotland, on the way home to Ireland. St. Ita died in 570 and St. Brendan died seven years later, in 577.

St. Aidan was the founder and first bishop of the Lindisfarne Island monastery. Born in Connacht, Ireland, Aidan was originally a monk at the monastery on the Island of Iona, founded by St Columba. King Oswald of Northumbria spent his youth on Iona, beginning in 616, and brought Aidan from Iona to Northumbria in 634, less than 60 years after the death of St. Brendan the Voyager.

Image and info: oca.org, Wikipedia.