A Scottish abbot who flourished about A.D. 600. All that is known of him is found in the “Breviarium Aberdonense” and in the “Book of Deir”, a ninth-century manuscript now in the University Library of Cambridge, but these two accounts do not agree in every particular. He appears to have belonged to the royal family of the Scoti, his father’s name being Cosgrach. Showing signs of a religious vocation he was entrusted at an early age to the care of St. Columba, who trained him and gave him the monastic habit. He accompanied that saint when he visited Aberdour (Aberdeen) in Buchan. The Pietish ruler of that country gave them the site of Deir, fourteen miles farther inland, where they established a monastery, and when St. Columba returned to Iona he left St. Drostan there as abbot of the new foundation. On the death of the Abbot of Dalquhongale (Holywood) some few years later, St. Drostan was chosen to succeed him. Afterwards, feeling called to a life of greater seclusion, he resigned his abbacy, went farther north, and became a hermit at Glenesk. Here his sanctity attracted the poor and needy, and many miracles are ascribed to him, including the restoration of sight to a priest named Symon. After his death his relics were transferred to Arberdour and honourably preserved there. The “Breviary of Aberdeen” celebrates his feast on 15 December. The monastery of Deir, which had fallen into decay, was rebuilt for Cistercian monks in 1213 and so continued until the Reformation.
Books I am Reading
Recently I stumbled across the blog of an 8th grade teacher from Missouri who has a blog called Speaking of History. He uses his blog as part of his classroom teaching and involves many aspects of things. He does an excelent job on his podcasts about different topics of history. This past week he did a podcast or two from Gettysburg and it has renewed my interest in the American Civil War. I have always been sort of a Civil War buff but never reading any books by the men who actual fought in the war. So I turned to two books that I have had on my shelf for mnay years.
From Manassas to Appomattox by General James Longstreet, CSA. A very large book and written mainly to reconstruct the General’s image in the South. If you wish to read more about him you can turn to this article on Wikipedia. One of the most facinating things about this man is that he converted to Catholicism later in life.
Passing of the Armies by Brevet Major-General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. His wikipedia article is here. Very well written and the General writes about his experience in the final days of the war. General Chamberlain was awared the Medal of Honor for the exploits at Gettysburg and was also given the honor of commanding the troops during the surrender of Genral Lee’s troops. He was criticized for calling the troops to attention and saluting as General Lee passed by. Things were different then and even though defeated they showed the General the respect that he deserved.
I will try and post more about these books as I work my way through them.
7 July ~ St. Palladius
First bishop sent by Pope Celestine to Ireland (431). The chronicle of the contemporary St. Prosper of Aquitaine present two import entries relating to Palladius. Under date of 429 it has, “Agricola, a Pelagian, son of Severianus, a Pelagian bishop, corrupted the churches of Britain by the insinuation of his doctrine; but at the insistence of the Deacon Palladius (ad actionem Palladii Diaconi), Celestine sends Germanus, Bishop of Auxerre as his representative to root out heresy and direct the Britons to the Catholic Faith”. Again under the date of 431, in the consulship of Bassus and Antiocus: “Palladius was consecrated by Pope Celestine and sent to the Scots believing in Christ, as their first bishop” (Ad Scotum in Christum credentes ordinatur a Papa Celestino Palladius et primus episcopus mittitur). In his work against Cassian, St. Prosper compendiates both entries: “Wherefore the Pontiff Celestine of venerable memory, to whom the Lord gave many gifts for safeguarding the Catholic Church, knowing that for those who are already condemned, the remedy to be applied is not a further judicial inquiry but only repentance, gave instructions for Celestius, who asked for a further hearing in a matter already settled, to be driven from the borders of all Italy . . . with no less jealous care he delivered Britain from the same disease, when he drove even from that hidden recess of the ocean some enemies of Grace who were settling in their native soil; and by ordaining a bishop for the Irish (Scotis), whilst he laboured to keep the Roman Island Catholic, he made also the barbarous Island Christian.” The words of the second entry to the chronicle, “to the Scots believing in Christ” can only have the meaning that when the chronicle was being written in 447, the Irish had become a Christian people.
Some writers with Dr. Todd regard Palladius as deacon of St. Germanus, but it appears more probable that he held the high rank of Deacon of Rome; it can hardly be supposed that a deacon of Auxerre would exercise such influence in Rome as that assigned to Palladius, and it is in accordance with St. Prosper’s usage to indicate the Roman deacon by the simple title diaconus. Thus in the chronicle we have frequent entries such as “Hilarius Diaconus”, “Ioannes Diaconus”, “Leo Diaconus”, which invariably refer to the deacons of Rome. The seventh century life of St. Patrick by Muircu Maccumachthenus in the “Book of Armaugh” expressly styles Palladius “Archidiaconus Papæ Coelestini urbis Romæ Episcopi”, repeated in several of the other lives of St. Patrick. Usshers registers the tradition long current in England that Palladius was born in Britain and that he had combatted the Pelagian heresy there. The Bollandists are also of the opinion that he was “a Briton by birth”. The Palladii, however, were reckoned among the noblest families of France and several of them held high rank about this time in the Church of Gaul. These conflicting opinions may perhaps be reconciled. Under Julius the Apostate there was a Palladius holding prominent rank in the army of Gaul, who, for his fearless profession of the Faith, was exiled into Britain. We may easily suppose that the scion of such a privileged Gaulo-British family would attain the position of Deacon of Rome, would take much interest in the British Church, and, would by his familiarity with the Celtic language, be qualified to undertake the mission of the first bishop to the Irish. Palladius is honoured by the Scottish calendar on 6 July. The Aberdeen Breviary describes him as “pontificem et fidei Catholicæ apostolum pariter et doctorem”. In some ancient records he is styled a martyr, probably because of the hardships endured during his missionary career in Ireland.
Palladius landed in the territory of the Hy-Garchon, on the strand where the town of Wicklow now stands, then occupied by the tribe of Cualann who have left their name on the beautiful valley of Glencullen, seven miles distant from the spot where Palladius landed. The chieftain of the district had no welcome for the missionaries. However, some of the tribe appear to have extended a better measure of kindness to them and at least three churches were in after times assigned as a result of Palladius’s mission. The Life of St. Patrick, already referred to, records the failure of the mission: “Palladius was ordained and sent to covert this land lying under wintry cold, but God hindered him, for no man can receive anything from earth unless it be given to him from heaven; and neither did those fierce and cruel men receive his doctrine readily, nor did he himself wish to spend time in a strange land, but returned to him who sent him. On his return hence, however, having crossed the first sea and commenced his land journey, he died in the territory of the Britons.” In the Scholia on St. Fiace’s Hymn in the ancient “Liber Hymnorum”, it is stated that in the country of the Hy-Garchon, Palladius “founded some churches: Teach-na-Roman, or the House of the Romans, Kill-Fine, and others. Nevertheless he was not well received, but was forced to go round the coast of Ireland towards the north, until driven by a tempest he reached the extreme part of Mohaidh towards the south, where he founded the church of Fordun, and Pledi is his name there.” The Vita Secunda, Life of St. Patrick in Colgan’s collection, adds further interesting details: “The most blessed Pope Celestine ordained Bishop the Archdeacon of the Roman Church, named Palladius, and sent him to the Island of Hibernia, after having committed to him the relics of Blessed Peter and Paul and other Saints, and having also given him the volumes of the Old and New Testament. Palladius, entering the land of the Irish, arrived at the territory of the men of Leinster where Nathi Mac Garchon was chief, who was opposed to him. Others, however, whom the Divine mercy had disposed toward the worship of God, having been baptized in the name of the sacred Trinity, the blessed Palladius built three churches in the same district; one, which is called Cellfine, in which even to the present day, he left his books which he had received from St. Celestine, and the box of relics of blessed Peter and Paul and other Saints, and the tablets on which he used to write, which in the Irish language are called from his name Pallere, that is, the burden of Palladius, and are held in veneration. Another, Tech-na-Roman, and the third, Domnach Arcdec, in which are buried the holy men of the companions of Palladius, Sylvester and Sallonius, who are honoured there. After a short time Palladius died in the plain of Girgin in a place which is now called Fordun. but others say that he was crowned with martyrdom there.” Another ancient document, known as the Vita Quinta in Colgan’s work, repeats the particulars given here relating to the foundation of three churches, and adds: “But St. Palladius, seeing that he could not do much good there, wishing to return to Rome, migrated to the Lord in the region of the Picts. Others, however, say that he was crowned with martyrdom in Ireland.”
The three churches have been identified. Teach-na-Roman is Tigroney, where are the ruins of an old church in the parish of Castle Mac Adam in the county of Wicklow. Kill-Fine was supposed by Father Shearman to be the same as Killeen Cormac, a remarkable old churchyard, three miles south-west of Dunlavin, but more probably situated in the parish of Glendalough, in the townland which the Ordnance Survey has named Lara-West, but which is still called Killfinn by the people. The third church Domnec Ardec is Donard which gives its name to a parish and village in the west of the County Wicklow in the barony of Lower Talbotstown. This parish, as Father Shearman writes, retains “some vestiges of its ancient importance: the sites of primeval Christian churches, large and well-preserved Raths and Timuli, Cromlechs, Ogham Pillars, ancient ecclesiastical Cahels, pagan Cathairs on the surrounding hills, with many other evidences of a civilized and numerous population”. The modern critical Scottish historians, Bishop Forbes, Skein, and others, confess that in regard to the connection of St. Palladius with Scotland, the Irish documents are the only reliable sources. The traditions set forth in Fordun’s chronicle and later writings are regarded as purely mythical. One assigns to Palladius an apostolate in Scotland of twenty-three years; another makes him the tutor of St. Sevanus, contemporary of St. Adamnan, and Brude, king of the Picts (A.D. 697-706), all of which is irreconcilable with the Irish narratives and with the date of the saint’s mission from St. Celestine. A German theory has found favour with some writers in recent times, to the effect that the Bishop Palladius referred to in the second entry by Prosper as sent to Ireland by Celestine was none other than St. Patrick. This theory viewed independently of the ancient historical narratives would have much to commend it. It would merely imply that the Bishop Palladius of the second entry in the chronicle was distinct from the Deacon Palladius of the first entry, and that the scanty records connected with Palladius’s mission to Ireland were to be referred to St. Patrick. But this theory is inconsistent with the unbroken series of testimonies in the ancient lives of St. Patrick and cannot easily be reconciled with the traditions of the Scottish Church.
From the Catholic Encyclopedia
1 July ~ St. Serf
Saint Serf (Servanus) (ca. 500—d. 583 AD) was probably a Brythonic saint, certainly of Scotland. The only thing that can be safely asserted of Serf is that he proselytized in the area of western Fife. It is not known exactly when. He is also called the apostle of Orkney, with less historical plausibility. Saint Serf is also somehow connected with Saint Mungo’s Church near Simonburn, Northumberland (off the Bellingham Road, north of Chollerford). His feast day is July 1.
David Hugh Farmer has written that his “Legend is a farrago of wild impossibilities.”[1] The legend states that Serf was the son of Eliud, King of Canaan, and his wife Alphia, daughter of a King of Arabia. Childless for a long time, they at last had two sons, the second being Serf. Serf came to Rome, carrying with him such a reputation for sanctity that he was elected pope, and reigned seven years.
He traveled to Gaul and England after vacating the holy seat, arriving in Scotland. There he met Adomnán, Abbot of Iona, who showed him an island in Loch Leven (later called St Serf’s Island).[2] At the time, this island would have been part of the Pictish kingdom of Fib (Fife). Serf founded a monastery on the island, where he remained seven years.
The center of his cult (and possibly of his activity) was Culross, which according to tradition, was founded by the saint himself. At Dunning, in Strathearn, he is said to have slain a dragon with his pastoral staff.
“Finally, after many miracles, after divine virtues, after founding many churches, [Saint Serf], having given his peace to the brethren, yielded up his spirit in his cell at Dunning, on the first day of the Kalends of July; and his disciples and the people of the province take his body to Cuilenross [Culross], and there, with psalms and hymns and canticles, he was honourably buried.”[3]
He traveled to Gaul and England after vacating the holy seat, arriving in Scotland. There he met Adomnán, Abbot of Iona, who showed him an island in Loch Leven (later called St Serf’s Island).[2] At the time, this island would have been part of the Pictish kingdom of Fib (Fife). Serf founded a monastery on the island, where he remained seven years.
The center of his cult (and possibly of his activity) was Culross, which according to tradition, was founded by the saint himself. At Dunning, in Strathearn, he is said to have slain a dragon with his pastoral staff.
“Finally, after many miracles, after divine virtues, after founding many churches, [Saint Serf], having given his peace to the brethren, yielded up his spirit in his cell at Dunning, on the first day of the Kalends of July; and his disciples and the people of the province take his body to Cuilenross [Culross], and there, with psalms and hymns and canticles, he was honourably buried.”[3]
Saint Serf is said to have been a contemporary of St. Mungo, also known as Saint Kentigern, though if he in fact lived at the same time as Adomnán, this is chronologically impossible.
A legend states that when the British princess (and future saint) Theneva (Thenaw) became pregnant before marriage, her family threw her from a cliff. She survived the fall unharmed, and was soon met by an unmanned boat. She knew she had no home to go to, so she got into the boat; it sailed her across the Firth of Forth to land at Culross where she was cared for by Saint Serf; he became foster-father of her son, Saint Kentigern (Saint Mungo).
Another legend states that Saint Mungo restored a pet robin of St. Serf’s to life. The bird had been killed by some of his fellow classmates, hoping to blame him for its death.
A legend states that when the British princess (and future saint) Theneva (Thenaw) became pregnant before marriage, her family threw her from a cliff. She survived the fall unharmed, and was soon met by an unmanned boat. She knew she had no home to go to, so she got into the boat; it sailed her across the Firth of Forth to land at Culross where she was cared for by Saint Serf; he became foster-father of her son, Saint Kentigern (Saint Mungo).
Another legend states that Saint Mungo restored a pet robin of St. Serf’s to life. The bird had been killed by some of his fellow classmates, hoping to blame him for its death.
Liturgical Abuse
Some of you may have followed the news of the release of a statement from Rome at loosens up the use of the former pre–Vatican II liturgy in the Church of Rome. Of the many reasons one was to try and stem the tide of liturgical abuse in the present form of the Roman Liturgy. There are many more, but I am going to focus on liturgical abuse for this entry. I have been ordained just over three years and I have tried to serve the Divine Liturgy with reverence and prayer. There are times when I rush through something but I usually try to be as prayerful as possible. But there are some rubrics I wonder if we all follow.
After the homily there is a litany called the Litany of Fervent Supplication followed by three prayers for the faithful before the great entrance. Do we say pray these or skip them? How many of us are concerned about how long liturgy is taking and get complaints from the faithful if we go over an hour? My point is as priests we do not have the authority to skip things in the liturgy. One problem is each jurisdiction has their own liturgical books we do not have a common English version. When all the bishops gathered in Detroit earlier this year they did not even have a common liturgy book to use. That’s the problem as I see it.
The point of this post was to call attention to liturgical abuse. I could list hundreds of examples from Liturgies that I have been to in my three years as priest and I am sure many of us could. I am sure I have made some big liturgical mistakes in my time but we all need to pay more attention to what we are doing I guess is the point. We should all “do” liturgy to the best of our ability. How much time do we spend reading the red words in the books in preparation for liturgy. And not just us new guys but you old guys too.
Okay that’s my rant for the day. It’s raining here and it is time to get working on something. Maybe I will read some red words…
Jericho
Tonight at 9pm eastern time the CBS drama Jericho makes a return with past episodes. The show had been canceled by CBS but an uproar of fans, including your host, brought the show back. Now it is up to the fans of the show to spread the word and get people to watch. I think the problem was that the show makes you think about many things and Americans today do not like to think about anything they like to be entertained with stupid things and not have to think. But Jericho is a thought provoking show that deserves to be on TV. It is good TV and all should tune in and watch. Besides there is nothing else on.
Chicopee bids farewell to another hometown soldier
By Claire L. Cummings, Globe Correspondent July 6, 2007
CHICOPEE — The fallen soldier’s little boy smiled as Governor Deval L. Patrick gave him a comforting rub on the back. The 1-year-old, dressed in a gray Army exercise shirt and miniature camouflage pants, is already the spitting image of his father, relatives said.
As family and friends gathered yesterday to remember Army Staff Sergeant Daniel A. Newsome, they recalled that his life’s mission was to raise his son to be a great man. For those who love and miss Newsome, who died June 27 in Baghdad from injuries he sustained in an explosion, it is a mission they will now make their own.
“All of us are the mold that made Dan the man he was, and though we cannot make a new Dan . . . a new Staff Sergeant Daniel Allan Newsome, we can do our best to mold and shape a man very much like him,” said Eric Ritter, the soldier’s stepfather. “He already looks like his Daddy. His little hands and feet are Dan’s. He has Dan’s eyes. And when he frowns, his forehead wrinkles just like his Dad’s did.”
Others said the 27-year-old Newsome was a responsible leader who took his job seriously, but thrived on making people laugh.
“I always felt a little safer when we patrolled, because I knew he wouldn’t hesitate to do what he’d have to do to save my life,” Staff Sergeant Jack Schnackenberg told those in attendance.
Newsome lay in an open casket, his face lighted by a chandelier. Poster boards lined one side of the room, which displayed photographs from several phases of the soldier’s life, from his own baby picture to a group shot with friends in front of a limousine before a high school dance.
A slide show projected dozens of images to the tune of Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven.” Whether he’s holding his newborn child or lounging in uniform in Iraq, Newsome is smiling in nearly every photo.
In addition to Patrick, several law enforcement officers and firefighters also attended the service.
Yesterday also marked the first day that flags on state buildings were lowered to half-staff for the burial of a Massachusetts soldier killed in war, following Patrick’s order this week. Newsome’s uncle, Concord Fire Chief Kenneth Willette, lobbied the state to revisit its policy on the practice, long reserved for political leaders.
Newsome is the third soldier from Chicopee to die in the Iraq and Afghan conflicts. The city’s mayor said his death has overwhelmed the area.
“Each one’s bad, but the multiple impact on the community has just been terrible,” Mayor Michael D. Bissonnette said after the service. “The only results of Bush’s surge that we see are the number of caskets coming home. It’s not sitting well with people.”
Outside the hall, some shoppers at a nearby supermarket paused from packing away groceries to silently watch the procession leave for Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Agawam. Others stood in the Castle of Knights parking lot as several soldiers escorted Newsome’s casket to the hearse.
“It’s overwhelming for what they’re doing for this gentleman,” said Tammy Boucher, 48, of Chicopee. “. . . It’s a nice thing to see that everybody pulls together.”
Don and Shirley Dunham had seen the giant American flag suspended from two fire engines outside the hall and walked over to pay their respects. Their grandson was expected home soon for a two-week leave from Iraq.
“In World War II, you knew who your enemy was; you knew who you were fighting,” said Don Dunham, 79, who also served in the Korean war. “Over there, you don’t even know who the enemy is. Everybody’s your enemy. That’s why this kid got killed; he didn’t know who shot him.”
Newsome had just visited home a couple of weeks ago. During his break, Bissonnette said, the soldier and his wife, Karen, began planning for civilian life; his enlistment was up in February.
“It’s unfathomable to see people with so much promise have their lives snuffed out like this,” he said.
Happy 4th
Lord God Almighty, in whose Name the founders of The United States of America won liberty for themselves and for us, and lit the torch of freedom for nations then unborn: Grant that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain our liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(1979 Book of Common Prayer)
H/T to Padre Rob
Weekend Recap
Well here it is Tuesday and I am doing a weekend recap. I guess I need to be more on the ball. So anyway, on Friday I went to visit my parents and stayed overnight there with them. I had the opportunity to go and see my nephew play baseball. Now keep in mind he is only 8 so it was not the Red Sox but not bad. It was the last game of the season so they all got trophies at the end. Then back to my brothers house for some pizza.
On Saturday we attended a benefit for a scholarship named for a neighbor who died a few years ago. They do a fishing derby and then a cook out at one of the local Yacht Clubs. Nice time and I got to see many people that I have not seen in many years. We all look older than the last time I saw them. Oh well that happens I guess.
Sunday was a good day. The power went out shortly after I woke up and I had to do all my morning routine without power. Hard to surf the net and read the blogs without power. I need to get a generator. But the power came back on just before Church started so all was not lost. I went out to my camp after church for a few hours to get some work done. Over the winter I had a leak in the roof so the ceiling came down. What a mess that was. Well new walls and ceiling and today I install a new rug and then I can stay there again. Nice little retreat in the woods where one can read and write. I will have a/c this year as well so I look forward to many days this summer hanging out.
Yesterday I spent the day finishing things out at the camp and now it just needs a good cleaning and that is my task for today. Last night was the monthly Parish Council meeting and plans are all set for the Annual Church Picnic to be held on July 15th. We also planned the first ever Church Golf Tournament for July 28th (I Think) this should be fun.
Well that’s all for now. I need to get a podcast done soon, maybe tomorrow I can record it and post it but since it is a holiday I might just relax. Who knows?
Parish Newsletter
The July issue of St. Michael’s Herald is now posted here.