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An Irish Monk in Scotland: Saint Columbkille

If you will forgive a little parochialism, today is the feast of Saint Columbkille (521-597), who is not celebrated in the universal calendar, but happens to be the patron of the diocese in which this writer lives, and the saint hails originally from where his own grandmother hails: Yes, Columbkille – ‘dove of the Church’, a name he may have adopted in the monastery – was an Irish monk from Donegal on the wild west coast of the emerald isle.

His name which does not quite fit either his historical appearance or demeanour.   Columbkille is described as being of imposing stature, with a strong, athletic build and a booming, melodious voice that could carry across hill and dale; he was also, apparently, an impetuous man of strong convictions, being involved, even helping to instigate, a minor war over the ownership of a manuscript he had copied from Saint Finnian, who wanted it back. An early case of copyright dispute (everything old is new again!), and those monks certainly treasured their books. The details are obscure, but a number of men were killed, for which Columbkille felt deep repentance. The saint was also involved in an apparently more legitimate struggle with the local chieftain King Diarmait over the violation of sanctuary laws.

wikipedia.org

Praise the Lord

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