Saints -- Scotland; Scotland -- Church history -- Biography
After a short stay at Iona, St. Colman re turned to Ireland and
founded a monastery at Inisbofin, an island on the west coast of
that country, peopling it with the monks who had left Lindisfarne
in his company. Later on a new foundation was made at Mayo for
Saxon monks only; it became known as "Mayo of the Saxons." The
saint ruled both monasteries till his death, which occurred at
Inisbofin, where {28} he was buried. He had translated thither the
greater part of St. Aidan's relics. The ruins of the ancient church
may still be seen on the island. St. Colman's feast has been
restored to Scotland by Pope Leo XIII.
Protestant writers have tried to interpret St. Colman's conduct
regarding the Synod of Whitby as a manifest opposition to Roman
authority. This, however, is a mistaken conclusion. It must be
remembered that the matter was regarded by him as an open question,
and he considered himself justified in keeping to the traditional
usage until Rome declared against it. St. Bede, who had no sympathy
with his views on the Easter question, speaks highly of St. Colman
as a holy and zealous Bishop.
There is some discrepancy between Scottish and Irish authorities as
to the precise date of the saint's death. In Scotland he was
honoured on this day, but Irish writings give the date as August 8.
There are also some slight differences in the particulars of his
life; but as no less than 130 saints of this name are mentioned in
Irish ecclesiastical records, it is conceivable that their
histories have become intermixed. {29}
23--St. Boisil, Confessor, A.D. 664.
The old abbey of Melrose was not the Cistercian house whose ruins
still remain, but an earlier monastery which had been founded by
St. Aidan and followed the rule of St. Columba, which was
afterwards changed for that of St. Benedict. The Roman usage
regarding Easter was adopted there, very soon after the Synod of
Whitby. Its abbot was the holy Eata, who was given the government
of Lindisfarne Abbey also, when many of its monks followed St.
Colman to Ireland. Just before these events occurred the subject of
this notice was called to his reward. He was prior of Melrose under
Eata, and it was he, who, being a monk and priest of surpassing
merit and prophetic spirit, as St. Bede says, welcomed with joy and
gave the monastic habit to a youth in whom he saw "a servant of the
Lord"--the future St. Cuthbert. The two became devoted friends, and
Boisil, who was especially learned in the Scriptures, became
Cuthbert's master in that science, as well as his example in holy
living.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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