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Commemoration of Columba of Iona

June 9

Columba (Colum, Colm, Columkill, Columcille, Colmcille, Combs, Columbus), the most famous of the saints associated with Scotland, was actually born in Ireland, of the O'Neill or O'Donnell clan, at Garton, County Donegal. Some say his birth date was December 7; most sources agree that the year of his birth was 521. His father, Fedhlimidh, or Phelim, was great-grandson to Niall of the Nine Hostages, Overlord of Ireland, and connected with the Dalriada princes of southwest Scotland; his mother, Eithne, was descended from a king of Leinster. He was of the blood royal on both sides, and might indeed have become High King of Ireland had he not chosen to be a priest.

A few records say his original name was Crimthan, meaning "fox", but his gentleness and goodness as a child so won all hearts that he was rechristened Colum, Latin for dove. Later he was commonly known as Colum-kill or Colum-cille, the suffix "kill" or "cill" meaning "of the cell" or "of the church" -- an appropriate title for the founder of so many religious establishments.

Like many children destined for a holy life, as an infant he was given into the foster care of a priest named Cruithnechan, who also served as his tutor. He was baptized by Cruithnechan at Tulach-Dubhglaise, now Temple-Douglas, and his early life education began. When sufficiently advanced in letters Columba was taken from the care of his priest-guardian and sent to the school of Moville (County Down), where he began his training in the monastic life under a St. Finnian who had studied with St. Colman of Dromore. He was ordained to the diaconate before the age of twenty, and, after completing his training at Moville, he travelled southwards to Leinster, the land of his mother's ancestors, to study under an aged theologian and bard named Gemman. The bards were the preservers of Irish lore, and Columba himself was inspired to become a poet. He is believed to have penned the Latin poem Altus Prosator and two other extant poems.

Following some years with Gemman, Columba finally entered the famous monastic school of Clonard, presided over by the more famous St. Finnian who was known as the "tutor of Erin's saints." At one time three thousand students were gathered here from all over Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, and even from Gaul and Germany. By his own natural gifts as well as by the good fortune of his birth, he soon gained ascendancy as a monk of unusual distinction. He became one those Clonard disciples known in subsequent history as the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. It was probably at Clonard that Columba was ordained priest, although it may have been later, when he was living with his friends, Comgall, Kieran, and Kenneth, under the most gifted of all his teachers, St. Mobhi. St. Mobhi's monastery at Glasnevin was located by a ford in the river Tolca at a place called Dub Linn, the site of the future city of Dublin. In 543 an outbreak of plague devastated Ireland and in 544 Mobhi was compelled to close his school. Columba returned to Ulster, the land of his kindred.

He was fully trained by the time he was twenty-five years old, and he was a striking figure of great stature and powerful build. His loud, melodious voice could be heard from one hilltop to another. As was the custom in those days, he combined study and prayer with manual labor. Amongst many other accomplishments, Columba was a splendid sailor. With his imposing presence, holy personality and self-denying discipline, Columba went about Ireland for the next fifteen years preaching and founding monasteries, including those at Derry, Durrow, and Kells.

The powerful stimulus given to Irish learning by St. Patrick in the previous century was rapidly spreading and growing. Columba himself dearly loved books, and spared no pains to obtain or make copies of Psalters, Bibles, and other valuable manuscripts for his monks. In 540 his first master Finnian brought back from Rome the first copy of St. Jerome's Vulgate to reach Ireland. Finnian guarded this precious volume jealously, but Columba got permission to look at it, and surreptitiously made a copy of the Psalter for his own use. Finnian, on being told of this, laid claim not only to the original but to the copy made by Columba's own hand. Columba refused to give it up, and the question of ownership was put before King Diarmaid, Overlord of Ireland. Columba lost this early "copyright" case when the King said: "To every cow her calf, and to every book its son-book. Therefore the copy you made, O Colum Cille, belongs to Finnian."

Columba was soon to have a more serious grievance against King Diarmaid, when a prince had fatally injured a rival and had taken refuge with Columba was dragged from his protector's arms and slain by Diarmaid's men, in defiance of the sacred rights of sanctuary. The resulting war which broke out between Columba's clan and the clans loyal to Diarmaid was instigated, it is said, by Columba. At the battle of Cuil Dremne Columba's cause was victorious, but he was accused of being morally responsible for driving three thousand unprepared souls into eternity. A synod was held at Tailltiu (Telltown) in County Meath, which passed a vote of censure. Were it not for the intervention of St. Brendan, Columba would have been excommunicated. Though he still felt he was in the right, his conscience remained uneasy, and at last he made his confession to an aged hermit, Molaise. As penance, he resolved to exile himself and win for Christ in another land as many souls as had perished in the battle of Cuil Dremne.

Whatever the impulse that prompted him, in 563 Columba embarked with twelve companions in a wicker coracle covered with leather, and on the eve of Pentecost landed on one of the Inner Hebrides, just off the west coast of Scotland, at the place we now know as Iona. The first thing he did there was to erect a high stone cross; then he built a monastery, which was to be his home for the rest of his life. Iona was a desolate rock originally known only as Hy or I, Irish for "island". Years later it also became known also as Icolmkill, "the island of Columba of the Cell." It had been a sacred place to the Druids long before Columba landed there, and was to become the center of Celtic Christianity.

Columba and his Celtic monks at Iona combined contemplative life with extensive missionary activity. Lying across from the border country between the Picts of the north and the Scots of the south, Iona made an ideal center for missionary work. Columba seems to have first devoted himself to teaching the imperfectly instructed Christians of Dalriada, most of whom were of Irish descent, but after two years he turned to the work of converting the Scottish Picts. With his old comrades, Comgall and Kenneth, Columba made his way through Loch Ness northward to the castle of the redoubtable King Brude, near modern Inverness. The pagan monarch had given strict orders that they were not to be admitted, but when Columba raised his arm and made the sign of the cross, it was said that bolts fell out and gates swung open, permitting the strangers to enter. Impressed by such powers, the King listened to them and ever after held Columba in high regard. As Overlord of Scotland he confirmed him in possession of Iona. Columba is said to have planted churches as far east as Aberdeenshire and to have evangelized nearly the whole of the country of the Picts.

Columba never lost touch with Ireland. In 575 he was at the synod of Drumceatt in County Meath in company with King Conall's successor, Aidan, whom he had helped to place on the throne and had crowned at Iona, in his role as chief ecclesiastical ruler. His immense influence is shown by his veto of a proposal to abolish the order of bards, and his success at securing for women exemption from all military service. When not on missionary journeys, Columba was to be found in his cell on Iona, where persons of all conditions visited him, some in want of spiritual or material help, some drawn by his miracles and sanctity. Iona was for centuries one of the famous centers of Christian learning. For a long time afterwards, Scotland, Ireland, and Northumbria followed the observances Columba had set for the monastic life, in distinction to those that were brought from Rome by later missionaries. His rule, based on the Eastern Rule of St. Basil, was that of many monasteries of Western Europe until superseded by the milder ordinance of St. Benedict.

It is clear that Columba's temperament changed dramatically during his life. In his early years he was intemperate and probably inclined to violence. He was extremely stern and harsh with his monks, but towards the end he seems to have softened. Columba had great qualities and was quite lovable, but his chief virtue lay in the conquest of his own passionate nature and in the resulting love and sympathy that flowed from his eager and radiant spirit. Columba was generous and warm-hearted, tender and kind to dumb creatures and children. He was ever ready to sympathize with the joys and sorrows of others. His chastity of body and purity of mind are extolled by all his biographers. His manner of life was austere; he slept on a bare slab of rock and his stone pillow today stands as a memorial beside his grave. He ate mostly barley or oat cakes, and drank only water. Notwithstanding his wonderful austerities, he was beloved by all, "for a holy joyousness that ever beamed from his countenance revealed the gladness with which the Holy Spirit filled his soul", according to Adamnan, the source of our best biographical information about Columba. Adamnan also describes Columba thus: "He had the face of an angel; he was of excellent nature, polished in speech, holy in deed, great in council. He never let a single hour pass without engaging in prayer or reading or writing or some other occupation. He endured the hardships of fasting and vigils without intermission by day and night; the burden of a single one of his labors would have seemed beyond the powers of man. And, in the midst of all his toils, he appeared loving unto all, serene and holy, rejoicing in the joy of the Holy Spirit in his inmost heart."

Adamnan gives us a picture of a serene old age for Columba. When he became too weak to travel, he spent long hours copying manuscripts, as he had done in his youth. On the day before his death he was at work on a Psalter, and had just traced the words, "They that love the Lord shall lack no good thing," when he paused and said, "Here I must stop; let Baithin do the rest." Baithin was his cousin, whom he had already nominated as his successor. Later that night when vespers was ended, Columba returned to his bed. There he gave his last commands to the brethren, with only his servant to hear: I commend to you, my little children, these my last words: Love one another unfeignedly. Peace. If you keep this course according to the example of the holy fathers, God, who strengthens the good, will help you, and I dwelling with him shall intercede for you. He will supply not only enough for the needs of this present life, but also the eternal things that are prepared as a reward for those who keep the Lord's commandments."

As the bell rang out for the midnight office, Columba rose and went in haste to reach the church before the others. As he knelt alone in prayer before the altar, his servant Diarmait following behind from a distance saw the whole church filled inside with angelic light around the saint, but as he reached the door, the light vanished. The lamps of the brethren had not yet been brought, but feeling his way in the dark Diarmait found Columba lying before the altar. Rising him up a little and sitting down at his side, he cradled the holy head on his bosom. As the other monks gathered with their lamps, they began to lament at the sight of their father dying. Some of those who were present related how, before his soul left him, Columba opened his eyes and looked about him with a wonderful joy and gladness in his face as he could see the angels coming to meet him. Diarmait held up the saint's right hand to bless the choir of monks, and, shortly after midnight, Columba was promoted to glory.

Ireland has many saints and three great ones: Patrick, Brigid, and Columba. Columba outshines the others for his pure Irishness. He loved Ireland with all his might and hated to leave it for Scotland. But he did leave it, and laid the groundwork for the conversion of Britain. He was a renowned artist and some of his illumination may be recorded in the Book of Kells itself. His skill as a scribe can be seen in the Cathach of St. Columba at the Irish Academy, the oldest surviving example of Irish majuscule writing and the earliest existing example of a Celtic illuminated manuscript. It was later enshrined in silver and bronze and venerated in churches.

As far as can be ascertained no proper symbolical representation of St. Columba exists. A suitable pictorial representation would exhibit him, clothed in the habit and cowl usually worn by the Basilian or Benedictine monks, with Celtic tonsure and crosier. His identity could be best determined by showing him standing near the shell-strewn shore, with the Celtic cross and ruins of lona in the background. Columba is the patron saint of poets and bookbinders, and is also invoked against floods. He is the patron of the Knights of Saint Columba, known in the United States as the Knights of Columbus and by other names in various parts of the world. He is also the patron saint of Ireland and Scotland, and his feast is kept with equal distinction in both places. He is a still prominent figure in the Scottish Episcopal Church today, and many Episcopal churches in the United States are named for him.

St. Columba died shortly after midnight on June 9, 597.

Iona Abbey
Photograph by AnneMarie Ellis

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