ST NATHY CRUIMTHIR OF ACHONRY - 9 AUGUST

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN AUGUST

Saints celebrated on the 9th of August

WELCOME!

Prayer to the Angels and the Saints

Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.

In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.

Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.

Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.

SAINT NATHY CRUIMTHIR OF ACHONRY, PRIEST IN IRELAND 

[Patron of the Diocese of Achonry, anciently called Achad, in Ireland.]  St Finian, bishop of Clonard, built this church in 530, and gave it to his disciple Nathy, called also Dathy, which in Irish signifies David, a man of great sanctity. He is surnamed Comrah and Cruimthir. 

A PRIEST, AN ABBOT, OR A BISHOP?

The former, Harris thinks, bears the sense of consecrated or elected. Cruimthir signifies in old Irish a priest, the same as saggart in modern Irish. In St Finian’s life he is only styled priest; but in St Fechin’s, prelate or abbot. Harris thinks he was raised to the episcopal dignity; but Colgan, with all ancient annals, calls him only priest, though this church was made a bishop’s see soon after his time. 

In the Annals of Ireland the bishops of Achonry are often styled of Luigny or Leny, from the little province or barony, in which Achonry is situated. The church is dedicated to the memory of St Nathy, and his festival is celebrated on August 9. 

(From Fr Butler's Lives of the Saints)