ST DIARMAID THE JUST, CONFESSOR - 10 JANUARY

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN JANUARY

Saints celebrated on the 10th of January

WELCOME!

SAINT DIARMAID THE JUST, CONFESSOR

A famous Irish confessor of the mid-sixth century, Saint Diarmaid died in 542. His name is associated with the great monastery of Inisclothran (Iniscleraun) on Lough Ree, in the Diocese of Ardagh, which he founded about the year 530. He was of princely origin and a native of Connacht. 

Wishing to found an oratory far from the haunts of men, he selected the beautiful but lonely island associated with the memory of Queen Meave, now known as Quaker Island. Here his fame soon attracted disciples, and among them Saint Ciaran of Clonmacnoise. He was not only a good teacher, but also a distinguished writer and poet. 

On the island seven churches are traditionally said to have been erected, and the traces of six are still in evidence, including Tempul Diarmada, or the church of Saint Diarmaid, the saint's own church, an oratory eight feet by seven. His feast is celebrated January 10. After his death the monastic school kept up its reputation for fully six centuries, and the island itself was famous for pilgrimages in pre-Reformation days.

Source: Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that the venerable feast of Saint Diarmaid may increase our devotion and promote our salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.