Mobhí Clárainech (also Berchan; died 544) was an Irish early monastic saint, counted as one of the
Twelve Apostles of Ireland
The Twelve Apostles of Ireland (also known as Twelve Apostles of Erin, ir, Dhá Aspal Déag na hÉireann) were twelve early Irish monastic saints of the sixth century who studied under St Finnian (d. 549) at his famous monastic school Clonar ...
. He was the abbot of a monastery in
Glasnevin
Glasnevin (, also known as ''Glas Naedhe'', meaning "stream of O'Naeidhe" after a local stream and an ancient chieftain) is a neighbourhood of Dublin, Ireland, situated on the River Tolka. While primarily residential, Glasnevin is also home t ...
, where he was a teacher of
Columba
Columba or Colmcille; gd, Calum Cille; gv, Colum Keeilley; non, Kolban or at least partly reinterpreted as (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is toda ...
,
Canice,
Comgall
Saint Comgall (c. 510–520 – 597/602), an early Irish saint, was the founder and abbot of the great Irish monastery at Bangor in Ireland.
MacCaffrey,James (1908). " St. Comgall". In ''Catholic Encyclopedia''. 4. New York: Robert Appleton Co ...
, and
Ciarán.
Background
In
John Colgan
John Colgan, OFM (Irish ''Seán Mac Colgan''; c. 1592 – 15 January 1658), was an Irish Franciscan friar noted as a hagiographer and historian.
Life
Colgan was born c. 1592 at Priestown near Carndonagh. He joined the Franciscan Order and w ...
's work ''
Trias Thaumaturga
''Acta Triadis Thaumaturgae'' or ''The Acts of a Wonder-Working Triad'' is a hagiography of the Irish saints, Saint Patrick, Brigid of Kildare, and Columba, St Columba.
It was published at Leuven in 1647 by John Colgan, Order of Friars Minor, O.F. ...
'' he is called "Berchan, that is, Mobhi Clairenach, of Glasnevin, son of Beoain, son of Bresal, son of Ailgin, son of Ignaidh, son of Athraid and Lugnaidh, Trinog, son of Brecdulb, son of Airt Corp, son of Caerbreniadh, in Glasnevin, in the territory of Galeny, near the
River Liffey
The River Liffey (Irish: ''An Life'', historically ''An Ruirthe(a)ch'') is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River ...
" (''in regione Gallangabeg juxta Liffeum flumen'').
He was a relative of
Brigit of Kildare
Saint Brigid of Kildare or Brigid of Ireland ( ga, Naomh Bríd; la, Brigida; 525) is the patroness saint (or 'mother saint') of Ireland, and one of its three national saints along with Patrick and Columba. According to medieval Irish hagiogra ...
.
The ''Martyrology of
Oengus'' calls him "son of Beóán, of Corco trí, of the Luigni of Connaught," and says that his mother was "Uaine, Findbarr's daughter."
Life
His surname, ''clárainech'', means "flat faced" in Irish, a reference to his being born without eyes or a nose.
The ''Martyrology of Oengus'' mentions that he was "table faced," ascribing the condition to the fact that he had been "conceived and brought forth, and of a dead woman he was begotten."
The immediate cause of his strange physiognomy was that the "earth pressed him down" during the unfortunate circumstances of his birth.
He was said to have been miraculously cured of this deformity when he splashed the baptismal water of
Saint David
Saint David ( cy, Dewi Sant; la, Davidus; ) was a Welsh bishop of Mynyw (now St Davids) during the 6th century. He is the patron saint of Wales. David was a native of Wales, and tradition has preserved a relatively large amount of detail ab ...
on his face three times.
Mobhí was the teacher of a monastic school, where he was the tutor of many influential Irish saints. His school had about fifty students at its height.
A legend is recorded about Mobhí and Columba (also called Columcille) that elaborates on the condition of these monastic schools:
It was Mobhí who gave Columba permission, with his last breath, to found the
School of Derry
The earliest references to the history of Derry date to the 6th century when a monastery was founded there; however, archaeological sites and objects predating this have been found. The name Derry comes from the Old Irish word ''Daire'' (modern: ...
.
He died on 12 October 544 of the plague that had broken up his school.
Veneration
Mobhí was recognised as a saint by his own pupils soon after his death. The 17th-century ''Martyrology of Donegal'' recounts the story that when Columba was preparing to take possession of the town of
Doire from
Aedh, son of Ainmire, he initially refused to do so because he did not have his Mobhí's permission. It was only when two of Mobhí's followers met him, carrying the saint's
girdle
A belt, especially if a cord or rope, is called a girdle if it is worn as part of Christian liturgical vestments, or in certain historical, literary or sports contexts.
Girdles are used to close a cassock in Christian denominations, including th ...
, and informed Columba that Mobhí was dead, that he accepted. Columba then remarked, "Good was the man who had this girdle, for it was never opened for gluttony, nor closed on falsehood."
Columba later expanded that sentiment into a
quatrain
A quatrain is a type of stanza, or a complete poem, consisting of four lines.
Existing in a variety of forms, the quatrain appears in poems from the poetic traditions of various ancient civilizations including Persia, Ancient India, Ancient Greec ...
:
Archbishop
John Healy, in his book ''Insula Sanctorum et Doctorum,'' called Saint Mobhí "a great master of the spiritual life."
His feast day is celebrated on 12 October,
and today there is a
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the second ...
parish in Glasnevin named for Saint Mobhí.
Martyrologies
The ''
Martyrology of Oengus
A martyrology is a catalogue or list of martyrs and other saints and beati arranged in the calendar order of their anniversaries or feasts. Local martyrologies record exclusively the custom of a particular Church. Local lists were enriched by na ...
'' (c. 800)—the earliest Irish calendar of saints—lists the following on 12 October:
The ''
Martyrology of Donegal
A martyrology is a catalogue or list of martyrs and other saints and beati arranged in the calendar order of their anniversaries or feasts. Local martyrologies record exclusively the custom of a particular Church. Local lists were enriched by n ...
'' lists him on 12 October, the day of his death, and commemorates him in the following manner: "Mobhi Clairenech, abbot, of Glass Naoidhen, in Fine-Gall, on the brink of the river Lifè, on the north side; and Bearchán was another name for him."
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mobhi Clarainech
Medieval saints of Leinster
6th-century Irish abbots
6th-century Christian saints
6th-century deaths from plague (disease)
544 deaths
Year of birth missing