Mél of Ardagh, also written Mel or Moel, was a 5th-century saint in Ireland who was a nephew of
Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick (; or ; ) was a fifth-century Romano-British culture, Romano-British Christian missionary and Archbishop of Armagh, bishop in Gaelic Ireland, Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Irelan ...
. He was the son of Conis (or Chonis) and Patrick's sister,
Darerca
Darerca may refer to any one of four Irish saints:
* Darerca of Ireland, 5th century sister of Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick (; or ; ) was a fifth-century Romano-British culture, Romano-British Christian missionary and Archbishop of Armagh ...
.
Saint Darerca was known as the "mother of saints" because most of her children (seventeen sons and two daughters) entered religious life, many were later recognized as saints, and several of her sons became bishops.
Mél and his brothers Melchu, Munis and Rioch accompanied their uncle Patrick to Ireland and helped him with his missionary work there. Mél and his brother Melchu were both reportedly consecrated bishop by Patrick himself. After Patrick built the church at
Ardagh, he appointed Mél as
Bishop of Ardagh
The Bishop of Ardagh was a separate Episcopal polity, episcopal title which took its name after the village of Ardagh, County Longford in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It was used by the Roman Catholic Church until 1756, and intermittently by t ...
. According to the Life of St. Brigid, Mél is said to have had no fixed
see for most of his life in ministry, which fits with other accounts of his being a travelling missionary and evangelist. Acting upon the apostolic precept, Mél supported himself by working with his hands; what he gained beyond bare necessities, he gave to the poor.
Life
Mél helped evangelize Ireland while supporting himself through manual labour. Patrick appointed Mél as one of the earliest Irish bishops and head of the Diocese of Ardagh.
Mél also built the monastery of Ardagh where he was both bishop and abbot,
[ and is said to have had the gift of prophecy. He accepted ]Brigid of Kildare
Saint Brigid of Kildare or Saint Brigid of Ireland (; Classical Irish: ''Brighid''; ; ) 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 ...
's profession as a nun, and served as her mentor while she was in Ardagh.
Mél lived with his aunt, Lupait, on her farm during a portion of his ministry, and rumour spread that their relationship was of a scandalous nature. Patrick went to investigate. Mél and Lupait both produced miracles to testify to their innocence: Mél ploughed up a live fish in the middle of his field, and Lupait carried hot coals without being burned.
He died in AD 488.
Veneration
There is a lot of confusing and conflicting evidence about the life of Mél, including the possibility that he and Melchu were the same person. Mel has a strong cultus in County Longford
County Longford () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford. Longford County Council is the Local government in the Republic ...
where he was the first abbot-bishop of a richly endowed monastery that flourished for centuries. The cathedral at Longford is dedicated to Mél, as is a college. An insular crozier
An Insular crozier is a type of processional bishop's staff (crozier) produced in Ireland and Scotland between 800 and 1200. They are distinguished from mainland European types by their curved and open crooks, and drop (that is, the hollow box- ...
, believed to have belonged to Mél, was found in the 19th century at Ardagh near the old church of St Mél. The crozier is now kept in a darkened bronze reliquary that was once decorated with gilt and coloured stones[ which was burned in the 2009 fire that destroyed the cathedral.] He is the patron saint of the Roman Catholic diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois.[
Mél's feast day, 7 February, has begun to be observed as a holiday for single people. "Saint Mél's Day" is a chance for singles to celebrate the good things about being single. Traditions include sending yourself a Saint Mél's Day card and for people to host parties for their single friends.Masterson, Rachel. "Celebrating singledom on the feast of St Mel", ''Longford Leader'', 7 February 2014]
/ref>
References
External links
St. Mél
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mel of Ardagh
Romano-British saints
488 deaths
People from County Longford
Irish Christian monks
5th-century Christian saints
Medieval saints of Meath
Year of birth unknown