ஆண்டவருடைய விண்ணேற்றம் மே 12 ஞாயிறு

 † Saint of the Day †

(November 3)

✠ St. Malachy ✠

Archbishop of Armagh:

Born: 1094 AD

Armagh, Airgíalla, Ireland

Died: November 2, 1148

Clairvaux, Champagne, France

Canonized: 1190 AD

Pope Clement III

Feast: November 3

Patronage:

Archdiocese of Armagh, Diocese of Down and Connor

Saint Malachy was an Irish saint and Archbishop of Armagh, to whom were attributed several miracles and an alleged vision of 112 Popes later attributed to the apocryphal (i.e. of doubtful authenticity) Prophecy of the Popes. It is now believed by scholars that this document was a forgery created by Cardinal Girolamo Simoncelli. Saint Malachy was the first native-born Irish saint to be canonised. His brother was Gilla Críst Ua Morgair who later became Bishop Christian of Clogher from 1126 to 1138.

Life:

Máel Máedóc, whose surname was Ua Morgair, was born in Armagh in 1094. St. Bernard describes him as having noble birth. He was baptised Máel Máedóc, which was rendered Malchus in Latin (and subsequently as Malachy in English) and was trained under Imhar O'Hagan, subsequently Abbot of Armagh. Imhar was in sympathy with the aims of those who sought to reform the Irish church, and it was probably through his influence that Malachy became imbued with their principles. After a long course of studies, Malachy was ordained priest by St Cellach (Celsus) in 1119.

Shortly afterwards Cellach made the young priest his vicar. For the next year or two, it was Malachy's duty to administer the diocese of Armagh. He established in all the churches the apostolic sanctions and the decrees of the holy fathers, and the customs and practices of the Roman Church. He introduced the Roman method of chanting the services of the canonical hours and instituted a new Confession, Confirmation, the Marriage contract, which those over whom he was placed were either ignorant or negligent. With the consent of Cellach and Imar, he went to study under St. Malchus, who had by this time retired from the archbishopric of Cashel and was settled at Lismore. He spent three years there.

In 1123 the coarb of Bangor Abbey died. Bangor was the principal religious site in the northeast of Ireland. Since he ended his days at Lismore, it may be assumed that he was a friend of Malchus, and of the movement with which he was identified. His successor, who was Malachy's uncle, expressed his willingness to surrender his office and the site of the monastery to his nephew. Malachy became the Abbot of Bangor Abbey.

This became an opportunity to implement one of the canons of the Synod of Rathbreasail, which established the diocese of Connor. Cellach, as coarb of Patrick, and consecrated bishop, had been able to organize the diocese of Armagh in accordance with the Rathbreasail plan. With the prestige which belonged to the coarb of Comgall, Malachy, if a consecrated bishop, could probably succeed in organizing the diocese of Connor. In 1124 Malachy journeyed to Bangor, was installed as abbot, and was made bishop by Cellach.

In 1132, he was promoted to the primacy of Armagh.

St Bernard provides many interesting anecdotes regarding St Malachy and highly praises Malachy's zeal for religion both in Connor and Armagh. In 1127, Malachy paid a second visit to Lismore and acted for a time as confessor to Cormac MacCarthy, Prince of Desmond. While Bishop of Down and Connor, Malachy continued to reside at Bangor, and when some of the native princes sacked the two dioceses of Down and Connor, Malachy brought the Bangor monks to Iveragh, County Kerry, where they were welcomed by now King Cormac. On the death of St Celsus (who was buried at Lismore in 1129), St Malachy was appointed Archbishop of Armagh, 1132, which dignity he accepted with great reluctance. Owing to intrigues, he was unable to take possession of his See for two years; even then he had to purchase the Bachal Isu (Staff of Jesus) from Niall, the usurping lay-primate.

St Malachy's influence in Irish ecclesiastical affairs has been compared with that of Boniface in Germany. During three years at Armagh, as Bernard of Clairvaux writes, St Malachy restored the discipline of the Church, grown lax during the intruded rule of a series of lay-abbots, and had the Roman Liturgy adopted. St Malachy worked zealously to restore ecclesiastical discipline, restored marriage, renewed the practices of confession and confirmation, and introduced Roman chants in the liturgy. He was also known for his care to the needy as a miracle worker and healer. In his lifetime, he planted apple trees throughout Ireland during the time of famine.

St Bernard continues: Having extirpated barbarism and re-established Christian morals and seeing all things tranquil, St Malachy began to think of his own peace. He, therefore, resigned the Sees of Armagh and Connor, in 1136 or 1137, but was retained as Bishop of Down. He founded a priory of Austin Canons at Downpatrick and was unceasing in his episcopal labours. Early in 1139, he journeyed to Rome, via Scotland, England, and France, visiting St Bernard at Clairvaux, Champagne. He petitioned Pope Innocent II for pallia for the Sees of Armagh and Cashel and was appointed legate for Ireland. On his return visit to Clairvaux he obtained five monks for a foundation in Ireland, under Christian, an Irishman, as superior: thus arose the great Abbey of Mellifont in 1142. St Malachy set out on a second journey to Rome in 1148, but on arriving at Clairvaux, he fell sick and died in the arms of St Bernard, on 2 November 1148.