St. Senanus (St. Senan), Ireland, 6th Century
![[Saint Senan]](./st%20senanus_files/image004.jpg "??kb jpg photograph of a statue of Saint Senan carved in Australia and now standing in parish of Doonbeg, West Clare, Ireland; artist unknown, photographer unknown; please do not write to ask about the image")
Feastday
8th March
Born 488
Died 544
Apparently
born to a Christian farm family. Educated by Saint Naul and a saintly monk
named Cassidan. Monk at Kilmanagh (Kilkenny). Founded a monastery at
Enniscorthy. Pilgrim to Rome and to Tours, a center of monasticism at the time.
Founded several churches and monasteries including houses at Iniscarra.
Spiritual teacher of Saint Aiden of Lindesfarne. Aquaintance of Saint David of
Wales, and friend of Saint Cannera of Inis Cathaig. In later life he retired to
Inish Cathaig (Scattery Island) on the river Shannon; the river is believed to
have been named for him. Bishop. Legend says that he chased away the Cathach, a
type of monstrous sea serpent, from the island by ordering it, in the name of
the Trinity, to depart.1
1. Taken from Patron
Saints Index at http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saints0k.htm
“Impart
to me O Senanus, information concerning the latter ages of the world: What
shall be the condition of the race of people who will not observe rectitude in
their judgments, who will entertain false and treacherous intentions; shall any
individual of them be admitted into the regal mansions of heaven? Falsehood
will characterize that class of men who will sit in judgment to pass sentence
according to the law: _between the father and his own son, litigations will
subsist. The clergy of the Holy church will be addicted to pride and injustice;
the advantages they will aim at shall be the possession of worldly substance.
Women will abandon feelings of delicacy, and cohabit with men out of wedlock;
they will follow those practices without secrecy, and such habits will become
almost unsupressable. All will rush into iniquity against the will of the Son
of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The earth will not produce its fruits for the race
of people to whom I allude; full mansions will be deserted, and unpleasant will
be the tidings concerning them. Dreadful plagues will come upon all the race of
Adam….” 1
“The
English will betray each other, as a result of which their sovereignty will be
broken, and they will stain their swords and battle-axes with blood. They will
be a selfish race devoid of benignity. The Son of the king of Saxon will come
to join them across the sea; he will unite in one confederation against the
forces of the Saxons, their confederacy cannot be dissolved. The king of the
Saxon’s son will come at the head of his forces; in consequence of the
protection he will extend to them. Ireland shall be freed from her fears. One
monarch will rile in Ireland, over the English and the pure Irish; from the
reign of that man, the people shall suffer no destitution….” 2
References
1.
Rev R. Gerald. Culleton The Prophets and Our Times (Tan Books and Publishers 1941) p 127 -128
2.
ibid p 128