Fachtna of Rosscarbery, known also as Fachanan, was an Irish Christian leader known as the founder of the monastery of

Rosscarbery Rosscarbery () is a village and census town in County Cork, Ireland. The village is on a shallow estuary, which opens onto Rosscarbery Bay. Rosscarbery is in the Cork South-West (Dáil Éireann) constituency, which has three seats. History The ...

(Ros Ailithir),

County Cork County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...

. He died around 600.

Life

He established a monastery and school in the area now known as Rosscarbery towards the end of the sixth century. His monastery became the principal monastery of

west Cork West Cork () is a tourist region and municipal district in County Cork, Ireland. As a municipal district, West Cork falls within the administrative area of Cork County Council, and includes the towns of Bantry, Castletownbere, Clonakilty, Du ...

, and later had a famous Scripture school known as the

School of Ross The School of Ross was a monastic institution located in what is now called Rosscarbery, County Cork, Ireland, but formerly ''Ross-Ailithir'' (Ross of the Pilgrims), from the large number of monks and students who "flocked" to it from all over ...

. Brendan, the Navigator, taught in this school, which was crowded with students from every land. It flourished for three hundred years and survived in some form until the coming of the Normans to Ireland. It was the centre from which the Diocese of Ross developed. Fachtna, born at a place called Tulachteann, was one of the pupils of Saint Ita. It is said that Fachtna was cured of an affection of his eyes by bathing them in the milk of Saint Mochoemoc's mother, Saint Ita's sister. He then studied at Saint Finbarr's school at Loch Eirce (

Gougane Barra Gougane Barra () is a scenic valley and heritage site in the Shehy Mountains of County Cork, Ireland. It is near Ballingeary in the Muskerry ''Gaeltacht''. Gougane Barra is at the source of the River Lee and includes a lake with an oratory bu ...

). Before establishing the monastic school of Ross, he founded the monastery of Molana on an island in the Blackwater, near

Youghal Youghal ( ; ) is a seaside resort town in County Cork, Ireland. Located on the estuary of the Munster Blackwater, River Blackwater, the town is a former military and economic centre. Located on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a long ...

. Mervyn Archdall,
Monasticum Hibernicum; or an History of the Abbies, Priories, and other Religious Houses in Ireland
' (Dublin, 1786), vol. 1, pp. 142–144; reproduced also i
''Irish Ecclesiastical Record'', Vol VII, 1871, pp. 485–488
/ref> In some Latin documents, he is called Fachtna Facundus (Fachtna the Eloquent) and even spoken of as Sanctus Facundus. In Irish records, he is generally referred to as Mac Mongach (Hairy Child), because he was reported to have been born with his head covered with hair. The interpretation of this phrase by

James Ussher James Ussher (or Usher; 4 January 1581 – 21 March 1656) was the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland between 1625 and 1656. He was a prolific Irish scholar and church leader, who today is most famous for his ...

and others as meaning Son of Mongach was rejected by Mervyn Archdall. The description of Saint Fachtna in Cuimin of Connor's poem on the characteristic virtues of the Irish saints is: :Fachtna, the generous and steadfast, loved :To instruct the crowds in concert, :He never spoke that which was mean, :Nor aught but what was pleasing to his Lord. Mention is made of Fachtna and Conall of Ros Ailithir within the scholia of the Félire Óengusso in connection with

Ciarán of Saigir Ciarán of Saigir (; 5th century – ), also known as Ciarán mac Luaigne or Saint Kieran (), was one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland and is considered the first saint to have been born in Ireland,''Catholic Online''St. Kieran/ref> a ...

the Elder who was born and raised on Cape Clear Island.

Veneration

His feast day was 14 August but, since in the

General Roman Calendar The General Roman Calendar (GRC) is the liturgy, liturgical calendar that indicates the dates of celebrations of saints and Sacred mysteries, mysteries of the Lord (Jesus Christ) in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, wherever this liturgic ...

that date is now occupied by the memorial of Saint

Maximilian Kolbe Maximilian Maria Kolbe (born Raymund Kolbe; ; 8 January 1894 – 14 August 1941) was a Polish Roman Catholic priest, Conventual Franciscan friar, missionary, saint, martyr, and a Nazi concentration camp victim, who volunteered to die in place ...

, Saint Fachtna is now venerated, even in the Diocese of Ross, on 13 August.

Patronage

St. Fachtna is the Patron Saint of the Diocese of Ross, the cathedral of which is dedicated to him.

References

External links

*
St. Fachanan
at Saints & Angels {{DEFAULTSORT:Fachtna of Rosscarbery 6th-century Christian saints Medieval saints of Munster 6th-century Irish abbots People from Youghal People from Rosscarbery