Mo Chutu mac Fínaill (died 14 May 639), also known as Mochuda, Carthach or Carthach the Younger (a name Latinized as ''Carthagus'' and Anglicized as Carthage ),William Henry Grattan Flood (1908). " St. Carthage". In ''Catholic Encyclopedia''. 3. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

The Roman Missal The Roman Missal () is the book which contains the texts and rubrics for the celebration of the Roman Rite, the most common liturgy and Mass of the Catholic Church. There have been several editions. History Before the Council of Trent (1570) B ...

(Veritas 2011; ), p. 760 was abbot of

Rahan, County Offaly Rahan () is a Civil parishes in Ireland, parish and village in County Offaly, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is associated with medieval abbot Mochuda (also known as St. Carthage). The village is located on the banks of the river Clodagh appr ...

, and subsequently, founder and first abbot of Lismore (), County Waterford.Johnston, "Munster, saints of (act. ''c''. 450–''c''. 700)." The saint's ''Life'' has come down in several Irish and Latin recensions, which appear to derive from a Latin original written in the 11th or 12th century.

Life

Through his father, Fínall Fíngein, Mo Chutu belonged to the Ciarraige Luachra, while his mother, Finmed, was of the Corco Duibne. Notes added to the '' Félire Óengusso'' (the Martyrology of Óengus) claim that his foster father was Carthach mac Fianáin, that is Carthach the Elder, whose period of activity can be assigned to the late 6th century. Mo Chutu first became abbot of Rahan, a monastery which lay in the territory of the southern

Uí Néill The Uí Néill (; meaning "descendants of Niall") are Irish dynasties that claim descent from Niall Noígíallach (Niall of the Nine Hostages), a historical King of Tara who is believed to have died around c. 405. They are generally divided ...

. He composed a rule for his monks, an Irish metrical poem of 580 lines, divided into nine separate sections, a notable literary relic of the early Irish Church. According to the ''

Annals of Ulster The ''Annals of Ulster'' () are annals of History of Ireland, medieval Ireland. The entries span the years from 431 AD to 1540 AD. The entries up to 1489 AD were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luin� ...

'', he was expelled from the monastery during the Easter season of 637. The incident has been connected with the

Easter controversy The controversy over the correct date for Easter began in Early Christianity as early as the 2nd century AD. Discussion and disagreement over the best method of computing the date of Easter Sunday has been ongoing ever since and remains unresolve ...

, in which Irish churches were involved during the 7th century. Through his training in Munster, Mo Chutu may have been a supporter of the Roman system of calculation, which would have brought him into conflict with adherents of the 'Celtic' reckoning in

Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...

Lismore St Carthages Cathedral 2007 08 03

Following his expulsion, Mo Chutu journeyed to the

Déisi The ''Déisi'' were a social class in Ireland between the ancient and early medieval period. The various peoples listed under the heading ''déis'' shared a similar status in Gaelic Ireland, and had little or no actual kinship, though they were ...

, where he founded the great monastery of Lismore (in modern

County Waterford County Waterford () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is named after the city of Waterford. ...

). The Latin and Irish ''Lives'' make very little of Mo Chutu's earlier misfortune and focus instead on the saint's resistance to the oppressive Uí Néill rulers and his joyous reception among the Déisi. He has been portrayed in a heroic light in ''Indarba Mo Chutu a r-Raithin'' (''The expulsion of Mo Chutu from Rahan''). His foundation at Lismore flourished after his lifetime, eclipsing the reputation of the saint's earlier church. It was able to withstand the Viking depredations which plagued the area and benefited from the generosity of

Munster Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...

kings, notably the Mac Carthaig of Desmond. In the 12th century, Déclán's foundation of Ardmore aspired to the status of episcopal see in the new diocese, but the privilege went instead to Lismore. St Carthage window

His

feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context does n ...

in the Irish

martyrologies 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 ...

is 14 May, as well as in the ''Great Synaxaristes'' of the

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is List of Christian denominations by number of members, one of the three major doctrinal and ...

.Ὁ Ἅγιος Καρτέγιος Ἐπίσκοπος Λίσμορ
14 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. In the present calendar of the

Catholic Church in Ireland The Catholic Church in Ireland, or Irish Catholic Church, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the Holy See. With 3.5 million members (in the Republic of Ireland), it is the largest Christian church in Ireland. In ...

, in which 14 May is the feast of

Saint Matthias Matthias (; Koine Greek: , , from Hebrew ; ; died ) was, according to the Acts of the Apostles, chosen by God through the apostles to replace Judas Iscariot following the latter's betrayal of Jesus and his subsequent death. His calling as ...

, the memorial of Saint Carthage is celebrated on 15 May.

Notes

Sources

* *Johnston, Elva.
Munster, saints of (act. ''c''. 450 – ''c''. 700)
" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''. Oxford University Press, September 2004, online edition May 2008; retrieved 14 December 2008.

External links

*
Lives of SS Declan and Mochuda
Gutenberg.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Mo Chutu of Lismore 639 deaths 7th-century Christian saints 7th-century Irish bishops 7th-century Irish abbots People from County Offaly People from County Waterford Medieval saints of Munster Medieval saints of Meath Christian feast days