Today the Church celebrates the memory of St. Colman of Oughaval. St. Colman was a disciple of St. Columba, Abbot of Iona (521-597), and St. Fintan, Abbot of Clonenangh (c. 526-603). In the Martyrology of Tallagh he is included as Colman Mac h Laighsi on May 15. He was of the family (clan) of Laoighsigh Ceannmoir, son of Conall Cearnach, a celebrated Ultonian hero who lived in the first century. His father was Lugna and his grandfather was Eugene. Their tribe name was Mac Ua Loighse.
A pious youth and native of the Portlaoise area in the Province of Leinster, the first mention of St. Colman is in the Life of St. Fintan of Clonenagh. He desired to dedicate his whole life to the service of Christ in prayer and ascetic labor. To this end he made a pilgrimage to Iona to seek spiritual counsel from the renowned abbot of that holy island, St. Columba. He remained at Iona for several years as a novice learning the disciplines of the monastic life.
Later Colman felt the call to return to Ireland and he asked St. Columba how it would be possible to live there without being able to confess his sins to his abbot. St. Columba said,
“Go to that pious man whom I see standing among the Angels and before the tribunal of Christ, on each Sunday night.” Colman asked, “Who and what sort of man is he?” and the holy abbot answered, “There is a certain saintly and handsome man, in your part of the country, whose complexion is florid, whose eyes are brightly sparkling, and whose white locks of hair are thinly scattered on his head.” To this Colman replied, “I know of no man in my country answering this description, except Abbot Fintan.” Then St. Columba confirmed, “He it is, my son, whom I see before the tribunal of Christ, as I have already told you. Go to him, for he is a true shepherd of Christ’s flock and he shall bring many souls with him to the kingdom of Christ.”
Colman received the blessing of St. Columba and set out on the journey to his native land. Coming to St. Fintan, Colman told him all that the holy abbot of Iona had said. On hearing these things the elderly abbot blushed deeply so it seemed as though his face was on fire. He cautioned Colman not to report these things to anyone, at least during his own lifetime. Colman selected as the site of his monastic settlement Oughaval, a town land within the present-day town of Stradbally in the county Laois. The exact date of the founding of the monastery is unknown but it was shortly before the repose of St. Fintan in about the year 595. The place can still be identified and the burial ground is still in use. However, it is impossible to recognize the actual church or monastic building since the stone was reused at the beginning of the 18th century to build a mausoleum. It was a mediaeval church until the 18th century. The walls and tower at the west end are very, very old.
The fate of St. Colman’s monastic foundation is something of a mystery. It had ceased to function long before the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII. The history of the monastery subsequent to the repose of St. Colman is the subject of current research. Source: Saint Colman, Abbot of Oughaval († 6th century), Orthodox Outlet for Dogmatic Enquires. |
