St. Fursey, Abbot.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2, 12 January 1905, Page 31

St. Fursey, Abbot.

St. Fursey was son of Fintan, who succeeded Findlog as King of Munster, Ireland, lie is said to have been born on the island of Inchiquin, in Lough Corrib County Galway It is believed that he was also educ£ ted there by tjhe great St. Brendan of Clonfert He embraced the religious lite and founded a monastery at Kathmat or Killursa (now better known as Kilursa) ounty Galway. He became, with others of his S Jives, a disciple of St. Meldan, visited the province of Munster, and afterwards went to England where he was joyluJJy received by Sigebert, King of the East Angles. He founded a monastery at Cnobhersbure Owing to disturbances and wars in England he returned to Gaul ,(France), where he was honorably received by Duke Haymon. He is also said to have journeyed to Kome. On his return he was received with every mark of aflection by King Clavis 11., and founded a monastery at Lagny. He also established a branch of his institute at Ferrone. The fame of his sanctity and miracles spread far and wide. He was joined by St. Emillan and a band of Irish monks, who aided him in his missionary labors. He died at Macieres, France, about the middle of the seventh century. ,He is the patron saint of Ferrone, France, where (as with us) his festival is celebrated on January 16. »St. Anthony, Abbot. St. Anthony was a native of Upper Egypt. He was left by his father in the possession of considerable wealth, but as soon as practicable he made over his property to the poor, and retired into the desert, where for many years lie led a life of remarkable austerity He died in 356, at the age of 105. Chair of St. Feter at Rome. This feast commemorates the residence and pontificate of St. Feter at Home. At first he had fixed his See at Antioch, but thinking it advisable that the Supreme head of the Church should reside in the capital of the then known world, he came to Rome. His residence there extended, according to the more commonly recehed opinion, from A.D 42 to his martyrdom in 67. St. Canute, Martyr. St. Canute was King ot Denmark. He used every endeavor to solidly establish the Christian religion, which had some time previously been introduced into Denmark, and to bring about tine conversion of thosa of his subjects who still adhered to paganism. His zeal won for him the martyr's crown, A.D. 1086. Saints Fabian and Sebastian, Martyrs. St. Fabian was elected Fope in 236, and governed the Church for fourteen years. His life, like that of so many ot the early Fopes, was closed by martyr dom, A.D. 2.50. St. Sebastian was an officer of high rank in the Imperial Guard. Owing to his virtue and courage, he was much esteemed by the Emperor Diocletian, and was enabled by the inlluence thus acquired to protect numbers ol his persecuted fellow-Chriatians. He was beaten to death with clubs about the year 288. St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr. SI. Agnes is one of the best known of the many martyrs whom the persecutions of the Roman emperors gave to the Church. She was but thirteen years of age at the time af her glorious death, in 304.