Orders of Saints
Above: Dove, symbol of Holy Spirit
The first Order of the Saints was in Patrick‘s own tin Then all the bishops, 350 in number, were famous, and of the Holy Spirit. They founded churches, worshipped head, Christ, followed one leader, Patrick, had one tond one celebration of Mass, one Easter—after the Vernal equiil They did not object to having women as house-keepers 1 companions, because, founded on the rock Christ, they(« not fear the wind of temptation. This Order lasted throj four reigns, to wit, those of Laoghaire, Oileall, LughaiB and Tuathal Maolgarbh, and all throughout remained h] bishops.
The second Order had few bishops, many priests, 300 in imber They worshipped one head, God, but had different "duals of celebration and different rules of living. They n-ule a uniform tonsure, from ear to ear, shunned having vomcn as companions and housekeepei’s, and excluded them from the monasteries. The Order lasted for four reigns also, to wit, those of Diarmuid mac Cearbhaill, the two grandsons of Muiredach, and Aodh mac Ainmire. Among them were Finnian, Encla, Colman, Congal, Aedh, Ciaran, Columba, Brendan, Brechen, Caemhghein, Laisrean and many
others.
The third Order consisted of holy priests and few bishops, 100 in number, who dwelt in desert places, lived on vegetables and water and on the alms of the faithful, held earthly things of no account, and wholly shunned backbiting and slander. They had different rules of living, different rituals of celebration, different tonsures, a different Paschal solemnisation. This Order, like the others, lasted through four reigns, namely, those of Aedh Slaine, Domlmall and the sons of Aedh, to the great mortality of 666. Their bishops included Petran, Ultan, Colman, Edan ; their priests, Feichin, Foillean, Cumian, Earnan, Cronan and many others. The first Order was reputed holiest, the second very holy, the third holy. The first glowed like the sun with the heat of charity, the second like the moon, the third shone with the bright hues of the dawn.
Irishwomen of every rank threw themselves with the utmost ardour also into the work of spreading and establishing the faith. Before a single church had been erected Anghus wife of Laoghaire initiated Mir Mhichil or "Michael’s fortion" in token of thanksgiving to Patrick. After the whole land had been studded with them, Sadhbh, wife of
onchadh son of Flann Siona, envious that every principal anarch had a wall or enclosure round it, got the men of – eath to have her church at Saighir Chiarain—cemetery of the kings of Osraighe—surrounded by a fence. Meanwhile devoted women, young and old, had taken the veil, ruche, sister of Rioc, Mel and Eunis, was left by Patrick at the outset of his mission in the church of Kilglass, three mile* south of Ardagh. At Clonbroney, six miles from GranarJ he gave the veil to the two sisters of Guasacht, the firj of the daughters of Erin veiled for Christ. At Seanchim near Ailfionn, Mathona sister of Ben en received the veiy Having reached Cruaihain, Patrick met and baptised tfl two daughters of Laoghaire at Clebach well, finally givH them the veil and anointing them. After founding a chwB at Loch Gara south-west of Boyle, he founded Cill AtrocM for Saint Adrochta or Attracta, daughter of the chief TolaS St. Adrochta, sister of St. Coemhan, took the veil at sixteeJ and is still commemorated in Killaracht on the eastern ban! of the lake of Bala.
