St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

At St. Paul’s Parish This Week:

In Church News:

Episcopal Church camps, including Ohio’s own Camp Cedar Hills, nurture faith and friendships; read about them in this EpiscopalLife article.

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On the Calendar of Saints – St. Moninne:

Today is a feria on the calendar of the Episcopal Church. In the Church of Ireland, a saint of the Diocese of Armagh, St. Moninne of Killeavy, is commemorated. Exciting Holiness – 2007 tells us that Moninne, sometimes called Darerca or Bline, founded a small monastery for women (eight virgins and one widow, according to one tradition). She continued in Killeavy, not far from Newry, the spirit of the teaching and pastoral concern of Patrick and Brigid.

Wikipedia offers the following biography of St. Monnine:

Saint Moninne of Killeavy was one of Ireland’s early female saints. After instruction in the religious life, she founded a community, initially consisting of eight virgins and a widow with a baby, at Sliabh Gullion, Co. Armagh. They lived an eremitical life, based on that of Elijah and Saint John the Baptist. Moninne died in 517 or 518.

Saint Moninne was born around 432. Her father was Machta, King of the territory stretching from Louth to Armagh, and her mother was Comwi or Coman, daughter of one of the northern kings. It was said that she was baptized and confirmed by Saint Patrick. When he was passing through the lands of Machta he stopped at her parents’ house and predicted that Moninne’s name would be remembered throughout time. It was said that she was veiled by Saint Patrick also.

There are a couple of versions of the name Moninne, for example Darerca, Blinne, or the spelling Moninna which means in Irish “My Ninna” or “My Daughter”. She worked with Saint Brigid at Kildare for a while where they became close friends. A legend says that she got the name “Moninna” when she cured a dumb man and the first words he uttered was “Ninna Ninna.” It was also said that when she was a baby the first word she said was Ninna.

During the end of her life she retired to Killeavy where she set up her convent for nuns. She died around the year 518. Saint Moninne was buried at Killeavy and a granite slab was placed over her grave. On the slopes of Slieve Gullion there is a holy well called Saint Moninne’s Well. It is marked by a large white cross. In 1928 a shrine was placed over the well with a statue of the Virgin Mary. The inscription on the well reads “Tobhar Naoimh Blathnaidh” (“Well of Saint Blinne”). In the Killeavy area there is great devotion to Saint Moninne and people still visit her Holy Well and Grave, and the well has been said to cure eye trouble and other sickness. Saint Moninne was a kind caring saint who cared for everyone and, as Saint Patrick said, her name is still remembered to the present day.

Moninne’s feast day is celebrated on July 6th and is marked by pilgrams visiting her well.

A prayer for today:

The following is adapted from the collect for St. Moninne’s commemoration in Exciting Holiness:

Lord, during his ministry on earth your Son accepted the devotion and service of many women: we thank you for the devoted life of Moninne of Slieve Gullion in Armagh and the many other women whom you used in the building of the Church in Eire and other lands; bless all women in the Ministry of your Church today, that it may be renewed and strengthened, to your honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.