The Weekly Round-Up 06/03-12/03
Some of Scotland's most important Saints this week, including: St John Ogilvie, Duthac, Kessog and more.
March 6th
St Baldred, A.D 608
St Baldred was a disciple of St Kentigern, who, upon the death of his master removed himself to the Bass Rock off the coast of East Lothian. It is said his favourite meditation was upon the passion of the Lord. But St Baldred was not a total hermit and would make missionary journeys to the mainland which gave him the honourable name of Apostle of the Lothians. St Baldred died on the Bass Rock but was subsequently buried near Haddington with a number of wells, houses and chapel ruins associated with him. What is interesting about St Baldred is that there may have potentially been two of similar name. There was also a St Baldred of Tyninghame who lived the following century in the same area. His story has some similarities with the earlier Baldred in that their locus is Bass Rock but does not include any reference to St Kentigern which makes sense looking at the dates. The later Baldred is associated with Lindisfarne and the Kingdom of Northumbria where he was known as Saint Balther or Saint Baltherus. So which Baldred are we looking at? I would posit we might be dealing with two similar Saints, places like Bass Rock were the ideal sorts of places for those who wanted to remove themselves from the world to pray and mediate on God without life’s distractions. In that then St Baldred was not alone and it is therefore possible Bass Rock has a history of this.
March 8th
St Duthac, A.D 1068
St Duthac birthed the Eastern Ross-Shire town, Tain, in the Highlands. To read more click on the button. Read On
March 10th
St Kessog of Luss, A.D 520
Son of the Irish Kings of Munster, Patron of Lennox, venerated by Soldiers and martyred for his faith. St Kessog is predominantly known in the Lennox region of Scotland in the Vale of Leven on Loch Lomond. It is possible he was Scotland’s first Patron Saint, being invoked by Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn and his relics being carried into that battle. It was this King who granted John of Luss charter, 'for the reverence and honour of our patron, the most holy man, the blessed Kessog'. You can find his name venerated in places like Kessock in Inverness, Auchterarder and Callander and not withstanding St Kessogs RC Church in Dumbartonshire. There are two martyrdom locations, Luss or in some 'foreign land' with his body brought back to Luss and buried.
St John Ogilvie, 1579-1615
St John Ogilvie was from Keith in the North of Scotland and is thus greatly revered in the Parish of that town. Michael Collins, a Keith man himself writes about this man who was caught up in the Reformation. Read On