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Catholic Saints

A stunning stained glass piece features Saint Ruadan in a red robe, gracefully holding a staff.

Saint Ruadan

Feast Day 04/15/2013

St. Ruadan was one of the twelve Apostles of Ireland, and an Abbot.  He was born in Leinster, Ireland.  He was a disciple of St. Finian of Clonard.  He went on and became the founder of the Monastery of Lothra, in Tipperary, which was noted for having in excess of 150 Monks.  His date of death according the dictionary of saints states that he died on April 15, 584.   It is not known when he was born, but he is said to have died at the monastery of Lorrha, and his feast day is kept on the anniversary of his death.  

St. Ruadan had the gift of prophecy, and he gave a prophecy that Diarmait, the high King of Ireland, would be killed by the roof beam of his hall at Tara.  Diarmait had the beam cast into the sea.  Diarmait then asked his druids to find the manner of his death, and they foretold that he would die of slaughter, drowning and burning, and that the signs of his death would be a shirt grown from a single seed of flax and a mantle of wool from a single sheep, ale brewed from one seed of corn, and bacon from a sow which had never farrowed.   While traveling Ireland, King Diarmait came to the hall of Banban at Raith Bec, and there the fate of which he was warned came to pass.  The roof beam of Tara had been recovered from the sea by Banban, and set in his hall, the shirt and mantle and ale and bacon are duly produced for Diarmait.  Diarmait goes to leave Banban’s hall, but Aed Dub, waiting at the door, strikes him down and sets fire to the hall.  Diarmait crawls into an ale vat to escape the flames and is duly killed by the falling room beam he had previously thrown to the sea!  All of the prophecies were fulfilled.   

Practical Take Away

St. Ruadan was one of the twelve Apostles of Ireland, and an Abbot.  He was born in Leinster, Ireland.  He was a disciple of St. Finian of Clonard.  He went on and became the founder of the Monastery of Lothra, in Tipperary, which was noted for having in excess of 150 Monks.  He also had the gift of prophecy, and prophesied the death of Irish King Diarmait, the high King of Ireland.  As time passed, the King died just as he had been told, and all of St. Ruadan’s prophecies came to pass.  

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