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Wednesday 6 February 2013

St. Mel

Another great saint for the day is St. Mel. His Cathedral in Longford was destroyed in 2009 by a fire. In that fire, his crosier, which is photographed here, was also destroyed.



An article on Wiki claims that St. Mel is the patron for single people. If any readers know more about this, please comment. Here is the article.


Saint Mel or Moel died in 488. He is said to have been a Briton who came to Ireland with Saint Patrick, his uncle, with whom he worked until he was ordained in Ardagh. He helped evangelize Ireland while supporting himself through manual labor. He is one of the earliest Irish saints and gave the religious veil to Saint Brigid. He is the patron saint of the Roman Catholic diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois...
Mel lived with his aunt, Lupait, on her farm during a portion of his ministry, and rumor spread that their relationship was of a scandalous nature. St. Patrick went to investigate. Mel and Lupait both produced miracles to testify to their innocence: Mel plowed up a live fish in the middle of his field, and Lupait carried hot coals without being burned.
St. Mel's feast day, February 6, has begun to be observed as a holiday for single people. "St. Mel's Day" is a chance for singles to celebrate the good things about being single. Traditions include sending yourself a St. Mel's Day card and hosting parties for singles.