SAINTS COMMEMORATED IN JULY
6 July St Palladius (born ca 408, died after 431, probably ca 450)
First Christian Bishop in
Ireland, preceding St Patrick.
His family were nobles in Gaul
(France), his father was
Praetorian Prefect of Gaul
Province. Described as
‘Deacon’ of Rome, Palladius
was married and had a
daughter. He left his family
and went to Sicily; he was
ordained priest by Pope
Celestine in 415. Possibly in
431 he was sent to Ireland as
bishop, but was banished and
fled to Scotland, one of the
early missionaries there. He
died there and possibly was
buried in Auchenblae. There
are dedications to him in the ‘Mearns’. Under James V, royal funds were
given to make a reliquary, also a ‘Paldy Fair’ was held annually until the
Reformation.
ST MARY’S DAYS
During July and August we have two festivals which focus
on Mary, the mother of Jesus. One is 2 July Visitatio Mariae
– Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth, the other is 15 August,
the Catholic festival of the Assumption of Mary.
When Mary learned from the angel, that she was bearing a
son, she went to see Elizabeth who also was pregnant,
although her age and that of her husband had meant that
this had been unlikely. Both women did not doubt the
angel’s message, they agreed to the plan of God in their lives. Mary answers
the greeting of Elizabeth with words which later were called the ‘Magnificat’.
Martin Luther interpreted it like this: “As the Word tells you, like the title of a
book, what is the contents of the speech, it is this: Praise to the Lord and his
mighty deeds, so that we, who read or sing it, should be strengthened in our
faith