SAINTS COMMEMORATED IN September
1 September St Giles (or Aegidius, died about 710)
There are many legends about St Giles, he was one of the most popular
saints of the Middle Ages. He may have been born in Athens and became a
hermit in France. He built the monastery St Gilles near Arles on land given
by king Wamba. This was on the pilgrim route to Santiago and to the Holy
Land and legends attracted pilgrims. St Giles was included in the list of 14
helpers, but was not martyred. He
became the patron saint of beggars,
cripples and lepers and was invoked
against cancer and night terrors. His
cult spread all over Europe, he is the
Patron Saint of Edinburgh, and his
name lives in many streets like St
Giles, Oxford and St Giles,
Cripplegate, London. The monastery
suffered in the 13 th c. from Albigensian
wars and never recovered. Most of the
saint’s bones were taken to Saint
Sernin in Toulouse.
16 September Saint Ninian, Scotland’s first Saint, (died 432)
He is known as ‘The Apostle of the Southern Picts’, variations of his name
are Ringan or Trynnian. The date 397 is traditionally given as the start of his
mission, but there is no actual historic verification or connection to any
known person. He first was mentioned by Bede ca 731, there is also a 9 th
century poem, a vita of 1160 by Alfred of Riveaux. and a 1630 history by
James Ussher, Archbishop of Armargh,
who gives the traditional date of Ninian’s
death as 16 Sept 432. He was said to have
been a Briton, studied in Rome and in
Lyon, Gaul. His Episcopal seat was St
Martin in Tours, he founded the earliest
Christian centre in Scotland at Whithorn,
Galloway, under the influence of Gaul,
where he was buried. Many Irish monks
came to Whithorn, including St Finnian of
Moville, who influenced Columba. - Alfred
contributed that Ninian was the son of a
Christian king, but Alfred has a political
interest since he has a connection to the
Scottish Royal family. Ussher thinks that
Ninian was Irish and also died in Ireland.
Most of Ussher’s source is fictional.
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