Today,
September 25 is the Feast of St. Finbarr or Fionnbharra in Irish,
very often abbreviated to Barra is patron Saint of the city and the
Diocese of Cork. It is thought he lived in the seventh century; he
was Bishop of Cork and Abbot of a monastery he built in the
picturesque and beautiful setting of Gougane Barra in West Cork.
Tradition
holds that Finbarr was one of a community of monks who had a monastic
settlement near the place where the river Lee rises in Gougane Barra.
St. Finbarr’s oratory was built in the early 1900s on a small
island on a lake at Gougane on what has long been a place of
pilgrimage.
Clearly
Finbarr knew that God was very much present in this sacred place,
particularly in the beauty of nature that is evident here all year
around. Against a backdrop of rugged hills, lakes, rivers and
streams, Finbarr found great peace. The Feast of St. Finbarr today
reminds us how important it is to appreciate nature and the beauty of
creation.
Whenever
I visit this holy place, the lines from psalm 19 comes to mind. “The
heavens tell of your glory, O God, and the firmament proclaims your
handiwork. Day unto day pours forth the story and night unto night
reveals its knowledge”.
St.
Finbarr is said to have made the journey to the mouth of the Lee
where it meets the sea and established a monastic school around which
grew what developed into the city of Cork. An annual pilgrimage day
at Gougane is held on the last Sunday of September.
Many people have taken the name Finbarr and there
are many name places especially in Cork associated with the Saint’s
name. The Church of Ireland Cathedral takes its name from Finbarr and
the motto of University College, Cork is, “Where Finbarr Taught,
Let Munster Learn” are just but a few.
Today
is a day of pilgrimage and prayer in Gougane. We ask the blessings of St. Finbarr on
ourselves, our city, our families, our schools, our communities, and
those who need a special prayer today. May St. Finbarr continue to
guide and direct us each day!
No comments:
Post a Comment