A Great Irish Missionary
St. Cillian – 21st July
Cillian was an Irish missionary bishop and the apostle of what is modern-day Bavaria. He was born to noble parents, as were many Irish saints of that time, around 640 in Cloughballybeg in County Cavan.
In the summer of 686, Cillian and 11 of his companions travelled to Rome via Gaul to meet with Pope Conon, who consecrated Cillian as a bishop. From there, they moved on to Würzburg, where Cillian managed to convert Herzog Gozbert, leading a large number of his people to turn to Christianity too.
However, his mission was not an easy one. Before converting the Herzog, he spread the gospel rapidly among the people of Würzburg, who seemed very receptive to his preaching. This inevitably led him to have enemies, especially among the pagan priests of the region.
The Admonishment That Brought Martyrdom
When the Herzog married his brother’s widow, Cillian admonished him, explaining the sinfulness of such a union. The widow, Geilana, who was still a pagan and openly rejected Christianity, heard of this admonishment. She also heard the rumour that the Herzog was preparing to dismiss her, and she was so angry that she demanded he be executed. During this time, Herzog Gozbert was not in Würzburg, as he was away on a military expedition, so Geilana had no impediment to ordering her soldiers to behead Cillian and two of his colleagues: Priest Colmán and Deacon Totnan. The date of their deaths is July 8, 689 AD.
Geilana had their bodies buried and their possessions destroyed or thrown away. After this, Christianity seemed to die out again in the region. When St. Boniface was sent a few decades later to Würzburg, he struggled to find evidence of the missionary work done by these men. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit guided the future Bishop of Würzburg, St. Burchard (appointed by St. Boniface), to the relics of these men and some of their lost possessions. On the spot where they were martyred, a cathedral was built.
The relics of the three men are still in Würzburg Cathedral, where they are paraded on St. Cillian’s day every year. Moreover, there remain three statues of the men on the famous bridge of saints that crosses the river Main.
Destroyed But Not Forgotten
St. Cillian’s memory is still strong in Ireland, with many Irish men bearing his name, along with schools, Catholic churches, wells, and some public buildings. He is also the patron saint of Tuosist near Kenmare in County Kerry, where he is believed to have studied before setting off on his missionary journey. Like many Irish missionary saints, Cillian is venerated in more than one place, in his case, Würzburg and Kerry. He is celebrated in the Kiliani-Volksfest every year in Germany, which lasts for two weeks.
