St. Fachanan

This saint's feast is observed liturgically throughout all Ireland and he is patron of the diocese of Ross, where he was probably the first bishop. He was born at Tulachteann, was one of the pupils of St. Ita, and founded the monastery of Molana on an island in the Blackwater, near Youghal. But his great achievement was the establishment of the monastic school of Ross, at what is now Rosscarbery, in county Cork, one of the most famous schools of Ireland, which flourished for three hundred years and survived in some form until the coming of the Normans. Fachanan (Fachtna) suffered for a time from blindness, from which he recovered at the intercession of St. Ita's sister, who was about to give birth to St. Mochoemog. St. Fachanan was revered as a "wise and upright man", with a great gift for preaching; St. Cuimin of connor said of him that he was "generous and steadfast, fond of preaching to the people and saying nothing that was base or displeasing to God". His feast day is August 13th.