Saint Maughold
St. Maughold (Machalus, Maccul, Maccaille) has been venerated as the second apostle of the Isle of Man after St. Patrick. Although St. Maughold was an Irish prince by birth, in his youth he lived as a pirate and gathered a band of robbers around him. One day they came upon St. Patrick as he was travelling and decided to set a trap for him. Maughold said: “This is the imposter that is leading the people astray, let us see whether his God is strong or not.” One of the robbers was o... moreSaint Maughold
St. Maughold (Machalus, Maccul, Maccaille) has been venerated as the second apostle of the Isle of Man after St. Patrick. Although St. Maughold was an Irish prince by birth, in his youth he lived as a pirate and gathered a band of robbers around him. One day they came upon St. Patrick as he was travelling and decided to set a trap for him. Maughold said: “This is the imposter that is leading the people astray, let us see whether his God is strong or not.” One of the robbers was ordered to lie in the middle of the road, covered with a cloak, pretending to be dead. The others then called the holy man and asked him to heal their comrade. Patrick came up and removed the cloak – and the man was found to be truly dead. … Seized with fear, the robbers begged forgiveness of the saint. Following this incident he was converted to Christ and was baptized by St. Patrick, becoming his disciple. It is worthy to note that after his baptism, Maughold said to St. Patrick: “I confess to you my holy lord Patrick that I had planned to kill you.” And Patrick decided to give him a penance. He was told to go down to the Lecale peninsula on the east coast of Ireland and sit in a little boat (a coracle) with his hands chained and wearing only a single garment, and entrust himself to the Providence of God. A north wind began to blow and pushed the little boat to the north-east part of the Isle of Man, between Ireland and England, at the place which is now known as St. Maughold’s head. Immediately the boat touched land, the chains fell off St. Maughold. He clambered onto the shore, and a spring of water appeared to quench his thirst. That spring still bubbles with clear water to the present day. There he found two admirable men… who had been the first to preach the word of God and baptism in the Isle of Man, and by their teaching, the inhabitants of the island had been converted to the Christian Faith. The names of the two men are Conindrus and Rumilus. Having found spiritual fathers in the place given to him by God, he trained his body and soul according to their rule and spent all the time of his life there with those two holy bishops.
St. Maughold lived in a cave on a mountain side as a hermit, praying to God and shedding tears, repenting of his past misdeeds. In his lifetime the bishop was much loved by the Manx population. He also may have made missionary journeys to Wales and Scotland, but he never returned to Ireland. He reposed, according to different sources, in 488 or 498. This holy hierarch is still much loved and venerated on the Isle of Man for his kindness and care of the island’s inhabitants.
https://www.orthodoxchurch-iom.co.uk/st-magauld
Sir Bryan Daniel Cuillerier
Priory of Saint Sebastian (Manitoba)
Acta non verba
