Ss. Fingar (Gwinnear, Guigner), Phiala, and Companions, Martyrs
14 December
5th century; Fingar may have a second feast on March 23, or this could
be a different saint. Irish legend recalls that Saint Fingar, son of the
king of Connaught, was converted by Saint Patrick; however, he may have
been a Welshman or simply a missionary in Wales. His feast is
commemorated at Vannes in Brittany, where he spent some time as a
pilgrim. His sister Phiala also left their native Ireland and crossed
over to Cornwall with Fingar, but they were put to death at Hayle near
Penzance by a pagan chief. Their attendants shared their crown. Saint
Fingar is the patron of Gwinear in Cornwall.
(Benedictines,
D'Arcy,
Montague,
Moran).
The Church at Gwinear, Cornwall
The site of the original Celtic church is claimed to be at Trungle and
would have been a simple wooden oratory in a round enclosure. That the
present church site has Celtic foundation is strongly suggested by the
finding in 1954 of the top of a granite churchyard cross built into the
wall of the vicarage. the Christ-figure is depicted wearing a tunic
showing it to be early Byzantine design, perhaps 9th century. It is now
kept in the church window by the font. The ancient cross which once
stood at Roseworthy is considered to be perhaps the most beautiful cross
in Cornwall, and was removed in the 18th century for safety to Lanherne
Nunnery, Mawgan in Pydar. The large cross which is now in the churchyard
, near the main porch on the north, was removed in 1858 from a point
about half-a-mile east of the church.
http://homepages.tesco.net/~k.wasley/GwinearCH..htm
Troparion of Ss Fingar and Phiala
Tone 4
Heeding Patrick's preaching you accepted Christ as God and Saviour,
earning the wrath of your pagan father, O blessed Fingar and Phiala.
Preferring the treasures of asceticism and rejecting a kingly heritage,
together with seven bishops and a godly host,
you were found worthy of the crown of martyrdom.
Therefore we pray you to intercede with Christ our God for us
that we may live only for Him and be found worthy of His
great mercy.
Lives kindly supplied by:
For All the Saints:
http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/saint_a.shtml
An Alphabetical Index of the Saints of the West
http://www.orthodoxengland.btinternet.co.uk/saintsa.htm
These Lives are archived at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celt-saints/
content © 2008, Ambrose Mooney
layout © 2008, Kathleen Hanrahan and Mo! Langdon
Page last updated: 2 January 2009
Please send us comments, corrections, etc. -
Kathleen or
Mo!.
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