St. Mel's Day in Ireland (07/02)

St. Mel's Day. St. Mel's Day is celebrated in Ireland on February 7th. This saint is especially revered in County Longford.

It is believed that Saint Mel was the son of Conis and Darerca, sister of Saint Patrick. It was with St. Patrick that he arrived in Ireland and here became his faithful assistant in converting the local population to Christianity.

It is said that Mal initially did not have his own permanent diocese, which is quite consistent with his lifestyle — of life as a missionary. In 454, Saint Patrick himself built a church in Ardagh (Ardagh, Co). Longford) and appointed his nephew there as rector (and bishop of the whole diocesia). Here, near the walls of the church, Saint Mel was buried after his death (in 488 (490)).

Acting in accordance with the apostolic commandments, Saint Mel always worked himself, earning his own living, and he distributed everything obtained through hard work, except the most necessary things to satisfy his modest needs, to those in need.

At one time he lived with his aunt Lupait, but slanderers began to bring defamatory charges against him, and Saint Patrick personally came to conduct a comprehensive investigation, double-check the validity of the rumors and give a fair assessment of the behavior of his relatives. Saint Patrick found his nephew at work: he was plowing a field. Right there in the field, Saint Mel rehabilitated himself by performing a miracle and thereby removing all suspicions of unworthy behavior — he extracted live fish from the ground, as fishermen usually extract their catch from nets.

Lupait proved her innocence in a manner common enough for the time: she carried hot coals and did not burn herself or burn her clothes. Saint Patrick was completely satisfied with the results, but for the future he advised his nephew to act like all people, that is, plow the land — and fish in the water. And in order not to give rise to scandalous rumors in the future, he ordered Saint Mal and his aunt to live and pray as far apart as possible.

Saint Mel is also known for the fact that it was he who took the monastic vow of Saint Brigid and mistakenly ordained her bishop. To the protest of St. Macail (St. Macaille) he declared that everything was done by the will of God, and ordination would remain in effect.

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