Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1888-12-07
scorLAND,s HOLY ISLE
Iona from which st. COLUMBIA Excluded
AL-...n..r.- .....I L.

Iona from which st. COLUMBIA Excluded
Women and Cows.
There has always been to our mind
sort Of fascination about pilgrimagos;
and the Catholic pilgrimage to Iona is
no exception.
The name which endcars Iona to tho
modern pilgrim is, OF course, St Co
lumba. 1t was St. Ninian who. as far
a we know, first brought the light Of
Christianity to Scotland, the scene OF
his labors being in the south OF Scot
land, among the Galwcgians aud south
ern Picts, Somewhere at the beginning
OF the fifth century. After St. Ninian,n
says DR.. Cunningham. COLUMBIA is the
next whose name has emerged from
the darkness Of the age in which he
lived, and the still deeper darkness
of the ages which succeeded 1t is
with this celebrated saint that the
most interesting period in our eeclesi-
astical annals begin. He was born in
ireland in sci, his fathers name being
Gedulimid McFergus and his mothers
Aethnea McNavo. From his youth he
was addicted to learning, and espe-
cially to the study Of the Holy Script
ures. His teachers were pious pres
byter named Cruinechan, Finian,
Bishop Of Clonfert, and the famous St.
Claran, who is said TO have preached
before this time TO the Dalriad Scots in
Argyle, and from whom the parish of
Kitkerran derives its name. Columbia
left Ireland in 5G3 with "a dozen com
panions and landed in the island Of
Iona on the evening Of Whit-Monday,
1925 years ago. 1t is believed b.
some that he was compelled TO leave
his native country for political
reasons, though others attribute his
expedition to a desire TO spread the
light Of the gospel in a still dark
ened land. At least two Kings rcigned
in Scotland at that tilne-Conal Nc
Comgail over the Dalriad Scots and
Bruce over the Picts. 1t was from the
former Of these that Columbia OBJ
tanned gift OF Iona, wherein he found
cd the monastery which afterward be-
came so famous in the history OF the
church, n veritable spiritual fountain,
from which the light of Christianity
was poured in fcrtilizing floods over
Scotland. 1t need hardly be said that
the present ruins in Iona are those OF n
later structure than the time Of st.
COLUMBIA, whose original habitation
was very primitive affair. OF the
thirty names which have been applied
TO Ioaa, that Of "Icolmkill means the
island " Celum Of the celia Accord
ing 20 DR.. Lindsay Alexander ''Iona"
is corruption Of "Ii-shona' (pro-
nouncod Eehona, the in Gaelic
being silent before an as
pirate), and signifies Holy Island"
Among the facts or reports about st.
COLUMBIA Is one that he excluded wom-
en- and COWS from the island. acting on
the maxim that "where there's cow
there viii be woman; and where
there's a woman there will be mis-
chief" The saint, however, allowed
his followers to marry, the wives re-
siding in ncighboring island, known
10 this day as "Eilian nam ban"
(women's isle). Columbia died at the
age of seventy-scven. That the saint
was n man OF learning and piety there
can be no doubt. Many fables arc
told us 10 his miraculous powers; but,
after all, the greatest miracle any man
can perform is TO convert Kings into
Christians and the slaves Of Kings into
free men by the instrumentalities of
letters and religion. These miracles st.
COLUMBIA did perform to very cOnsid-
cradle extent. Giqsgoio Herald,