April 7 Cellach b 1104 d. 1129 aka Celsus McAedh

Thommy and John

good morning
i love you

here's a story of doing what's right, no matter what....
and in this case, the matter what was both personal safety and the preservation of generations of legacy - no small consideration in the life of the Irish [so even from me to you, no matter what, your legacy from me, faith and fortune, what little of each i have to offer]

while still a layman, Cellach Mac Aedha, got the hereditary abbacy of Armagh, in 1105, at 26. i'm sorry guys, i don't have an abbacy to give you. i have a bit of HCA stock that'll pay your way thru college. i have a bit of grace to pass thru. like sidhartha i can think, i can write, i can fast [tho not as well as the first two]. and all that i am and all that i have is yours; in the genes and in the stewardship of fatherhood....

Ceallach mac Aedha decided to end the scandal of religious houses being governed by secular rulers. separation of church and state comes early [or late, howerver you measure it, it came, for a bit and then a bit longer] to ireland. Ceallach mac Aedha was ordained and three years later, at 29, he was consecrated archbishop of armagh. not quite inherited but who he was, personally and familially, made it happen....

Cellach was a reformer. a change maker. whatever leadership role foisted upon you, or one you pursue, you by definition are a change maker. so learn a bit from Cellach. not only the how but moreso the why. alignment is one principle of leadership. so heeffected many reforms to restore ecclesiastical discipline. in other words, we're going to live by our principles and values and rules....

Cellach was such an effective bishop for armagh, all of ireland's bishops gave him fealty and learned from him and absorbed his authority of righteousness. leveraging the role of the pope, Cellach brought liturgical rejuvenation to ireland as well as ecclesiastical reorganization. the heart of our public faith is our liturgy. and we're not particularly good at it in most parishes and most dioceses. we are a faith of rites and rituals - read andrew greeley, both his stories and his sociological research. and when we get the liturgy right, when we spark the heart and envigorate the soul, then the rest seems to do just a-ok. .... as much as i don't like the pastor of spx, my evaluation of some of his personal qualities are really out of bounds and may be irrelevant; still i admire his liturgical leadership, no small reason for the growth of that parish.... that you were taken out of the sphere of influence is a shame; maybe a purposeful exile or not; but a shame and a great loss - which you can really overcome on your own; just do it....

Cellach ended the hereditary nature of the see of armagh by giving his crozier to and naming/nominating as his successor st malachy of connor. of course malachy paid for that radical change in the warring amongst familial/tribal factions in armagh. doing what's right does not always elicit right action by others. e.g., my coming to pick you up, waiting for the fulfilliment of the agreements made by your parents, did not always elicit the right action by the adults or children at 308 or 2502... c'est domage.

remember the secret of a father's love, my love, The Father's Love

i love you
dad