Feb 18 Colman of Lindisfarne d. 676

Thommy and John

Good morning
I love you

February 18

St. Colman of Lindisfarne d. 676

Colman was born in Connaught. Colman was a disciple of Columba. That doesn’t tell us anything about his childhood or how he came to came to his vocation and followed Columba.

Colman became Bishop of Lindisfarne. And I did not find how that came about. Sure, his pedigree helped; as it does with any job/election. But I don’t have the info about the man, his holiness, his impact on his community, his peers. So, we [us, me and you] don’t know how he got to be bishop.

Colman was at the Synod of Whitby. This is a Synod worth your knowing more about. The bishops of Ireland were evolving into two liturgical and, thus, loyalist camps. [not a mini series within the church.] e.g., when to celebrate Easter? How to assert the ecclesiastical prerogatives of the local bishops?

Colman defended the Celtic ecclesiastical practices against the Roman changes at Whitby. Colman refused to accept the decisions of Whitby. Colman and a band of Irish and English bishops took their practices and went to the Isle of Innishboffin near Connaught.

This irish rebel bishop, Colman, was praised by St. Bede the Venerable! Go figure. How many anti-establishment leaders get canonized by the establishment? Knowing more about Colman would give us a hint as to how he pulled that off….

I love you.
dad