Feb 15 Farannan d. 590

Jack and Thom,
Good Morning, I love you
110204, 0930

Yesterday was a quiet day. I got four solid hours of comfortable quiet and nonstop typing on several projects. I recommend the library at St. Paul’s for comfort and quiet. Thursday morning is library work day. There were four ladies – maybe my age, probably younger – diligently [and Quietly] putting up returned books and tapes/discs, progressing along the re-arrangement and expansion of space. The ladies were friends doing their work of love for the parish, for the parishioners – children and adults. There are many hands taking care of us – invisible hands, the hands of angels, the hands of God.

Then I spent the afternoon writing. It’s what I do. I can think and I can write; I wish I could also fast. [I also suggest Herman Hesse’s works.]


February 15

Farannan 590

Angels and Saints doesn’t give us much on this Irish saint. But probably all that we know about the man.

Farannan was a disciple of St. Columba (see below for brief Columba notes). Whom you follow determines where you go and how you wind up there. Choose wisely. Choose a Columba.

Farannan was an Abbot and, later, hermit. Maybe that’s like being a hospital ceo then becoming a recluse? Farannan ended in Allernan, Sligo. Maybe Sligo or Galway or Mayo – Nolan and Gavin families; there must be one who’d put up with me? Or you guys? Ora pro me.


St Columba b. 521 d. 597
(Catholic Encyclopedia online)

St Columba was The Abbot of Iona. One way to have your name associated with a place’s reputation – There is no Iona without Columba – in not only do good and excellent work but also stick with it for your body of work for your life. It’s counter culture – the average ‘life’ of a hospital ceo is less than five years. Be the guy who stays twenty five years. Do well and do good.

Columba was a royal of the Clan O’Donnell. He was born Colum meaning dove. A man who took his gifts and talents and resources and gave it all back to God, to us.

When sufficiently advanced in letters Columba entered the monastic school of Moville under St. Finnian who had studied at St. Ninian's "Magnum Monasterium" on the shores of Galloway.

< The pedigree is important. I am grateful for the gift of mine: Jesuits, Paul Weisberg and Paul Siegel: not to mention my father who rose to the top of his career. I hope I have done them proud. >

Columba at Moville monastic life and received the diaconate.

< The church has its progression of leadership. We recently had six deacons ordained in the Charlotte Diocese. We were blessed at St Paul’s by Mike Martini. He told us his story in his first Mass as deacon. His deaconate vocation started twenty years ago: TWENTY. With the full support of his wife and son. Also with the encouragement and support of deacons and priests along the way. I hope his first sermon is a taste of things to come. >

In Moville, Columba’s sanctity first manifested itself by miracles. By his prayers, tradition says, he converted water into wine for the Holy Sacrifice.

< Small steps. St. Teresa’s little way. For a saint of Columba’s stature small steps began with miracles at the beginning of his most holy life…. >


Having completed his training at Moville, he travelled southwards into Leinster, where he became a pupil of an aged bard named Gemman.

< Our vocation must be discerned properly, carefully, in loving devotion to God, family, faith, Church. Then along the way we must find those who will nurture our vocation and stick with them. It’s always an happy awakening when God sends us, like the Bard Gemman, into our lives. Our responsibility is to appreciate the people God has given us – including sons and father – and absorb the grace they bring us. >

On leaving Gemman, Columba entered the monastery of Clonard, governed at that time by Finnian, a remarkable, like his namesake of Moville, for sanctity and learning.

< Follow the bouncing ball. Columba did not wander randomly around Ireland. Columba followed the will of God, the vocation he heard with his entire being, and pursued it all with a laser fulfillment of the opportunities/people available to us. >

At Clonard, Columba imbibed the traditions of the Welsh Church, for Finnian had been trained in the schools of St. David.

< Remember this lesson. Columba sought his relationship with God via all the avenues available to him. He did not diss or avoid ‘the Welsh Church’s’ traditions. He assimilated them into his own piety and spirituality. This gave him much more to give to his disciples. >

Here also Columba became one those twelve Clonard disciples known in subsequent history as the Twelve Apostles of Ireland.

The Twelve Apostles of Erin, who came to study at the feet of St. Finian, at Clonard, on the banks of the Boyne and Kinnegad Rivers, are said to have been St. Ciaran of Saighir (Seir-Kieran) and St. Ciaran of Clonmacnois; St. Brendan of Birr and St. Brendan of Clonfert; St. Columba of Tir-da-glasí (Terryglass) and St. Columba of Iona; St. Mobhí of Glasnevin; St. Ruadhan of Lorrha; St. Senan of Iniscathay (Scattery Island); St. Ninnidh the Saintly of Loch Erne; St. Lasserian mac Nadfraech, and St. Canice [Kenneth] of Aghaboe.

About this same time Columba was promoted to the priesthood by Bishop Etchen of Clonfad.

Another preceptor of Columba was St. Mobhi, whose monastery at Glasnevin was frequented by such famous men as St. Canice, St. Comgall, and St. Ciaran. A pestilence which devastated Ireland in 544 caused the dispersion of Mobhi's disciples, and Columba returned to Ulster, the land of his kindred.

The following years were marked by Columba’s foundation of several important monasteries, Derry, Durrow, and Kells. Derry and Durrow were always specially dear to Columba. While at Derry, Columba went to Tours. Thence he brought a copy of those gospels that had lain on the bosom of St. Martin for the space of 100 years.

Columba left Ireland and passed over into Scotland in 563. Bede simply says: "Venit de Hibernia . . . praedicaturus verbum Dei" (H. E., III, iv); Adarnnan: "pro Christo perigrinari volens enavigavit" (Praef., II).

Columba was in his forty-fourth year when he departed from Ireland. He and his twelve companions crossed the sea in a currach of wickerwork covered with hides. They landed at Iona on the eve of Pentecost, 12 May, 563.

The island, according to Irish authorities, was granted to the monastic colonists by King Conall of Dalriada, Columba's kinsman.

It was a convenient situation, being midway between Columba’s countrymen along the western coast and the Picts of Caledonia. He and his brethren proceeded at once to erect their humble dwellings, consisting of a church, refectory, and cells, constructed of wattles and rough planks.


After spending some years among the Scots of Dalriada, Columba began the great work of his life, the conversion of the Northern Picts.


Together with St. Comgall and St. Canice (Kenneth) he visited King Brude in his royal residence near Inverness. Admittance was refused to the missionaries, and the gates were closed and bolted, but before the sign of the cross the bolts flew back, the doors stood open, and the monks entered the castle. Awe-struck by so evident a miracle, the king listened to Columba with reverence; and was baptized. The people soon followed the example set them, and thus was inaugurated a movement that extended itself to the whole of Caledonia.

Opposition was not wanting, and it came chiefly from the Druids, who officially represented the paganism of the nation.

< There is always opposition to change. Especially by those threatened with the loss of status, power, influence, ego. Beware of those people. Be sure you have someone watching your back. I know of what I speak. It seems that the most likely to resist change, to be the subterfuge for improvement and good news, are those previously responsible for the ‘spiritual’ well being of the people. This applies culturally as it happened to Columba. This also applies to any organization in which you bring change. Identify the Druids in the organization and watch out for them. >


The thirty-two remaining years of Columba's life were mainly spent in preaching the Christian Faith to the inhabitants of the glens and wooded straths of Northern Scotland.

< Find your vocation. Find your place. You and God and the people around you stick it out. >

The preaching of the saint was confirmed by many miracles, and he provided for the instruction of his converts by the erection of numerous churches and monasteries.

< Follow the lives of the missionaries. See how they brought salvation to the country. Identify how that also applies to any organizational change. Miracles? Sure! There’s always low hanging fruits. Make big changes easily – something never done there before – a miracle! Then plant your new religion throughout the organization. Put your people in place as the new priests and teachers and providers of the goodies at your disposal. Columba came from a royal family. Leading, redirecting, changing people’s minds and wills were all in his DNA. As they are in yours, by the way: from your father and grandfather fersure; your grandmother was always the president of one parish organization or another. Read. Study. Learn. Emulate. >

When not engaged in missionary journeys, Columba always resided at Iona. Numerous strangers sought him there, and they received help for soul and body.

< Have a home base. First and foremost, a foundation in God. Second, a place where people know where to find you. Let them come to you. Let your light shine for them, to draw them, to show them in your regular life that what you say is doable. >

From Iona Columba governed numerous communities in Ireland and Caledonia.

< This reminded me of Dr. Frist, Sr. and Dr. Fist Jr. (Tommy). They started HCA. They got the KFC franchise idea from their founder and applied it to healthcare. I worship the ground Dr. Frist walked on. He was a great man, a holy man, a wise man. Tommy was the man in charge by the time I joined HCA. He too was brilliant and kind. When I was asked before the LBO, ‘what’s it like working for HCA?’ I answered, is it appropriate to say that a $20 billion dollar company is like a family business. We lived the spirit of Dr. Frist – good people beget good people. And, the success of a hospital is based on three reasons – administrator, administrator, administrator. That’s Humbling! Not to mention the expectation to lead and succeed. >

Columba is said never to have spent an hour without study, prayer, or similar occupations.

< Today’s NH has a column elaborating on the place of prayer in our life: The Necessary place of prayer. It is not by accident that Columba was extraordinarily successful and constantly prayerful. >

Columba wrote 300 books with his own hand, two of which, "The Book of Durrow" and the psalter called "The Cathach", have been preserved to the present time.

St. Columba was tall and of dignified mien. Adamnan says: "He was angelic in appearance, graceful in speech, holy in work" (Praef., II). His voice was strong, sweet, and sonorous capable at times of being heard at a great distance.

He inherited the ardent temperament and strong passions of his race.

< me too? I confess, I hope so. >

It has been sometimes said that he was of an angry and vindictive spirit. But the deeds that roused his indignation were wrongs done to others, and the retribution that overtook the perpetrators was rather predicted than actually invoked.

Whatever faults were inherent in his nature he overcame and he stands before the world conspicuous for humility and charity not only towards has brethren, but towards strangers also.

He was generous and warm-hearted, tender and kind even to dumb creatures. He was ever ready to sympathize with the joys and sorrows of others. His fasts and vigils were carried to a great extent.

His chastity of body and purity of mind are extolled by all his biographers. Notwithstanding his wonderful austerities, Adamnan assures us he was beloved by all, "for a holy joyousness that ever beamed from his countenance revealed the gladness with which the Holy Spirit filled his soul". (Praef., II.)

Columba was not only a great missionary saint who won a whole kingdom to Christ, but he was a statesman, a scholar, a poet, and the founder of numerous churches and monasteries.

I love you,
Dad
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