Fursa, or Fursey, Saint, flourished early in the 7th century. "Among the Irish saints," says Dr. Reeves, "who are but slightly commemorated at home, yet whose praise is in all the churches, St. Fursa holds a conspicuous place. With Venerable Bede as a guarantee of his extraction, piety, and labours, and above a dozen different memoirs, of various ages, which were found on the Continent in Colgan's time, the history of this saint is established on the firmest basis." He was the son of Fintan, a prince of Munster, and Gelgis, daughter of Aedh-finn, a chief among the Ui Briuin of Breffny; he was born near Lough Corrib. When he was grown up, he placed himself under St. Meldan, who was then abbot of a monastery on Inchiquin, in Lough Corrib. How long he continued there is not narrated. On leaving St. Meldan, he erected a monastery at Rathmat, on the shores of the before-mentioned lake. We then read of his travelling in Munster, and during an illness witnessing some wonderful visions, which caused him to abandon the idea of returning to his monastery, and to make a circuit of the country, relating what he had seen, and exhorting the people to repentance and amendment of life. He thus spent fourteen years in Ireland, and then crossed over to England, where he preached the gospel with his usual success amongst the East Angles. In a fort, now known as Burg Castle, in Suffolk, granted him by King Sigbert, he founded another monastery between the years 633 and 639. Afterwards he gave up the charge of this place to his brother and two priests, and then spending a year with another brother, Ultan, passed over to France, and at Lagny, on the Marne, erected a religious establishment, where he was joined by several brethren from Ireland. In 648 he founded the monastery of Foss. His death is believed to have taken place while sojourning with his friend, Duke Haimon, in Ponthieu, on his way to visit Ireland, about 649, and his body was ultimately brought to Peronne, and there interred. His festival is the i6th January. A calendar of Scottish saints says: "The reputation of St. Fursey extends far beyond the limits of the Scoto-Irish Church. Not only is he one of the most distinguished of those missionaries who left Erin to spread the gospel through the heathen and semi-heathenized races of mediaeval Europe, bridging the gap between the old and new civilizations, but his position in view of dogma is a most important one. He has profoundly affected the eschatology of Christianity ; for the dream of St. Fursaeus, and the vision of Drycthelm contributed much to define the conceptions of men with regard to that mysterious region on which every man enters after death." These particulars are taken from a critical manuscript account of the Saint by Dr. Reeves.
Gage, Thomas, Rev., or Friar Thomas of St, Mary, a missionary and author, was an Irishman, born in 1597. Travelling in Spain, he joined the Dominican order, and was sent as a missionary to the Philippines in 1625. He afterwards laboured amongst the Indians in Guatemala and elsewhere. After his return he abjured Catholicism, settled in England, and obtained the living of Deal in Kent. He published in 1648, a Survey of the West Indies. Southey says the portion relating to Mexico was copied verbatim from Nicholas's Conquest of West India. He was also the author of a History of Mexico. He died about 1655.
Gall, Saint, the Apostle of Switzerland, was born in Ireland in 551. He was educated at Bangor, and in 585, following St. Columbanus into France, accompanied him to Luxeuil and in his various wanderings in exile. When Columbanus was departing for Italy, St. Gall was detained by illness at Bregentz, on Lake Constance, where, as a convenient centre for the conversion of an idolatrous people, he ultimately fixed his residence. In a desert place he erected the Monastery of Arbon, which eventually became so celebrated that the name of its founder was given to the surrounding country — now the Canton of St. Gall. He was later on unavailingly solicited to accept the bishopric of Constance and the abbacy of Luxeuil. Many of his disciples became noted in the ecclesiastical world — as St. John, Bishop of Constance, and St. Magne and St. Theodore, founders of well known abbeys. His sermon preached at the ordination of his disciple John, comprising a history of religion from the earliest times, still extant, is said to display, "a simple style, full of force, brilliancy, and piety, and a depth of erudition uncommon in those times." 3* He died about 640, and his festival is celebrated on the i6th October. The Abbey of St. Gall eventually became one of the most famed monastic establishments in Europe — alike for the learning of its monks, the splendour of its architecture, and its library. It was suppressed for a time during the Reformation, but re-established in 1532. In 1798 it was secularized, and its revenues were sequestered in 1805. It is now occupied chiefly by government offices; but many 216
