A Litany of the Scottish Saints
God the Father
Have mercy on us
God the Son
Have mercy on us
God the Holy Spirit
Have mercy on us
Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity
Have mercy on us
By the greatness of your love
Good Lord, deliver us
By your coming in the flesh
Good Lord, deliver us
By your dying for your people
Good Lord, deliver us
By your rising to new life
Good Lord, deliver us
By your gift of the Spirit
Good Lord, deliver us
By the prayers of the whole company of heaven
Draw us to yourself
As you, called Mary to be the Mother of the Lord
Sanctify our wills
As you were glorified in St Ninian, bringer of good tidings
Lighten our darkness
As you empowered St Columba, apostle of our land
Give us your grace
As you gave courage to St Donnan and his Companions
Strengthen our weakness
As you received the worship of St Kentigern,
Mungo, the loved one
Deepen our love
As you advanced your kingdom
through the work of St Margaret, mother and queen
Fill us with zeal
As you build up your church by the witness and prayers
of St Andrew the Apostle
Renew us in faith
Guide and protect your Church,
fill us all with love and truth,
and grant us that unity which is your will
Lord, hear our prayer
Make us bold to preach the Gospel in all the world,
and to make disciples of all the nations
Lord, hear our prayer
Enlighten your ministers of the Gospel
with understanding and bless their work
Lord hear our prayer
May they be instruments of your peace,
proclaimers of your truth and bearers of your love
Lord hear our prayer
May all your people hear and receive your word
and bring forth the fruit of the Spirit
Lord hear our prayer
Uphold the weak, raise up those who fall
and strengthen us all by your power
Lord hear our prayer
Bring to the departed eternal rest
Lord hear our prayer
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St Donnan
and his
Companion Martyrs
St Donnan,
like St Columba of Iona,
also left his native Ireland
to come over the Irish Sea
to Scotland,
where he established a monastery
on the Island of Eigg,
one of the islands
of the Inner Hebrides,
off the west coast of Scotland.
While celebrating
the Holy Mysteries
on Easter Morning
in the year 617 AD
the Abbot and his Monks
were surprised
by a horde of pirates,
possibly Danes, who
- according to tradition -
had been persuaded
by a malicious woman
to attack them
and to put them to death.
St Donnan and his Monks
pleaded with the pirates
to delay their dreadful plans
untill after Mass was finished.
The pirates granted their request,
and as soon
as the Mass had ended,
put them all to death by the sword.
The martyrs numbered
fifty-three in total.
Many churches around Scotland
were dedicated to St Donnan.
Among them:
Kildonan of Eigg,
Arran,
South Uist,
Kintyre,
and Lochbroom.
On the Island of Eigg,
the island of his martyrdom,
there is a well
dedicated to St Donnan.
His Abbot's Staff
existed up to the Reformation
and was treasured at Auchterless,
in Aberdeenshire,
where the "Donan Fair" was held
as late as 1851.
Another fair used to be held
at Kildonan, in Sutherland.
The feast of
St Donnan
and his
Companion
Martyrs
is on 17th April. |
