Saint of the Day – 9 November – Saint Benignus of Armagh (Died 467) Bishop, “Patrick’s Psalm Singer”

Saint of the Day – 9 November – Saint Benignus of Armagh (Died 467) Bishop, Disciple of and Successor to St Patrick (c386-461) as the Bishop, Musician, Also known as – “Patrick’s Psalm Singer” Benignus of Ireland, Benen of….

Benignus was the son of Sesenen a pagan Irish chieftain. He was Baptised into the Catholic Faith by St Patrick and became his favourrf disciple and, in around 450, his administrative assistant in the Diocese of Armagh and upon St Patrick’s death in 461, becoming the Bishop there.

He had a gentle and lovable disposition and was named Benen (Latinised as Benignus). He followed St Patrick in all his travels and helped him in all his evangelisation and with missionary work, especially assisting him in the formation of Choirs for Liturgical music. From his musical talents he was known as “Patrick’s Psalm Singer.”

As Benignus had been trained by St Patrick in sacred learning from his youth and was well versed in the language and culture of his native land, he was appointed Secretary to the Commission of Nine which had been directed to compile the Brehon Laws, (Laws governing everyday life) a few years before

Benignus also contributed materials for the “Psalter of Cashel” and the “Book of Rights.” He was present at the Synod which passed the Canon recognising the “See of the Apostle Peter” as the final court of appeal in difficult cases – this Canon is to be found in the Book of Armagh.

He established a Monastery in today’s Drumbannon and also in today’s Kilbonane. During the Eastertide of 433, St Patrick clashed with King Laoghaire at Tara, over Religion and legend has it that a trial by fire was proposed. A pagan and Benignus were tied inside a burning timber building; the pagan was reduced to ash while St Benignus was untouched. At this point, Christian teaching was established throughout the region. St Benignus resigned hisBishopric in 467 and died at the end of that same year.

The Martyrology of Marianus O’Gorman refers to “bright Benignus, a dear scion” on this day but he has a fuller entry in the Martyrology of Donegal which Archbishop John Healy quotes below. This extract on Saint Benignus/Benen has been taken from his 1905 book “The Life and Writings of Saint Patrick.”

“BENIGNUS, i.e., Benen, son of Sescnen, disciple of Patrick and his successor, that is, Primate of Ard-Macha (Armagh). He was of the race of Cian, son of Oilioll Olum. Sodelbh, daughter of Cathaoir, son of Feidhlimidh Firurghlais, of Leinster, was his mother.
The holy Benen was benign, was devout – he was a virgin without ever defiling his virginity; for, when he was psalm-singer at Ard-Macha along with his master, St Patrick, Earcnat, daughter of Daire, loved him and she was seized with a disease, so that she died suddenly and Benen brought consecrated water to her from Patrick and he shook it upon her and she arose alive and well and she loved him spiritually afterwards and she subsequently went to Patrick and confessed all her sins to him and she offered her virginity afterwards to God, so that she went to Heaven and the name of God, of Patrick and of Benen, was magnified through it.”