Saint of the Day – 17 February – Saint Finan of Iona or Lindisfarne (Died 661)

Saint of the Day – 17 February – Saint Finan of Iona or Lindisfarne (Died 661) the Second Bishop of Lindisfarne succeeding St Aidan on his death in 651. Monk and Missionary. Born in Ireland and died there on 9 February 661.
The Name Finan being derived from Finn (Finn-án — little Finn). Also known as – Finan of Lindisfarne, Fian of… Additional Memorial – 9 February on some calendars.

The Breviary of Aberdeen, Scotland, describes him “a man of venerable life, a Bishop of great sanctity, an eloquent teacher of unbelieving races, remarkable for his training in virtue and his liberal education, surpassing all his equals in every manner of knowledge, as well as in circumspection and prudence but chiefly, devoting himself to good works and presenting, in his life, a most apt example of virtue.”

Finan was an Irish Monk who had been trained in Iona, Scotland and who was specially chosen by the St Columba (521-597) of Iona’s Monks to succeed the great St Aidan at Lindisfarne in Northumbria, England.

St Bede describes him as an able ruler and tells of his labours in the conversion of Northumbria. He built a Cathedral a Monastery on the site where King Oswin had been murdered “in the Irish fashion” employing “hewn oak, with an outer covering of reeds” which he dedicated to St Peter. His apostolic zeal resulted in the foundation of St Mary’s, a Monastery on the site where King Oswin had been murdered, at the mouth of the River Tyne — Gilling Abbey and the great Abbey of Streanaeshalch, or Whitby.

Finan converted Peada, son of Penda, King of the Middle Angles, “with all his Nobles and Thanes” and gave him four Priests, including Diuma, whom he consecrated as the Bishop of Middle Angles and Mercia, under King Oswy.

In the mysterious ways of Divine Providence, the Abbey of Whitby, his chief foundation, was the scene of the famous Paschal controversy which resulted in the withdrawal of the Irish Monks from Lindisfarne. The inconvenience of the two systems — Irish and Roman — of keeping Easter, was specially felt when on one occasion King Oswy and his Court were celebrating Easter Sunday with St Finan, while on the same day, Queen Eanfled and her attendants were still fasting and celebrating Palm Sunday. Saint Finan was spared being present at the Synod of Whitby. He died in 661 and was buried at Lindisfarne, having held that See for ten years.