Berchan

Berchan

(Lat. Berchanus and Barachinanus). Several of this name are found in Irish hagiology, of some of whom but little is known. Of this class are Berchan of Cluain-Aedha-Aithmet, in Luighne, commemorated June 5; Berchan of Cluain-caoi, May 24; Berchan of Inis-rochla, in Loch Erne, Nov. 24; and Berchan, son of Neman, brother of St. Sedna of Killaine. — Of those better known are:

1. OF CLUAIN-SOSTA — commemorated Dec. 4. The Maart. Doneg. calls him "bishop and apostle of God, of Cluain-sosta, in the Failghe." He was the son-of Muired-hach, of the race of Cairbre Righfoda; and was called also Ferda-leithe (the man of two portions), as he spent half his life in Alba, and the other half in Erin. The Scotch calendars place this saint's day on April 6, and make him bishop in the Orkneys. Camerarius says that he was celebrated in the province of Stirling, and passed his youth in the monastery of St. Columba, near there. He has several places in Scotland named after him, and his grave was said to be in Inishmore, in Galway Bay. See Colgan, Acta Sanctorum, p. 715, n.; Forbes, Kal. of Scot. Saints, p. 279; O'Curry, Lect. on Anc. Ireland, iii, 66.

2. OF ECHDRUIM — celebrated May 7. From the dates and other circumstances this Berchan seems to be the Becanus of the race of Colla- Dachrioch, whom Colgan gives (Acta Sanctorum, p. 782-83) as brother of St. Cairnech and St. Rouan. 3. The Irish calendars, under April 10, give Berchan as one of the saints specially venerated IN EGG (or Eig), in the Hebrides of Scotland, and this may be the Berchan who was so troublesome to St. Columba on account of his inquisitive disposition. See Colgan, Tr. Thaum.

4. Abbot OF Glas Naoidhen in Fine Gall — celebrated Oct. 12 — is more generally known as Mob-hi-Clairenech (of the flat face), and the place of his dedication is now Glasnevin. He was of the race of Finn Fuathairt, and Uan-finn, daughter of Finnbarr, was his mother. "The extraordinary universal plague through the world, which swept away the noblest third part of the human race," broke up his monastery at Glasnevin about A.D. 544 (or 545). In Archdall's Monast. Hibern. p. 119, there is mentioned among the canons regular of St. Augustine, "Glaisena-Oidheau, St. Mobyus, alias Mobyteus." Bercharius (or Bererus), Saint, a French ecclesiastic, was born in the 7th century, in one of the provinces of Aquitaine. He was educated by St. Nivardus of Rheims, and retired into the monastery of Luxeuil, in Burgundy, where St. Walbertus was abbot. After many years thus spent he returned to Rheims, and St. Nivardus built, at his request, the monastery of Hautvilliers, of which Bercharius was appointed the first abbot, and united the rules of St. Columbanus and St. Benedict. In 673 St. Nivardus died, and subsequently Bercharius founded two other monasteries in the forest of Der — one, for men, called Montier-en-Der, and another, for nuns, called Peulle-Moutier — which no longer exists. — Berchbrius left Hautvilliers, and became abbot of Montirende then went on a pilgrimage to Rome and Jerusalem. Having been compelled to punish one of his monks, named Daguinus (his godson), the wretched man stabbed him in the night; he died on Easter-night, A.D. 676. His festival is marked on the 16th of October, the day of his translation. See Mabillon, Soec. Ben. par. ii; Baillet, iii, 262, Oct. — Landon, Eccles. Dict. s.v.