Over the past week St Maughold has been celebrated with a rich range of events in and around the church of St Maughold, with the day of the saint’s commemoration on Friday 31st July.
“St Maughold is patron saint of our Island — a man whose life reminds us that no story is beyond the reach of grace”
as Rev Daniel Norris, Rector of Ramsey and the North East, reminds us.
“Tradition tells us that Maughold arrived upon these shores not as a saint, but as someone seeking repentance and a new beginning. Here, surrounded by sea and held within the mercy of God, his life was transformed. The place of his exile became the place of his calling.His story is our story too. God meets us not only in our strength, but in our mistakes, our uncertainty and our need to begin again. God takes what seems broken or lost and, through grace, makes it a source of blessing.“As we look towards Maughold Head and the sea stretching beyond it, may we remember that the love of God is wider than the horizon and deeper than the waters. May St Maughold inspire us to be a pilgrim people: courageous in faith, generous in welcome and always ready to follow Christ into a new beginning.St Maughold, pray for us.”
Bishop Tricia spoke of St Maughold at a gathering in the church before the group headed on a pilgrimage down to St Maughold’s Well on the steep rocky eastern coast.
Culture Vannin also shared information about the day.
The legend of St. Maughold – especially for today, his special day!
Today is St. Maughold’s Day, giving us a good opportunity to tell a version of his legend – beginning with a terrible bandit in Ireland, moving through death, resurrection, shackes, sea & a miraculous fish, to finish with a saint still very much remembered by Manx people today.
The audio here was first broadcast on Manx Radio, as a part of The Home Run, and it is used here with thanks to them. – Listen in each Wednesday for more of our features on folklore, history & culture!The music is by the mighty Barrule – gura mie eu!The footage was filmed last year, in Kirk Maughold churchyard, at two of the keeills, at Guriat’s Cross, and up at St. Maughold’s Well behind Maughold Head.
The other events during St Maughold Week included Garden Tea, a Garden Party, a service of Festal Evensong, organ recitals, a dinner in the old barn, and a traditional Manx wedding.
