St. Ursula's Companion

Papa Stronsay has become home to the precious relic of a holy martyr companion of St Ursula. The skull of this holy one, whom we will refer to as Saint Companion, along with some other relics including a small particle of those of St Ursula herself, came to us from a monastery of Poor Clares in Belgium. Although we do not know the name of our virgin martyr, the following facts about her history are known.

According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, Bishop of Saint Asaph and his recollections of Things of England, Flavius-Clement Maximus, general of the Emperor Gratian in England near the end of the 4^th century assumed for himself the purple and was proclaimed as emperor by his army. Afterwards he crossed the sea and landed in what we now call Brittany where he subjugated the entire country and gave its sovereignty to Meriadec, one of his lieutenants who had given him 11 000 men in troops. The new sovereign, wishing to re-people the province which war had entirely devastated, sent, by order of this same Maximus, into Scotland, Ireland and other parts of Britain asking for marriageable young women for his soldiers. For himself in particular he asked the maiden Ursula of whose beauty and virtue was universally recognised in all the isles. His demand was granted rather by fear than by good will and 11 000 virgins were assembled and were given Ursula as their princess and conductress. Against their will, therefore, they set sail from London but as soon as they had embarked a furious storm blew them onto the shores of Germany.

However, according to a history attributed to Cunnibert, Archbishop of Cologne, these virgins, come to assist at the marriage of the princess Ursula, daughter of Dionet king of Cornwall, went with her to visit the tombs of the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul in the capital of the Christian world.

Pilgrims

Whatever may have been the precise circumstances, this virgin army arrived at the port of Theil in the Germanic sea. From there, having entered the Rhine, they went to Cologne where they were favourably received by Aquilin, bishop of the place. From Cologne they traveled to Basel, where according to the testimony and martyrology of this church, they were received with all kinds of good will by St Pantulus. They then continued their journey to Rome. Several holy personages were led by the spirit of God to accompany them back to their country, among others St Cyriacus, who held the functions of the Sovereign Pontiff in place of St Pontian (who was at that time banished to the island of Sardinia).

Once they were in the County of Reinfeld, three virgins and their company fell ill and remained there. Their names were Cunegunde, Mectande and Wibrande. Dying in the odour of sanctity, they were honoured by a beautiful church built expressly in their honour at Eichsel.

Shortly afterwards St Christiana died in Basel. She was buried on a mountain which bears her name.

From Basel our holy travelers descended to Strasburg where St Aurelia was taken by a violent, malignant fever which consumed her. Three virgins were left to care for her. She is particularly invoked against fevers in a church built in her name. Her three companions lived many years in the same place and were buried there. Some centuries later their tomb was opened and their bodies were found completely intact, marked with titles bearing their names.

Martyrdom

The holy troop, having passed Strasburg, advanced towards Mainz. At Cologne they fell into the hands of an army of Huns. These Barbarians threw themselves impiously on the spouses of Jesus Christ, seeking their riches and their beauty. But, after the example of Ursula, who exhorted them as a general does his army, they protested that they died as virgins, happy to shed their blood for Jesus Christ. The Huns, despite their resistance, massacred them without pity. Ursula was the last to fall upon the bodies of her companions.


	Rev. Fr Michael Mary, C.SS.R. holds the precious relic of Saint Companion. The ornamentation is work probably executed by nuns in the 19th century and covers the entire skull, crowning it with a golden tiara.

Three virgins escaped the massacre, St Cordula, St Cunera and St Avoye. But St Cordula, who had hidden herself, was ashamed of her weakness and went the next day to claim her martyrdom, which was consummated. The other two, who were kept by barbarian lords who hoped in time to triumph over their chaste resistance, remained unmovable and shared the fate of their companions. Divine Providence did not permit that the holy victims should be stripped of their garments, the richness of which had tempted the barbarians, but rather struck the latter with terror, which put them to flight. The angels aided the people of Cologne with St Aquilan, St Quiril, a priest, St Livold a sub-deacon and the virgins Saints Orsmaria and Sigelenda to bury their sisters. The place where they were buried is still called the field of St Ursula and the road that leads to it is called the Road of Blood, as it was along it that their virginal blood ran down into the Rhine. On many tombs inscriptions were marked, of which to date 300 have been found. Later a magnificent church was built there. (This venerable church of St Ursula is built upon the very spot where the saint was martyred. According to a report made by the Review of Christian Art published around 1866:

“Stupefaction mingles with compassion in the presence of so many tombs and vaulted sepulchres before the area of the choir, in which are kept so many human remains. One may count 7600 skulls richly decorated. From the church one passes to the golden chamber situated to the east and which encompasses an area of 660 square feet with 40 feet of height. The entire space of the interior walls is adorned by preciously ornamented relics.”

The first discovery of these holy bodies was made miraculously in 640. A dove descended from Heaven and showed the place to Cunibert, Archbishop of Cologne, who took only the head of St Ursula and enshrined it in a rich reliquary.

The other bones of St Ursula were only exhumed in 1156 by Gerlac abbot of Duitz, who sought also the bodies of the other virgins. A host of churches of all countries were enriched with these precious relics. On numerous occasions the city of Cologne has experienced the visible effects of the protection of St Ursula.

She is invoked above all for the choice of a state in life and for a holy death. The universities of Coimbra, Vienna and in past times that of Paris recognised her as patron. Many religious orders and other communities rendered her a particular cult. Finally there is in the Church an order which bears her name. This is the venerable Order of Ursulines founded in 1537 in Brescia in Lombardy by St Angela Merici and approved by Pope Paul III in 1544.

We are very proud to be the home of another saint and we pray that our Saint Companion may bless and protect us and all our benefactors. †