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St Kessog, or MacKessog

Commemorated March 10

This article is based on extensive research into this largely unknown saint. Hewas in fact one of the very first Christian martyrs in Scotland.

or that and other reasons this article sets out his claim as Scotland!s true

"atron saint as well as examining the available documentation on his life anddeath.

#efore the reformation$ %uss on %och %omond was one of the ma&or centres of

"ilgrimage in Scotland. 'eo"le came from far and wide to worshi" at the shrinesand holy "laces associated with Saint (essog. Since then however$ the cultus ofSt. (essog has declined and been ecli"sed by others$ notably St. )inian$ St.

Columba$ St. Mungo and of course St. *ndrew.

St. (essog was born into the royal family of Munster in Southern +reland in

a""roximately ,-0 *.. /ven as a child he revealed himself to be very "iousand holy$ and we are told of one occasion when he was "laying withneighbouring "rinces while their fathers visited Munster. There was a terrible

accident and all the "rinces drowned exce"t St. (essog.

hen the visiting kings discovered what had ha""ened$ they were very angryand a ma&or war was only averted by St. (essog who$ after a night of "rayer$

brought the "rinces back to life. Such was his holiness that he was sent to amonastery to be educated. +ndeed it is tem"ting to suggest that St. 'atrick$ who

travelled with a retinue of young "rinces and nobility$ might have himself takenhim to )endrum in County own$ where he was "laced under the tutelage of St.

Machaloi.

+n due course$ and as a sign of res"ect$ St. (essog was sent to %ennox to carryon the missionary work of St. Machaloi. *t that time %ennox was the northern

kingdom of the lands of Strathclyde$ which stretched as far south as )orthernales. %ennox was considerably larger than now and reached as far east as

Stirling and unblane and as far north as the 2reat 2len.

To the west of %ennox$ in what we now call *rgyll and #ute lay the kingdom ofthe al 3iata$ or the Scots as they were to become known. This was the "eo"lewho eventually were to con4uer the whole of )orth #ritain and give their name

to our (ingdom. To the east of %ennox lay the lands of the 'icts 5 a looseconfederation of clans and "etty kingdoms. Thus %ennox lay on the boundary of

the three nations.

The Celtic Church of this time was 4uite distinct from the 3oman Church. Themissionaries and monks followed a very sim"le life$ renouncing "ersonal wealth

or comfort and s"ending much of their time in meditation or worshi". Thiscontrasts with the gaudy wealth of the 3oman Church and its adherents$ who

also followed a secular role which was alien to the Celts.

St. (essog arrived at %uss at the beginning of the sixth century. He built amonastery on the island of +nchtavannoch 6monk!s island7$ o""osite %uss$

which served as his base. ho gave him the land we do now know. #ut thechoice was bril liant. The +sland lies in a very strategic s"ot governing all traffic

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on the %och. +t also has a strange mystic beauty which illiam ordsworth forone discovered to be most moving.

)othing remains of St. (essog!s monastery$ though very old ruins suggest alater building on the same site. There was also an ancient monastic graveyard$and late last century it was not uncommon for the farmer to "lough u" human

bones. There was also a cave on the island known as St. (essog!s cave$ whichwas sadly destroyed in 19-0 6:7 when the area was blasted to "rovide building

materials.

%uss itself is a magical "lace. +ts name means herb or "lant$ and one legends"eaks of St. (essog being killed abroad and returned wra""ed in sweet herbs

which$ after his burial$ s"routed. *ttractive as this is$ there is no evidence tosubstantiate it. +t is more likely that it derives its name sim"ly from the fact that

there are rich gra;ing grounds nearby.

+n the 1th. century$ and was "robably "ut inside the cairn during thetroubles of the reformation to "revent it being damaged.

Sadly we have lost track of the holy relics of St. (essog. His cro;ier was in the

trust of the Col4uhouns who were the hereditary dewars or guards of St. (essogand who may even be descended from him. +t was "robably hidden or

destroyed at the time of their massacre by the Mac2regors in 1-0@$ if notbefore.

His bell$ which used to stand on Tom na Clas 6hill of the bell7 and called the

faithful to "rayer from all over the %och$ was sold to the /arl of 'erth in 1-$who "robably bought the ancient hereditary title of Thane of %ennox at the

same time. * smaller bell was in service until the nineteenth century$ beforebeing moved to a memorial near the shore o""osite +nchtavannach before thengoing missing$ "resumably stolen.

The reason for the reverence of St. (essog in "re53eformation Scotland isdifficult to ex"lain. or reasons unknown he ca"tured the imagination of the

common "eo"le in a way which St. *ndrew failed to do. +t may have been thatbecause he worked among the "eo"le they could identify with him as "art oftheir community$ unlike St. *ndrew who was im"osed as a "olitical com"romise

by (enneth Mac*l"in 5 the Scot who united al 3iata with the 'ictlands. +t maybe because of his bravery working on the boundary of three (ingdoms often at

war with each other. 8r his exem"lary life style of "overty and worshi".

e may never know$ but within a short time of his death his name was therallying cry to troo"s all over Scotland and at the famous battle of

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#annockburn$ (ing 3obert himself incited the troo"s with the memory of St.(essog. His holy cro;ier and relics led the victorious Scots into the battle which

was to set Scotland free.

Extracted from Luss Parish Church: Saint Kessog's saints day, by Donald

McKinney, whose permission is being sought.

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St Kessog's is a Parish of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Andrews and Edinburgh,

a Charity registered in Scotland - number SC008540

B St (essog!s$ #lanefield ?009 A esign by #lae esign

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