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| Saint Duthus of Ross, Pray for us ! |
⛪ Other Names :
• Chief Confessor of Ireland and Scotland • Dothow • Dubhthach • Dubtach • Dubthach • Duthac • Duthacus • Duthak
⛪ Born :
• c.1000 in Tain, Scotland
⛪ Died :
• 8 March 1065 in Ireland • Interred in the original Saint Duthus Chapel at Tain, Scotland • Body found to be incorrupt after 7 years, 6 months and 9 days • Relics translated to the Saint Duthus Collegiate Church in the 14th century • Relics destroy in 1560 as part of the Protestant Reformation
⛪ Patronage :
• Tain, Scotland
Died 1065. An Irishman by birth, St. Duthac became bishop of Ross in Scotland, where his memory is preserved in several place names, e.g., Kilduthie (Benedictines).
There is a ruined chapel in Tain in Easter Ross which is believed to have been built over the place of Duthac's birth. He was of a good Scottish family but went to Ireland for his education returning to his native land as a Bishop, working in the districts of Moray and Ross. An Irish chronicler describes him as "Primus anamchara, praecipius confessarius", first among soul friends and chief among confessors, and he is honoured for his devotion to hearing confessions and giving spiritual direction to his people.
Bishop Elphinstone who was Bishop of Ross before going to Aberdeen is responsible for adding a number of stories about the saint to the Aberdeen Breviary. When he was quite young his mother sent him to the smithy to ask for coals as the fire in their house had gone out. The smith scornfully threw a shovel full of coals at the boy who calmly gathered up the glowing embers in his apron and carried them home without suffering any harm.
Once when he was dining with a noble a drunken guest ordered one of Duttac's disciples to take a gold ring and a lump of meat to his house. While the young man was on this errand he stopped at a churchyard to pray for the dead and a kite flew down and took the ring and the meat from the tombstone on which they had been laid. When Duthac was told of this calamity he prayed to God and the bird flew down to the saint and deposited the stolen articles at his fleet. The ring was restored to the young man but the kite was allowed to consume the meat as a reward for his obedience.
There is another story concerning meat, this time it is about a portion of meat sent by a Canon of Dornoch to the Bishop. He had just killed an ox and dispatched a piece as a present, the bearer being guided by a light like a lamp going before him so that Duthac received the gift the next day still fresh.
When he died in 1065 he was buried at Tain which is called in the Gaelic Baile Duich, Cuthac's Town, and his tomb became a place of pilgrimage, James IV making three visits. Among his relics were his bell and a shirt which was believed to give the wearer miraculous protection. He has a holy well at Cromarty (Barrett, Forbes, Towill).