| Saint Iserninus | |
|---|---|
| Died | ~456 Aghade, Ireland |
| Honored in | Roman Catholic Church |
Saint Iserninus (or Isernius) (ca. 456 AD) was an early Christian missionary of Ireland who is associated with Saint Patrick and Saint Auxilius in establishing Christianity in the south of that island.[1]
Saint Iserninus is thought to have been a Briton or Irishman, and is associated with the lands of the Uí Cheinnselaig in Leinster. Sabine Baring-Gould believes that Iserninus and Auxilius were Celts. “They would not have been of much use to [Patrick] had they not been fluent speakers of the Celtic language, and we may assume that they were Celts, either from Armorica, Cornwall, or Wales.”[2]
He was originally named Fith, and he may have been ordained a deacon at Auxerre with Patrick and Auxilius.[3]
Iserninus is referred to as a bishop in the Annals of Ulster, and he is recorded as having begun his mission in 439 AD.[4]
A tradition at Aghade, County Carlow, holds that Iserninus founded a church there and was later buried there.[5] Iserninus is also called the founder of the church at Old Kilcullen, where he was reputedly appointed as bishop by St. Patrick, possibly along with St. Mactail.