Clan Donald Magazine No 7 (1977) Online
Keppoch Catholicity 1745 by Ann MacDonell.
"Changes at Keppoch" by Mr. Rory MacDonald in Magazine No6 was interesting but no discussion of religious matters in Brae Lochaber in the early 18th century would be complete without some reference to two outstanding, sharply contrasting personalities of that period. I speak with reverence and admiration of Mr. John MacDonald, a strong forceful extroverted priest and Mor Liath, the Holy Woman of Achnafraschoille whose life of virtues cultivated in poverty and obscurity on a remote croft blazed into immortality after her edifying death scene.
Mr John MacDonald traditionaily known as Maighistir Iain Mor was, according to Blundell's Catholic Highlands of Scotland Volume I published 1909, descended paternally from Clanranald and maternally from John Dubh 3rd son of Ranald 7th Chief of Keppoch. In Cille Choireil on the headstone of Angus MacDonald Cranachan and his family is written, "To recall the memory of John MacDonald, Maighistir Iain Mac Dhughaill, priest in Brae Lochaber 1721-1761 who rests here". Blundell says Maighistir Iain Mor's last pastoral act was to baptise three days before his death while stretched on his sick bed, Donald MacDonell, son of Angus Ban of Inch and Angus Mor MacDonald of Cranachan.
There are few locals in Brae Lochaber even today who have not heard of Maighistir Iain Mor from their forebears and who cannot produce some story about his missionary zeal or physical strength. He was ordained in Rome and returned to his native countryside in 1721. He does not seem to have had a fixed abode, unless in his maternal home traditionally in Bohuntin, but wandered around the countryside instructing and baptising people. This old story which was told by my grandfather (born 1847) was written down at the time by an uncle. The explanatory words in brackets are mine.
Maighistir Iain Mor and his clerk (Mass server) were in the morning at Lickroy giving duties (i.e. Confession and Holy Communion to sick or old people around Easter time) and they left in the morning and the only food they had was about a pound of fresh butter. When they came to Achadh a' Mhadaidh (after six miles' walk down Glenroy) no man was at home and a bull had gone into the byre and the women were unable to eject it. Maighistir Iain Mor (with compassion for the women's dilemma and Cranachan strength!) sized the bull by the tail and heaved it out. Later he and his "cleireach" crossed a ford at Bunroy (having now walked ten miles) and got the people in a house there to make some "dubh bhrochan" (very thin porridge) into which Maighistir Iain Mor put the butter and that was the food for the day for himself and his "cleireach". Spartan times and fare!
The following story appears in the Catholic Directory for 1860, Blundell's Catholic Highlands of Scotland, and Fr. A.D. MacDonald's Mabou Pioneers (Nova Scotian publication) I quote from Blundell:
Mr MacDonald's prospects at the commencement of his missionary career were far from being encouraging for the portion of the vineyard committed to his charge had grown wild and unproductive. The people of Lochaber were at this period, as is well known, lawless and fierce in their nature, savage in their disposition and prone to plunder and revenge To such a state of barbarity had they sunk that might had usurped the place of right without even the possibility of obtaining redress. Such being the lamentable state of the people as the traditions preserved in Lochaber fully prove, we can easily conceive that the task which Mr MacDonald had undertaken to perform, was of the most arduous kind, and demanding on his part, the most consummate prudence, zeal and activity. But cheerless as the aspect of matters then looked, he did not despond. On the contrary, difficulties served only to stimulate him to exertion and bring out the latent energies of his nature. He laboured incessantly in season and out of season, to stem the torrent of iniquity that flowed over the land. He sowed the seed, but still the soil seemed barren and unproductive. After having given to his wayward flock, what he considered a fair trial, he was doomed to experience the most bitter disappointment.
The consequence was that he resolved to abandon the mission of Lochaber and to transfer his services to some other more congenial spot, where his labours might prove more productive. He had even fixed the day of his departure, but ere that day came round, a sick call was sent to him. It was to attend a woman at Inch. (Achnafraschoille is on Inch ground). Without loss of time he obeyed the summons but on arriving at the residence of the sick person, to his great surprise he found her not only in an apparently good state of health but also decked out like a bride in her best and gayest attire, He was much astonished and began on the spot to rebuke her soundly with having sought to impose upon him for judging said he, by your present appearance, there is not the most distant danger of death; besides why are you so gaudily dressed on such an occasion? To this she answered, I have frequently during my life adorned myself thus with the desire of making myself agreeable in the eyes of the world; and if I acted so from silly vanity, how much the more ought I now to present myself, in the most becoming manner I am able to receive so great and august a guest as you have brought with you to my humble dwelling - my Lord and Saviour in the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar. As to the hour of my departure from this world, I feel it is now at hand; be pleased therefore Priest of the Living God, to receive without loss of time my Confession, to give me absolution and to administer the other Sacraments appointed by my Redeemer to aid the dying Christian to appear with confidence before the tribunal of God.
In the Nova Scotian version which appears in the Mabou Pioneers, after being rebuked by Maighistir Iain Mor, Mor Liath answered: Did I know that Mac 'Ic Raonuill (Colla nam Bo at that time) was coming here today, I would dress up to receive him, but you my Father Confessor are bringing me My Lord and My God and I do all I can to prepare body and soul for His reception.
Persuaded at last by her entreaties he did as he was desired, and scarcely had he finished, when she calmly expired without the least appearance of sickness or pain.
A scene so very remarkable and edifying induced Mr. Macdonald to pause and reconsider his determination of abandoning altogether the mission of Lochaber and the happy result was that he would not forsake a congregation in which contrary to his expectations, he had found so good and precious a soul. He therefore declared on the spot to those around him that he would not leave them and that he would gladly spend the remainder of his days amongst them, even should the fruits of his labour be only the salvation of such another soul as that which had then taken its flight to its Maker. It was a happy day for the people of Lochaber that this edifying death scene occurred; for Mr. MacDonald by his indomitable perseverance combined with apostolic zeal and great piety, so far triumphed in the end, that he succeeded in softening the wild and fierce temper of many of his people and thus laid the foundation of the now flourishing and important mission of the Braes of Lochaber.
Tradition says there were miracles and wholesale conversions after the death of Mor Liath. I only know the details of one so called "cure" through her intercession. It would probably not be accepted by today's medical standards. Mor Liath's sister had been a housebound bed-ridden invalid for most of her life. Her trouble as diagnosed by the folk medicine of that age and locality was "dropsy". Mor Liath told her sister of her imminent death, and asked her to touch her dead body and that she would be cured. The sister did so and was instantly made well enough to walk the six miles with Mor Liath's funeral to Cille Choireil. Mor Liath is buried inside the little church there in the corner behind the door. A simple inscription today marks the spot.
So impressed was Maighistir Iain Mor with these wonderful happenings in Brae Lochaber about 1721, that he wrote letters describing them to Rome, but Rome was silent about them. Nevertheless their effect on a simple superstitious people cannot be underestimated and coupled with Maighistir Iain Mor's indefatigable labours must have contributed in some large measure for the Catholicity of the Keppoch MacDonalds at the time of the '45.
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