St. Fiacc of Sleaty
Author: Martin Power

St. Fiacc of Sleaty
Author: Martin Power

A bishop blessed by Patrick
Apostle of Our Lord,
You built your church amongst us
And brought to us God's Word.
In your penitent cave you knelt and prayed
For forty days and nights
That God would help us leave behind
Our ancient pagan ways.

With your brothers you preached the Gospel
And spoke of God's great love,
And how He gave His only son
Who bled and died for us.
You lit in us a Pascal flame
That burns within our hearts;
It's the Risen Christ, He guides us
And keeps us on the Path.

And still today we gather
Beside that ancient cross
And pray for those that have gone before
Who carried on your work,
And kept alight that Pascal flame
You lit so long ago
When you spread the seed of God's great love
And nourished it to grow.

That little church that you had built
No longer stands today,
But the message that you brought us
Still lights and guides our way.
O holy saint Fiacc of Sleaty
Enthroned on high above
We pray, and bless and thank you
For bringing us God's love.

The poem is a prayer to St. Fiacc who is remembered reverently as the bringer of Christianity to the Sleaty and Graigue region.