Kessog

Infobox Saint
name= Saint Kessog
birth_date=~460
death_date=March 10, 520
feast_day= March 10
venerated_in= Roman Catholic Church; Anglican Church


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birth_place= Ireland
death_place= Bandry?, Scotland
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patronage=Scotland
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Saint Kessog was an Irish missionary of the mid-sixth century active in the Lennox area and southern Perthshire. Kessog was Scotland's patron saint before Saint Andrew, and his name was used as a battle cry by the Scots. Son of the king of Cashel in Ireland, Kessog is said to have worked miracles, even as a child. He left Ireland and became a missionary bishop in Scotland. Using Monks' Island in Loch Lomond as his headquarters, he evangelized the surrounding area until he was martyred, supposedly at Bandry, where a heap of stones was known as "St Kessog's Cairn". Kessog was killed in 520 AD.

The St McKessog's church in Luss on the banks of Loch Lomond is named after Kessog and in the church resides his effigy. Kessog is claimed to have brought Christianity to the area around Luss in 510AD and 1500 years of continuous Christian presence in the area will be celebrated in 2010AD.

The Kessog oil field in the North Sea is named after him.

References

* [http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0310.htm Page from St Patricks Church]
* [http://kessog.sca.org.nz/about.htm Page from the Proto-College of St Kessog] [http://www.sca.org - A Branch of the Society for Creative Anachronism]
* [http://www.lussonline.net Web Page of Luss Parish Church]