Page:A Dictionary of Saintly Women Volume 2.djvu/165

ST. PIAMUN 153 St PhotlUS. (See Photina (1).) St. Phrosine or Fbosinb, Euphho- 8YNB. SS. Pia and Picaria, Jan. 19, MM. with thirty-eight others at Carthage in Africa. B.M. AA.SS. St. Piala, Caila, E^iaba, or Eieka, Feb. 23, March 23, Dec. 14, V. either in Brittany or Cornwall. 5th century. Sister of St. Fingar or Guigner or Equiuer. When St. Patrick arrived in Ireland, seven heathen kings, with their priests, went to meet him but they did not approve of his doctrines. The chief of these kings had a sou Fingar, who was the only prince in all the assembly to give up his seat to the great saint and treat him with respect. Lest the Christians should be- come greater than the heathens, Fingar*s father banished him from Ireland. He and several of his friends went either to Wales, Cornwall or Brittany. After some years he returned to Ireland and found the whole population converted to Christianity. His father was dead, and the people hailed him as king. He said, *' Choose some valiant Christian for your king, and marry him to my sister Piala." They agreed but Piala declined, saying that Christ was her husband and heaven her inheritance. Fingar told them not to trouble her any more and when he had commended the kingdom to the care of Grod, he bade them farewell and departed. Piala went with him and they were joined by 777 men, of whom seven were bishops in- structed by St. Patrick. They set sail and landed in due time at Hayle on the coast of Cornwall, where they found that St. I a (3), on her leaf, had already arrived. Heie they came to a place where a cer- tain holy virgin lived in religious seclu- sion, and not wishing to disturb her, they sainted her and passed on to another spot to dine. They found no water, so Fingar stuck his staff into the ground and there a fountain bubbled up for the use of the pilgrims. After dinner they proceeded to a place called Conetconia (perhaps Conington), where a holy woman showed them no little kindness, for when she found that all her houses were not sufficient to hold them and that she had not even straw for them all to lie on, she took the roofs off and gave them the thatch for bedding. She gave them her only cow for food, and cooked it for them. After they had eaten it and given thanks, Fingar ordered all the bones to be collected and the skin of the cow to be put over them. Then he summoned all the pilgrims to pray with him that the charitable woman's gift might be made good to her. When the prayer was ended, the cow stood, before the eyes of all, more beautiful than it had been before. From that day forth it gave three times as much milk as any other cow. As they re- sumed their journey, they looked round and saw the houses all comfortably roofed, as if the thatch had never been displaced. Then the followers of St Fingar seeing miracles everywhere, were much comforted and confirmed in the faith. Either in Cornwall or Brittany, King Theodoric or Ceretico heard that a great troop had arrived in his dominions, and fearing that his people would go over to the service of Christ, he went against them with an armed band ; and without asking why they came or waiting for any parley, he fell upon them from behind and massacred them all. Their festival is kept Dec. 14, at Plou- diri (Plebum Theodorici), between Leon and Brest. Their relics are venerated at Vannes. Piala is commemorated by Colgan, Feb. 23. AA.SS. St. Piamun, or Amma Piamun, March 3, V., lived with her mother and span flax. She had the gift of prophecy and by her prayers saved her native place from destruction. After an in- undation of the Nile, several villages quarrelled and fought about the division of the water ; that in which Piamun lived was threatened with invasion by a more powerful neighbour. About three thousand of the euemy advanced with spears and clubs, determined to destroy the place, but Piamun, warned of their approach by an angel, requested the priests to go out to meet them and endeavour to turn them from their cruel purpose. The priests were afraid to go, and begged Piamun to go hersell She