Fleming, Patrick

, an Irish Roman ecclesiastic and writer, the son of capt. Garret Fleming, nearly related to the lords of Slane, was born in the county of Louth, April 17, 1599. Being dedicated by his parents to the church, they sent him at the age of thirteen to Flanders, and placed him under the care of his maternal uncle Christopher Cusack, who was president of the colleges of Doway, Tournay, and other seminaries, founded in those parts for the education of Irish youth in the popish, religion. Having' studied at Doway for some time, he removed to the college of St. Anthony, at Louvaine, where he became a Franciscan, and changed his baptismal name (Christopher) to Patrick, according to a custom then very frequent. In 1623, after completing his philosophical and theological studies, he removed to Rome, but in his way through Paris, happening to become acquainted with Hugh Ward, he prevailed on the latter to undertake writing the Lives of the Irish Saints, and when he arrived at Rome he made large collections from Mss. for the same purpose, which he sent to Ward. At Rome he continued his studies in the Irish college of St. Isidore, and both there and afterwards at Louvaine, was appointed to lecture on philosophy. From Louvaine, where he continued for some years, he removed to Prague, and was appointed first superior and lecturer of divinity, and here he remained until the city was besieged by the elector of Saxony in 1631, when he was obliged to fly with his companion Matthew Hoar; but they had scarcely escaped the Saxon forces, when they were met by some peasants in arms who murdered them, both, Nov. 7. A third companion, Francis Magenis, also a Franciscan, who made his escape on this occasion, wrote an account of Fleming, which is prefixed to his “Collectanea Sacra,” under the title “Historia Martyrii venerabilis fratris Patricii Fleming!,” &c.

Fleming’s chief work was his “Collectanea Sacra,” or Lives of Irish and Scotch Saints, with various tracts in | illustration of their history, with notes, commentaries, &c. the whole comprized in a folio volume, printed at Louvaine in 1667. The works of the three abbots Columban, Aileran, and Cumean, which are extant in the “Bibl. Patrum,” are acknowledged to be taken from Fleming. He wrote also, “Vita rev. patris Hugonis Cavelli (Mac-Caghwell) 1626, and abridged a work entitled” Chronicon consecrati Petri Ratisbonoe." 1

1

Ware’s Ireland, by Harris. —Moreri.