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{{Infobox saint
| name=Saint Fanchea of Rossory
| titles=Abbess
| death_date={{circa|lk=no|585}}
| venerated_in=[[Roman Catholic Church]]<br>[[Church in Wales]]<br>[[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Church]]
| feast_day=1 January
| image=Enniskillen St. Michael's Church East Aisle Window 06 Local Saints Detail Saint Fanchea 2012 09 17.jpg
| imagesize=200
| caption=Stained glass window of St. Michael's Church, [[Enniskillen]]
}}
Saint '''Fanchea of Rossory''' is a saint recognized by the [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Church]],<ref>January 14 / January 1. https://www.holytrinityorthodox.com/htc/orthodox-calendar/</ref> the [[Church in Wales]], and the [[Roman Catholic Church]]. She was the sister of [[Enda of Aran|Saint Enda of Arran]], whom she persuaded to become a monk. Her feast day is January 1.
==Life==
Fanchea was one of four daughters of Conall Derg of [[Airgíalla|Oriel]] and his wife Briga. Her sisters were St Lochinia, St Carecha, and Darenia,<ref>[https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-fanchea/ Monks of Ramsgate. "Fanchea". ''Book of Saints'', 1921. CatholicSaints.Info. 22 February 2013] {{PD-notice}}</ref> who married Angus of Cashel. Fanchea was born at Rathmore, near Clogher. Although [[Óengus mac Nad Froích]] wished to marry her, she resolved to become a nun. With the help of her sister Darenia, she built the [[List of monastic houses in County Fermanagh|Rossory Monastery]] on the banks of Lough Erne.<ref name=Dunbar>[https://books.google.com/books?id=PBgYAAAAYAAJ&dq=Fanchea&pg=PA306 Dunbar, Agnes Baillie Cunninghame. "St. Fanchea", ''A Dictionary of Saintly Women'', Vol. 1, Bell, 1904]</ref>
==Enda's conversion==
Fanchea is credited with the conversion of her brother Enda, a warrior prince of Oriel, who had agreed to give up his warlike ways if she would give him one of the young women at the monastery for a wife. Enda was quite shaken when Fanchea brought him to his chosen bride, who had just died. Overwhelmed with grief and Fanchea's reminder of death and judgement, Enda decided to change his ways.
According to one legend, when Enda's warrior band sought to take him back and restore him to his former place, Fanchea, by the [[sign of the cross]], forced their feet to stick to the ground, thinking that those who desired the things of the earth should cleave to it. She only released them when they promised to do penance.<ref name=Dunbar/>
Enda remained some time under Fanchea's direction, spending his time constructing a defensive trench and wall around the monastery. On one occasion Enda was tempted to join in a nearby fight between the men of Oriel and a hostile clan. Fanchea told him to touch his head and remember where his loyalty lays. Feeling the tonsure, Enda recalled that he had given up his former way of life.<ref name=Dunbar/>
==Aran==
When Enda was establishing his foundation on [[Inishmore]], Fanchea, accompanied by three of her nuns, paid a visit to Aran to see how the good work was proceeding. She was much edified by the praying, and fasting, and laboring, and building, and the copying of Latin gospels and missals, all in progress. When she was departing, she would not allow her brother to withdraw a couple of his monks from their labors to row them across to the mainland. "We will," said she, "trust to God for a passage." Coming to the shore, she made the sign of the cross on the water, and spread her cloak on it. The garment at once assumed the qualities of a stout board, and the sisters, each taking her position at a corner, went tranquilly over the rough waters of the bay.<ref>[http://www.libraryireland.com/LegendaryFictionsIrishCelts/V-15-1.php Kennedy, Patrick. "St. Fanchea's Visit to Aran", ''Legendary Fictions of the Irish Celts'', 1891]</ref>
Fanchea died c. 585 of natural causes and is buried at [[Killane]], [[Ireland]]. Her feast has been kept in the parish church of Rosairthir, in the diocese of Clogher, in Ulster; and at Kilhaine near Mount Bregh, on the borders of Meath, where her relics have been in veneration.<ref>[http://www.bartleby.com/210/1/016.html Butler, Alban. ''The Lives of the Saints'', Vol I, 1866]</ref> She is commemorated on January 1.
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:585 deaths]]
[[Category:6th-century Christian saints]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]