SECKAU
672
SECKAU
assistant Bishop of Armagh from 434 till his death.
At the commencement of his episcopal rule, the local
fair (aoiwch) was accustomed to be held in the church
enclosure, and i\s the people ignored the saint's
denunciation as to holding a fair on hallowed ground,
we read that "the earth opened and swallowed up
thirteen horses, chariots, and drivers, while the re-
mainder fled". He died after an episcopate of four-
teen years. The name of his see in the corrupt
form, Dunshaughlin (correctly Domnach Sechnaille),
testifies to the veneration in which he was held.
St. Sechnall's fame in the Uterary world is as the writer of the earliest Latin poem in the Irish Church, the well-known alphabetic hymn commencing " Audite omnes amantes Deum, sancta merita". This he composed in praise of his uncle, St. Patrick, and was rewarded with a promise that whoever would recite daily (morning and evening) the concluding three verses with proper disposition would obtain ever- lasting bliss in Heaven. It consists of twenty-three stanzas in the same metre as employed by St. Hilary in his hj^mn "Ymnum dicat turba fratrum, Ymnum cantus personet", and was printed by Colgan and Muratori. It was regarded as a lorica or preserver to be sung (or recited) in any great emergency, and its singing was one of the "Four honours" paid to St. Patrick, being assigned as the hymn for the feast of the national Apostle. Another beautiful hymn by St. Sechnall is "Sancti venite, Christi corpus sumite", traditionally sung by angels in the church of Dun- shaughlin, and adopted for use at the reception of Holy Communion.
Stokes, Tripanite Life of St. Patrick (London, 1887) ; Hyde, Literary History of Ireland (London, 1900) ; Colgan, Diocese of Meath (Dublin, 1862); He.^ly, Life and Writings of St. Patrick (Dublin, 1905).
W. H. Grattan-Flood.
Seckau, Diocese of (Secoviensis), in Styria, Austria, suffragan of Salzburg. The See of Seckau was founded by Archbishop Eberhard II of Salzburg, with the permission of Honorius III, 22 June, 1218, and made suffragan of Salzburg. Emperor Frederick II gave his consent, 26 October, 1218, and conferred on the incumbent of the see the dignity of prince of the Roman Empire. The first bishop was Provost Karl von Friesach (1218-30). Under Jo.seph II the dio- cese was reorganized and its territory enlarged. The original intention of that emperor, to establi-sh an archbishopric at Graz, was frustrated by the opposi- tion of the Archbishop of Salzburg. In 1 786, however, the residence of the prince-bishop was transferred from Seckau to Graz, the capital of Styria, but the name of the diocese remained unchanged. A new cathedral chapter was installed at Graz, composed at first of three dignitaries and four canons. The .see included thenceforth the Salzburg territory in Styria; at the same time a new diocese (Leoben) was created for Upper StjTia. After the death of the first and only Bishop of Leoben, the administration of this see, since 1808, was entru.sted to the bishops of Seckau. The limits of Seckau are due to a regulation of 1859, incorporating the Diocese of Leoben with that of Seckau, while; Seckau ceded Southern Styria with its (chiefly) Slovenian population t^) flio Dioce.se of Lavant. At the present time (1900) llic Diocese of Seckau comprises all Upper and Middh; Styria, with a pc^pulation nearly all German.
Among the prince-bishops of Seckau in earlier days the foremost is Martin Brenner (1585-1615), distin- gujshefl by his labours for the restoration of Catholic fife in Styria. In the nineteenth century Seckau was adorned by such men as Roman Sebastian Zangerle (1824-48) and the apostolic Johann Baptist Zwerger (1867-93), hijjhly esteemed for his great zeal and his popular religious WTitings. Dr. Leopold Schuster, who became prince-bishop in 1893, was before his elevation profeawjr of Church history in the University
of Graz, and is well known for his historical writings.
In 1910, the diocese numbered 937,000 Catholics, dis-
tributed over 336 parishes, with 45 deaneries. The
cathedral chapter consists of eleven residential canons
and six honorary canons. The following religious com-
munities are established in the diocese: the Benedic-
tines in the venerable Abbey of Admont (founded
1074) and at St. Lambrecht (1103); since 18S3 also
at Seckau, which house was made an independent
abbey in 1887, and is in the hands of the Beuren Con-
gregation; the Cistercians at Rein (founded 1129);
the Canons Regular of St. Augustine at Vorau
Ihi; Cathedral, Graz
(founded 1103). There are Dominicans at Graz: Franciscans at Graz, Lankowitz, Maria-Trost, and Gleichenberg; Minorites at Graz; Capuchins at Leib- nitz, Hartberg, Schwanberg, Knittelfeld, Murau, and Irdning; Carmelites at Graz; Brothers of St. John of God at Graz, Algersdorf, and Kainbach; Lazarists at Graz, Redetnptorists at Mautern and Leoben. The orders and congregations of women in the diocese devote them.selves principally to the care of the sick (Sisters of St. Elizabeth, Si.sters of St. Vincent de Paul, Sisters of the Holy Cro.ss) and the education of the young (Ursulines, I^adies of the Sacred Heart). The students of the diocesan seminary receive their theological education at the University of Graz.
Of the religious communities, the Benedictines have a theological school of their own at Admont: the Re(lcmi)torists at Mautern; the Dominicans and Lazari.sts at (^raz, where Ihere is also a diocesan semi- nary for boys connected with a gymnasium. Pre- paratory schf)olH for classical studies {Llnlcr-dym- nasien) are conducted by the Benedictines at Admont and St. Lam})recht. Not a few famous scientists have come from the secular clergy of the diocese and from the religious orders. The scientific services of the earlier monastic houses deserve praise. The following periodicals are carried on by the diocesan clergy: "Kirchliches Jahrbuch fiir die kath. Geistlichkeit" (Graz 1837-40); "Der Kirchenschmuck, Blatter des christlichen Kunstvereins der Diozese Seckau" (since 1870), edited by Joh. Graus; " Literarischer An-
