Died c. 495. Tassach was a disciple of Saint Patrick, who appointed him
as the first bishop of Raholp, County Down,
Ireland. He was a skilled artisan who made crosiers, patens, chalices,
credences, shrines, and crosses for the many churches
Patrick founded.
Tassach's rule is for ever memorable for the fact that he was selected
by the national Apostle to be with him in his last moments and to
administer the Holy Viaticum to him. This event is thus chronicled in
The Martyrology of Donegall;
Tassach of Raholp gave the Body of
Christ to Saint Patrick before his death in the monastery of Saul.
He is often confused with
Saint Asicus of Elphin (f.d. April 27),
who
had the same skills and is said to have died the same year
(
Attwater2,
Benedictines,
D'Arcy,
Delaney,
Healy,
Montague,
O'Hanlon).
Troparion of St Tassach
Tone 5
O holy Hierarch Tassach,
thou wast one of the first to follow Saint Patrick
and didst administer the Holy Mysteries to him at the last.
Like Moses' disciples
adorning the tabernacle
thou wast a skilled artist and craftsman,
and art now thyself an adornment of Christ's Church.