December 16, there is named in the Roman Martyrology and in certain Irish calendars a Saint Bean in Ireland, who had been confused with the St. Bean whose feast is still observed in the Scottish diocese of Aberdeen, but on October 26, as founder of the bishopric of Mortlach in Banff which was the forerunner of that of Aberdeen. Nothing else is known about him. The fourteenth century chronicler Fordun, states that he was made bishop by Pope Benedict VIII, at the request of Malcolm Canmore, who is said to have founded an episcopal monastery at Mortlach. If true, this would be between 1012 and 1024; but the See of Mortlach is generally said to date from 1063. St. Bean's dwelling place is supposed to have been at Balvanie, near Mortlach (Bal-beni-mor, "the dwelling of Bean the Great"). His feast day is October 26th. St. Bean lived during the early 11th century, a time when Christianity was taking firmer roots in Scotland. St. Bean was the first bishop of Morthlach in Banff, paving the way for establishing the Diocese of Aberdeen. He was appointed to his episcopal role by Pope Benedict VIII. St. Bean’s dedication to the Christian faith and his role as a bishop contributed significantly to the spread of Christianity in the northeastern part of Scotland. Tradition holds that St. Bean's dwelling place is supposed to have been at Balvanie, near Mortlach, a place whose name, "Bal-beni-mor," is believed to signify "the dwelling of Bean the Great."
St. Bean, intercede for us and guide us towards God's will.
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