Characters & Figures
Contemporary
In order of mention
Rosario Ambrosi
Vatican chauffeur
Kevin Schaeffer
48-year-old Boston College Jesuit on sabbatical at Trinity College, Dublin
Marco Giordano
54-year-old priest at Vatican Secret Archive; Kevin's closest friend
Stephanie Lambert
Boston College junior; Kevin's summer research intern
Aideen Callaghan
Michael's 70-year-old grandmother and guardian
Michael Callaghan
10-year-old boy with family cancer syndrome dying of recurrent leukemia
Maire O'Donnell [Maw Maw]
Aideen's great-grandmother (1850-1949); last to be cured by relic
Caitlin Callaghan [Caitie]
Michael's mother (1968-2003); died of brain tumor
Eamon Dunbar
Keeper of the Manuscripts, Trinity College Old Library, Dublin
Lenore Thomson
Michael's pediatric oncologist (Scottish)
Petra Sviatlana
Dr. Thomson's nurse specialist (Belarussian)
Emily Payne
Dr. Thomson's social worker
Peg Hutchins
Aideen's next-door neighbor; Danny's second wife
Danny Hutchins
Aideen's next-door neighbor; Peg's husband
Gerry Frasier
Curator, St Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh
Lynn McEverett
Secretary, St Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh
Eanid Hutchins
Danny's first wife; deceased
Fr Diarmuid Finnian
Ballinskelligs parish priest (pastor); retired
Karin Wallace
Owner, Laune Health & Beauty, Killorglin
Sheela Kendrick
Server at Jack's Bakery, Killorglin
Sister Mary Agnes
Nun at St Joseph's Nursing Home, Killorglin (greeter)
Sister Consolata
Nun at St Joseph's Nursing Home, Killorglin (caregiver)
Kelly MacNiall
Barmaid at Cable O'Leary's Pub, Ballinskelligs
Ronnie O'Hearn
Ballinskelligs native; pub patron
Sam Breen
Ballinskelligs native; pub patron
Darren Lavery
Cook at Cable O'Leary's Pub, Ballinskelligs
Kyle Dorrian
21-year-old Ballinskelligs native; student at St Patrick's College, Maynooth
Joey Breen
Sam's brother; leader of Celtic band trio, with Bryan and Tim
Hugh Whelan
Registration clerk at Ballinskelligs Inn
Brian Dorrian
Kyle's father; Caitlin's high school classmate
Natalie Giordano
Marco's sister; runs family olive plantation in Fiesole
Papa Giordano
Marco's father; deceased
Cristina De Lecce
26-year-old graduate student at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome
Sergio Lamberto
Roman restaurant waiter
Philippe Gotti
Vatican Swiss Guard
Dámaso La Macera
Vatican archaeologist
Shanon Dorrian
Kyle's mother
Margie McGee
Pediatric Intensive Care Unit nurse
Anna Lynch
Emergency department nurse
Ide Taggart
Acute Medical Admissions Unit nurse
Erin Anthony
Pediatric oncology nurse
Father Liam
Ballinskelligs curate (assistant) priest
Captain Burke
Owner of a Ballinskelligs ferry to Skellig Michael
Carmela Parri
Marco's assistant
Historical
* Fictional † Biblical
Brother Murrough*
Lone monk protecting relic on Skellig Michael as monastery moved to Ballinskelligs
Mary Magdalene†
Follower of Jesus; cured of seven demons
Mary†
Mother of Jesus
Brigid of Kildare [St Brigit]
Abbess; close friend of Padraig
Padraig of Armagh [St Patrick]
Abbot; originated Irish monastic movement
Brother Tomas*
Monk; pupil of Padraig; with Brigid founded Gallarus oratory and Reask monastery
Pope Simplicius
Papacy 468-483
Romulus Augustulus
Roman emperor deposed by Odoacer at fall of Western Roman Empire (476)
Conlaeth of Kildare [St Conleth]
Abbot and bishop; friend of Brigid
Alill mac Nad Froich
Brother of Óengus mac Nad Froich, first Christian king of Munster (Cashel)
Simon Peter†
Apostle of Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth†
Emmanuel and Christ, the Messiah
Andrew†
Apostle of Jesus; brother of Simon Peter
Fionán [St Finnian]
Monk; founded Skellig Michael monastery
Broccán [St Brogan]
Monk; nephew of Padraig
Brother Weylyn*
Monk; one of ten to assist Brigid in building Gallarus oratory and Reask monastery
Clovis I
First king of the Franks; son of Childeric; baptized at prompting of wife Clotilde
Pope Symmachus
Papacy 498-514
Zebedee†
Father of apostles James and John; Salome's husband
John†
Apostle of Jesus; son of Zebedee, brother of James
Salome†
Mother of apostles James and John; Zebedee's wife
James†
Apostle of Jesus; son of Zebedee, brother of John
Martha†
Sister of Jesus's close friend Lazarus (and possibly of Mary Magdalene)
Áed Dub mac Colmáin [St Áed]
Distant cousin of Brigid; king of Leinster; later entered Kildare monastery
Bréanainn [St Brendan]
Monk; pupil of Fionán; traveled extensively by boat; founded an early Brittany monastery
Cóemgen [St Kevin]
Monk and hermit; founded Glendalough monastery
Nicodemus†
Jewish Pharisee and member of the ruling Sanhedrin
Gamaliel†
Jewish Pharisee and member of the ruling Sanhedrin
Caiaphas†
Jewish high priest at time of Jesus' crucifixion
Joseph of Arimathea†
Jewish Pharisee and member of the ruling Sanhedrin; Jesus' body was laid in his tomb
Rhoda†
Maid at the home of the Evangelist Mark's mother Mary
Mark†
Disciple of Jesus; author of the second canonical Gospel
Malachy of Armagh [St Malachy]
12th-century purported author of Prophecy of the Popes
Pope Benedict XVI
Papacy 2005-2013; personal name Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger
Constantine Augustus
Roman emperor Constantine the Great; decreed Christian tolerance (313)
Marinus of Arles
Early bishop in Gaul; led First Council of Arles condemning Donatism (314)
Rhétice of Autun [St Reticius]
Early bishop in Gaul; attended First Council of Arles
Austromoine of Auvergne [St Stremonius]
Early bishop in Gaul; attended First Council of Arles
Pope Silvester I
Papacy 314-335
Trophime of Arles [St Trophimus]
First bishop of Arles (ca. 250); entombed at Alyscamps necropolis (relics later moved)
Germanus*
A Roman soldier guarding the Via Aurelia during the First Council of Arles
Commander*
Officer in Roman army accompanying Constantine to Arles (314)
Daphnus of Vaison
Early bishop in Gaul; attended First Council of Arles
Rémi of Reims [St Remigius]
Bishop; mentor to Sidonius; baptized King Clovis (496) thus Christianizing the Franks
Childeric I
First Merovingian King of the Salian Franks; father of Clovis I
Syagrius
Last Roman military commander in Gaul; defeated by Clovis I (486)
Sidonius Apollinaris of Auvergne [St Sidonius]
Bishop; Gallo-Roman aristocratic diplomat and prolific author
Brieuc [St Brioc]
Welsh cleric; studied in Ireland; later founded an oratory in Brittany
Moninne of Killeavy [St Moninne]
Abbess; raised by Brigid; baptized, confirmed, and likely veiled by Padraig
Pope John I
Papacy 523-526
Pope Hormisdas
Papacy 514-523
Neacht of Kildare*
Nun; inferior of Brigid
Timothy†
Apostle of Jesus
Innkeeper at Ocsimor*
Provided lodging for the retinue of King Childebert
Childebert I
King of the Franks (Paris, Órleans); son of Clovis I and Clotilde
Paol Aorelian [St Paulinus Aurelianus]
First bishop of Léon, Brittany
Pope Pius IX [Pio Nono]
Papacy 1846-1878; personal name Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti
Giovanni Battista De Rossi
Archaeologist and Vatican archivist; rediscovered Callixtus catacombs (1849)
Michele Stefano De Rossi
Seismologist and topographer; Giovanni's younger brother
Vittorio Emanuele II
King of Italy (1861-1878)
Cardinal Paul Cullen
First Irish cardinal (1866)
Augustine of Hippo [St Augustine]
Bishop; early Christian theologian and philosopher
Pope Pius XI
Papacy 1922-1939; personal name Achille Ambrogio Damiano Ratti
Ludwig Kaas
Vatican priest; papal prelate and canon of the Basilica of Saint Peter
Seán Ó Conaill (fictionalized)
Ballinskelligs altar boy from Kildreelig; oldest child of widower father
Father Sullivan*
Ballinskelligs parish priest
Conall Mag Aonghuis*
Ballinskelligs altar boy from Dungeagan
Fiona Reid Reilly*
Maire's mother
Malachi Reilly*
Maire's father
Pope Pius XII
Papacy 1939-1958; personal name Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli