Father Patrick Prendergast, last Abbot

Abbot

The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...

 of Cong

Cong

Cong may refer to:*Cong , a form of jade artifact from ancient China*Cong , a Chinese surname.*Cống people, an indigenous people of about 1,700 in Vietnam*Cong, County Mayo, a village in the Republic of Ireland...

and guardian of the Cross of Cong

Cross of Cong

The Cross of Cong is an early 12th century Irish Christian ornamented cusped processional cross, which was, as an inscription says, made for Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair , King of Connacht and High King of Ireland to donate to the Cathedral church of the period that was located at Tuam, County...

, 1741-1829.

Prendergast may have been a seminarian at St Omer, which was suppressed in 1791. A Patricius Prendergast of the diocese of Tuam

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tuam

The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Tuam is a Roman Catholic archdiocese in western Ireland. According to tradition, the "Diocese of Tuam" was established in the sixth century by St. Jarlath...

 is noted as having graduated Bachelor

Bachelor

A bachelor is a man above the age of majority who has never been married . Unlike his female counterpart, the spinster, a bachelor may have had children...

 in utroque jure from Paris in June 1783.

Prendergast was appointed parish priest of Cong in 1795, and was the last titular abbot of the Augustinian Abbey

Abbey

An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...

. Sir William Wilde described him as a very fine, courteous, white-haired old man.

Prendergast not only re-discovered the Cross of Cong, he appears to have been responsible for the return to Ireland of the Cathach of St. Columba

Cathach of St. Columba

The Cathach of St. Columba is an late 6th century Irish Psalter.It is traditionally associated with St. Columba , and was identified as the copy made by him of a book loaned to him by St. Finnian, and which led to the Battle of Cúl Dreimhne in 561...

 from Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

in the early 19th century.

Prendergast died in 1829 and was succeeded by Fr. Patrick Waldron.