Saint’s Life Story

Born of Wedlock 

Saint Brigid of Ireland was said to have been born around 453 in the 5th century in Faughart in County Louth, Ireland. Her mother was said to be a slave named Brocca, who had been baptized by Saint Patrick. Her father was a pagan nobleman and chieftain of Leinster named Dubhthach. When Dubhthach’s wife found out that Brocca was carrying her husband’schild, she sold Brocca to a Chieftain in Connaught and Brigid was given to a Druid to be raised and educated.

Her Early Life

As a child, Brigid vomited when the Druid tried to feed her. She was nourished solely by the milk of a white cow with red ears. During her life, Brigid performed many miracles, including healing and feeding the poor. According to one story, she once gave away her mother’s entire store of butter to the poor. The butter was then miraculously replaced in answer to Brigid’s prayers.

Returned Back Home

At the age of ten, Brigid was returned as a household slave to her father, where her charitable and generous nature caused her to donate his possessions to anyone who asked. When Dubtach protested, she replied that “Christ dwelt in every creature”. Dubthach was so angry with her that he took her in a chariot to the king of Leinster to sell her. However, while Dubthach was speaking to the king, Brigid gave away his jeweled sword to a beggar to exchange it for food to feed his family. The King, a Christian, forbade Dubtach to strike her, saying “Her merit before God is greater than ours”. Dubtach solved this domestic problem by giving Brigid her freedom. 

Gave Away Dairy Produce

Brigid’s mother, who was older, was in charge of her master’s dairy. Brigid took charge of the dairy and often gave away the produce. But the dairy prospered under her (so that is why Brigid is the patron of dairy workers).

Refused To Be Married

So then Brigid returned to her father, who arranged a marriage for her with a young bard. Bride refused, and to keep her virginity, went to her Bishop, Saint Mel of Ardagh, and took her first vows. Legend says that she prayed that her beauty be taken from her so no one would seek her hand in marriage; her prayer was granted, and she regained her beauty only aftermaking her vows. Another tale says that when Saint Patrick heard her final vows, he mistakenly used the form for ordaining priests. When told of it he replied, “So be it, my son, she is destined for great things.”

Regardless of the accounts, Brigid was said to have received her veil of chastity from the Church. She made a vow of piety, chastity, and poverty for the rest of her life. She spent her time preaching and praying.

Founded Double Monastery and Abbess

St Brigid of Ireland’s Monastery

Around 480, Brigid founded a monastery at Kildare, “Church of the Oak”, on the site of an older pagan shrine to the Celtic goddess Brigid. The site chosen was under a large oak tree. With a group of seven companions, Brigid founded the first consecrated religious order for women in Ireland. Along the Liffey Rivier , she invented the double monastery, one for men and the other for women. She invited Conleth, a hermit, to assist her in Kildare as spiritual pastor. Saint Conleth subsequently became the Bishop of Kildare. Thus, for centuries, Kildare was ruled by a double line of abbot-bishops and of abbesses, with the Abbess of Kildare serving as superior general of the monasteries in Ireland. This connection and the installation of a bell that lasted over 1000 years apparently led to her patronage of blacksmiths.

Her Works

Brigid was a great traveller, especially considering the conditions of the time, which led to her patronage of travellers. Brigid’s wisdom and generosity became legend. People traveled from all over the country to share her wisdom as abbess. She spent the rest of her life planting churches and winning souls through her teachings. Throughout the rest of her life, she established several monasteries across Ireland. Brigid rooted her  life as a nun in prayer, but she also performed substantial manual labor: cloth making, dairy farming, and raising sheep.

Legends of Her Miracles

Many miracles have been attributed to St. Brigid that involve physical healing, including healing a nun called Dara of blindness. Another example was when Brigid was travelling to see a physician for her headache. She stayed at the house of a couple who had two mute daughters. The daughters were travelling with Brigid when her horse startled, causing her to fall off and injure her head on a rock. When the girls touched her bloodied wound, they were both healed.

Her Death

Brigid continued her holy and charitable work until her death around 525 AD in Kildare, Ireland. She was laid to rest in a jeweled casket on the right-handside of the Kildare Cathedral church altar. This spot became a popular place for a pilgrimage. er relics were transferred to Downpatrick, Ireland in 878, where they were interred with those relics of Saint Patrick and Saint Columba. However, some accounts note that her head was moved to a Jesuit Church in Lisbon, Portugal.

On February 1, the feast of St. Brigid, Ireland’s female patron saint, is now a national public holiday in Ireland, the first public holiday for a female.

Born:                   Around 453 in Faughart, County Louth, Ireland

Died:                   Around 525 in Kildare, Ireland

Beatified:           Pre-Congregation

Canonized:        Pre-Congregation

Feast Day:         February 1

Patron Saint:    Blacksmiths; Children Whose Parents Were Not Married; Dairy Workers; Diocese of Kildare, Ireland; Healers; Ireland; Midwives; Nuns; Poets; Travellers

Source:

• • CatholicSaints.Info » Saint Brigid of Ireland
  • St. Brigid of Ireland: Healer and Miracle Worker (catholicfire.blogspot.com)
  • St. Brigid of Ireland – Saint of the Day
  • Brigid of Kildare – Wikipedia

Prayers

Video Links

St. Brigid of Ireland – YouTube Video (Catholic Online)

Saint Brigid and the Lake of Beer – YouTube Video (Loyola Press)

Saint of the Week: St. Brigid of Ireland – YouTube Video (The True Enlightenment!)