Also known as
Bride; Bridget of Ireland; Bride of the
Isles; Mary of the Gael
Memorial
1 February
Profile
Her father was Dubtach, pagan Scottish King
of Leinster; her mother, Brocca, a Christian Pictish slave who han been baptized by Saint Patrick.
Just before Bridid's birth, her mother was sold as a slave to a Druid landowner. Brigid remained with her mother till
she was old enough to serve
her legal owner Dubtach, her father.
She grew up marked by her high spirits and tender heart, and as
achild, she heard Saint Patrick preach, which she never forgot. She could not bear to see anyone
hungry or cold, and to help them, often gave away things that were Dubtach's. When Dubtach protested, she replied that
"Christ dwelt in every creature". Dubtach tried to sell her to the King of Leinster, while they
bargained, she gave a treasured sword of her father's to a leper, because of its great value. 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.
Bridgid's aged mother was in charge of her master's dairy.
Brigid took charge and often gave away the produce. But the dairy prospered under her (hence her patronage of milk maid, dairy
workers, cattle, etc), and the Druid gave her mother her freedom.
Brigid returned to her father, who arranged a match for her with
a young bard. Bride refused, and to keep her virginity, went to Bishop Mel, a pupil of Saint Patrick's,
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 after making 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."
Her first convent started with seven nuns. At the invitation
of bishops, she started convents all over Ireland. She was agreat traveller,
especially for the horrid conditions of the time, which led to her patronage of travellers, sailors, etc. Brigid invented
the double monastery, the monastery of Kildare on the Liffey being for both monks and nuns. Combeth, noted for his skill
in metalwork, became its first bishop; this connection and the installation of a bell that lasted over 1000 years apparently
led to her patronage of blacksmiths and those in related fields.
Born
453 @ Faughart, County Louth, Ireland
Died
1 February 523 @ Kildare, Ireland;
buried in Downpatrick, Ireland with Saint Patrick and Saint Columba; head removed to Jesuit church
in Lisbon, Portugal Name Meaning fiery arrow (=Brigid)
Patronage
babies, blacksmiths, boatmen, cattle, children whose parents are
not married, dairymaids, dairy workers, fugitives, infants, Ireland, nariners, midwives, new born babies, poets, sailors,
scholars, waterman
Representation
abbess, usually holding a lamp or candle, often with a cow nearby
Storefront
Saints Preserved; sculpture
