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Brigitta IrlandskayaCatholic and Orthodox saint, patroness of Ireland
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Content:
- Biography of Saint Brigid of Ireland
- Little Information on Saint Brigid's Life
- Saint Brigid's Miracles and Acts of Kindness
- Conversion to Christianity and Foundation of Monastery
- Veneration of Saint Brigid
Biography of Saint Brigid of Ireland
Saint Brigid of Ireland, also known as Saint Brigid of Kildare, was a Catholic and Orthodox saint and the patroness of Ireland. In the Orthodox tradition, she is referred to as Venerable Brigid, Abbess of Kildare, and Princess of Ireland.
Little Information on Saint Brigid's Life
There is very little reliable information about the life of Saint Brigid. Three hagiographies of Saint Brigid have survived in numerous manuscripts and variations. Two hagiographies are written in Latin, known as Vita I or Vita Prima, and Vita II. The third hagiography, Vita III or Bethu Brigde (BB), is written in Old Irish. All of these texts have a complex manuscript tradition. The first hagiography (Vita I) was written between 650 and 725 AD. However, according to medieval scholars, it is not the oldest. In terms of style and interpreted themes, it is typical of Irish hagiographical literature from the eighth and subsequent centuries. The second hagiography (Vita II), which is shorter in length, is one of the four hagiographical works from the seventh century that has an author, Cogitosus.
According to her hagiography, which carries a legendary character, Saint Brigid's father was a pagan king of Leinster, and her mother was a slave from the Pictish people who converted to Christianity by Saint Patrick.
Saint Brigid's Miracles and Acts of Kindness
Saint Brigid is revered not only for her miracles but also for her kindness and compassion. She would distribute food to the poor, heal the sick, and never refuse anyone in need of help. In her hands, meat, oil, and provisions for guests never ran out, and there was always enough food and drink for everyone. These stories resonate with the Gospel miracle of the five loaves and fishes, on one hand, and with the attributes of the pagan goddess of fertility, also named Brigid, on the other. To ensure there was enough milk for all the guests, her cows were milked three times a day.
Conversion to Christianity and Foundation of Monastery
It is known that Saint Brigid converted to Christianity around 468 AD. Around 480 AD, she founded a monastery in the town of Kildare on the site of a former pagan shrine of the druids (Irish: Cill Dara - Church of the Oak). Saint Brigid frequently visited Kilbride, where she met with another revered figure, Bríga, who is still venerated in those parts. Saint Brigid acted as the foster mother of another beloved Irish saint, Darlugdach. She passed away in the monastery she founded in 525 AD and was buried in Downpatrick alongside Saint Patrick, with whom she is considered a patroness of Ireland.
Veneration of Saint Brigid
The veneration of Saint Brigid quickly spread throughout Ireland and then to the entire Western Church. Her feast day is celebrated on February 1st in the Catholic Church and on January 23rd in the Orthodox Church.