The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-02-22

.PATR0NEss OF IRELAND
FEBRUARY is THE MONTH OF ST.
BRIGID, "THE MARY OF THE
GAEL"
February is the month of st. Brigid
'The Mary of the Gael" This great
saint is the patroness of the Church
in Ireland, just as st. Patrick is the
patron saint of that historic land.
Her name and feast day are venerated
in Ireland to degree only second to
those of the Blessed Virgin, the
Mother of God There is reason for
this, because this glorious saint,
whose works were almost contempt
raneous with those of st. Patrick him
self, performed prodigies in aid of the
establishment of Christianity in Ire
land and it's propagation throughout
Europe fifteen hundred years ago.
Whilst the fame of ST. Brigid at
one time filed all Europe, today I'M
fortunately, outside of Ireland little,
comparatively speaking, is known of
her. In Ireland, however, her name
is held in loving reverence, her
shrine is the object of devotional pill
grimages, her name is embalmed in
song and story, and her work is aptly
described by Ireland's greatest poet
as:
''The bright light that shone from
Kildare's holy fame"
Brigid, Incorrectly known as
Bridget) was born in the latter part
of the fifth century in the county Of
Louth, Ireland. She was of princely
blood, her father being the chieftair
of Leimster. At an early age she be
came nun, taking the veil at the
hands of ST. Macaille Shortly after
wards she, with a number of othel
holy women erected under an oal
tree at Drum Criadh on the plains Of
Magh Life, her subsequently famous
convent of Cill-Dara (the Church Of
the Oak) now Kildare. So great was
her sanctity and learning that hel
small oratory developed into a Cattle
dral and became center of religion
and learning. Through her eXertion!
two monastic institutions were found
ed under the jurisdiction of thu
Church, one for men, and one fo
women, and Cill-Dara was ruled by /;
double line of Abbot-Bishops ant
ADDRESSES of Kildare.
st. Brigid became recognized al
the Superior General of the convent
of ireland. She was not only a grea
religious, but was also the patrones
of students and art, and from tn,
great institution at Kildare came tn,
wondrous book of the Gospels, know
as the Book of Kildare" This splen
did work of learning and of art il
rightly regarded as one of the won
ders of the age in which it was pre-
duced. It's pages are gorgeously il
Illuminated, it's penmanship is perfec
ton, and concerning it one. grea
writer speaking of the exquisite in
terlacing and the harmony of tn
coIors, describes it as "a work of tn,
angels" When she died she left
cathedral and an institution of learn
ing that became famous all over Ell
rope, and in her honor st. Ultal
wrote a hymn in which the following
words occur in the melodious oil
Gaelic language: 'In our island Q
Hibernia, Christ was made known t
man through the great miracle
which He performed through tn
happy virgin, Brigid of celestial life
famous for her merits through tn
whole world"
Brigid was inferred to the right @
the high altar of the Cathedral O
Kildare, and in after years her shrin
was the object of the generation O
pilgrims, especially on her feast, Eel
ruary 1st. About the year S78, ov
ing to the devastations made by tn
Danes, her remains were removed t
Downpatrick where they were in
tered in the tomb of ST. Patrick an
Columbcille "a fact embalmed by tn
old Irish ballad in the lines:
'Three glorious saints one gray
doth fill;
Patrick, Brigid and Columbcille."
Her hand is preserved as a hol
relic at LUMBAR, near Lisbon, Portu
gal, and another relic is at st. MAJ
tins, Cologne. In Ireland today, al
ter the lapse of $500 years, the men
DRY of Brigid, ''The Mary of tn
Gael" is as dear and truly venerate
as in those misty ages long ag
when she lighted the lamp of relig
ion and learning at "Kildare's hol
fame" The daughters of Erin ar
named in her honor, and Irishme
and Irishwomen celebrate her feas
day at home and abroad. In thi
country, principally through the wor
of the Ladies' Auxiliary of the A. G
H., the feast day of st. Brigid is hoI
| ored by appropriate functions an