St. Brigid Church in South Boston, Honoring Ireland's Patroness Saint
On February 1st each year, Ireland celebrates the extraordinary life of St Brigid, Ireland's matron saint and beloved figure who bridged the Celtic and Christian traditions of the island in the 5th century. She shares a name with Brigit, a Celtic goddess from whom many legends and folk customs are associated. Born around 451 A.D. in Ireland, Brigid's life straddled the transition between pre-Christian Celtic believes and Christianity. She is patroness of poetry, learning, healing, protection, blacksmithing, livestock and dairy production. The Book of Lismore, a 15th century Gaelic manuscript of religious material relating to Ireland's saints, writes this about St. Brigid: "For this was Brigid's desire: to satisfy, the poor; to expel every hardship; to relieve every misery. Now never hath there been one more bashful, modest, gentle, humble, more sage, more harmonious than Brigid. She is the Prophetess of Christ; she is Queen of the South; she is the Mary of the...