St. Brigid of Ireland
Brigid lived while the Irish religion was forming the institution
of Christianity. The name Brigid was the name of the Celtic sun
goddess.
It is believed that Brigid was born into slavery and was
converted to Christianity by St. Patrick sometime during her
childhood. She was freed when she showed it was impossible to
stop her from giving alms.
Brigid's only desire was "to satisfy the poor, to expel every
hardship, to spare every miserable man." A lot of her miracles show
a maternal character showing her propensity to nourish.
Brigid became a nun and the abbess of Kildare, a double
monastery, consistiong of both men and women. Due to her fame as
a spiritutal teacher, The Abbey of Kildare became a spiritual center
for pilgrims.
Brigid induced a bishop to join her community and to share her
leadership. According to legend, though the Church resisted, the
bishop ordained Brigid as a bishop.
Whether the historical facts are true or not, the tale tells a lot
of Brigid's status in the Irish conscience, and perhaps the effort to
rectify the exclusion of such an extraordinary woman from the ranks
of apostolic authority.
Bibliography
1. All Saints. Robert Ellsberg. 1997.