Feastday: February 1
Patron: of Ireland, dairymaids, cattle, midwives, Irish nuns, and newborn babies
Birth: 451
Death: 525
Saint Brigid Hearth Keeper Prayer
Courtesy of SaintBrigids.org
Brigid of the Mantle, encompass us,
Lady of the Lambs, protect us,
Keeper of the Hearth, kindle us.
Beneath your mantle, gather us,
And restore us to memory.
Mothers of our mother, Foremothers strong.
Guide our hands in yours,
Remind us how to kindle the hearth.
To keep it bright, to preserve the flame.
Your hands upon ours, Our hands within yours,
To kindle the light, Both day and night.
The Mantle of Brigid about us,
The Memory of Brigid within us,
The Protection of Brigid keeping us
From harm, from ignorance, from heartlessness.
This day and night,
From dawn till dark, From dark till dawn.
Continue reading about St. Brigid of Ireland
Additional Content Provided by Wikipedia
Saint Brigid of Faughart or Saint Brigid of Ireland (Irish: Naomh Bríd; Classical Gaelic: Brighid; Latin: Brigida; c. 451 – 525) is the patroness saint (or ‘mother saint’) of Ireland, and one of its three national saints along with Patrick and Columba. According to medieval Irish hagiographies, she was an abbess who founded the important abbey of Kildare (Cill Dara), as well as several other convents of nuns. There are few historical facts about her, and her hagiographies are mainly anecdotes and miracle tales, some of which are rooted in pagan folklore. They say Brigid was the daughter of a chieftain and a slave woman, and was raised in a druid’s household before becoming a consecrated virgin. She is patroness of many things, including poetry, learning, healing, protection, blacksmithing, livestock and dairy production. In her honour, a perpetual fire was kept burning at Kildare for centuries.
Some historians suggest that Brigid is a Christianisation of the Celtic goddess, Brigid. The saint’s feast day is 1 February, and traditionally it involves weaving Brigid’s crosses and many other folk customs. It was originally a pre-Christian festival called Imbolc, marking the beginning of spring. In 2023 it was declared a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland. This feast day is shared by Dar Lugdach, who tradition says was her student, close companion, and successor.
- Text: Online, C. (n.d.). St. Brigid of Ireland – Saints & Angels. [online] Catholic Online. Available at: https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=214. [Accessed 31 Jan. 2024].
- Wikipedia. (2023). Brigid of Kildare. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigid_of_Kildare.[Accessed 31 Jan. 2024].
- Wikipedia. (2023). Bridget. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridget [Accessed 31 Jan. 2024].
- Image Catholic.org. (2024). Available at: https://www.catholic.org/files/images/saints/214.jpg [Accessed 31 Jan. 2024].