St Brigid of Kildare (c.451-521) is one of the three secondary patrons of Ireland, St Patrick being the principal one. The two other secondary patrons are St Columcille or Columba (521-597), as he is better known in Scotland where he is especially venerated, and St Columban or Columbanus (c.540-615), the patron of the Missionary Society of St Columban to which I belong.
St Brigid invited St Conleth to be the priest for her monastery in Kildare and he became the first bishop of Kildare around 490. He was killed by wolves in 519 as he was setting off on a pilgrimage to Rome. He and St Brigid are patron saints of the Diocese of Kildare to which the Diocese of Leighlin (pronounced 'LOCKlin') was united in 1678.
St Conleth's Catholic Heritage Association is located in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin. It aims at safeguarding the rich liturgical heritage of the Catholic Church and promoting its use in the sacramental life of the Church in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin. In effect, this means that we seek the full implementation of Summorum Pontificum throughout the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, wherever there is a genuine pastoral need.
In its blog entry on the Feast of St Brigid, 1 February, the first day of spring by ancient Irish reckoning, it made this suggestion:
Following the Holy Year for Priests, it is surely time to pray for consecrated women. Therefore, dear reader, we urge you to ask Ecclesiastical Authorities to dedicate a special year to give thanks to God for Nuns and to pray for Nuns and for more Nuns. What better way to do honour to St Brigid?
Please proclaim a Holy Year for Nuns!
Ora pro populo, interveni pro clero, intercede pro devoto femineo sexu!
Dear Father,
ReplyDeleteThank you! I pop in to your excellent blog regularly and was humbled to see this post.
God bless you!