Page 11 - Saints of the Month: February

Saints of the Month: February

The following is from Butler’s Lives of the Saints:

NEXT to the glorious St. Patrick, St.
Bridgid, whom we may consider his spiritual
daughter in Christ, has ever been held in
singular veneration in Ireland. She was born
about the year 453, at Fochard in Ulster.
During her infancy, her pious father saw in
a vision men clothed in white garments
pouring a sacred unguent on her head, thus
prefiguring her future sanctity. While yet
very young, Bridgid consecrated her life to
God, bestowed everything at her disposal on
the poor, and was the edification of all who
knew her. She was very beautiful, and
fearing that efforts might be made to induce
her to break the vow by which she had
bound herself to God, and to bestow her
hand on one of her many suitors, she prayed
that she might become ugly and deformed.
Her prayer was heard, for her eye became
swollen, and her whole countenance so
changed that she was allowed to follow her
vocation in peace, and marriage with her
was no more thought of. When about twenty
years old, our Saint made known to St. Mel,
the nephew and disciple of St. Patrick, her
intention to live only to Jesus Christ, and he
consented to receive her sacred vows. On
the appointed day the solemn ceremony of
her profession was performed after the
manner introduced by St. Patrick, the
bishop offering up many prayers, and

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