The feast of St. Brigid was on Friday, February 1st. St. Brigid is one of the patron saints of Ireland and she is also the namesake of the program, the House of Brigid. Since coming back to Wexford after our post-Christmas breaks, we’ve been preparing for the St. Brigid’s service held every year at Clonard.
In preparation for the service, we collected holy water from St. Brigid’s Well in Terrerath and made Brigid crosses and it was through these preparations for the St. Brigid’s day Service that I was able to learn more about our program’s namesake as well as learn about all of the stories behind some of the service’s key items.
Making St. Brigid’s Crosses
The origin of the St. Brigid’s cross, as the story goes, was when St. Brigid was called to the bedside of a dying pagan chieftain (some versions say it was her father). She sat by him to keep watch over him in his final hours. While sitting by the dying man, Brigid picked up some rushes from the floor and began to weave them into a cross. The sick man asked her what she was making and Brigid began to explain the story of Jesus to him. Before he died, the chieftain had become a Christian. Making the St. Brigid’s crosses was made easier with the help of Kerry, Sr. Mary O’Dwyer, some tea ladies, and some other kind individuals who volunteered to help us make crosses.
The decorated altar for the St. Brigid’s service
St. Brigid is most commonly depicted with the four elements; Water, Earth, Fire, Air. And because of this the St. Brigid’s service, which was held today, focused on the four elements. The main altar in the parish was transformed into a display representing all four of these elements. There was a fire that was lit representing Fire, a flowing fountain representing Water, ribbons in a tree blowing in the breeze representing Air, and various fruits of the earth representing Earth.
The Element of Earth
This year we also assisted Sr. Mary Rowsome at Ballyvalloo with their St. Brigid’s service. It was nice to be able to attend the service at Ballyvalloo and see the service before we put ours on at Clonard especially experiencing all of the music, poetry, and prayers that are a part of the service.
To finish my post I’d like to share one of the stories about St. Brigid and a poem attributed to her that I have found interesting.
St. Brigid at one point worked in ministering to a leper colony and the colony had found themselves out of beer (at a time when it was safer to drink beer than the water). When the lepers she nursed implored her for beer, and there was none to be had, she changed the water, which was used for the bath, into an excellent beer, by the sheer strength of her blessing and dealt it out to the thirsty in plenty.
Brigid’s Feast
I’d like to give a lake of beer to God.
I’d love the Heavenly
Host to be tippling there
for all eternity.
I’d love the men of Heaven to live with me,
to dance and sing.
If they wanted, I’d put at their disposal
vats of suffering.
White cups of love I’d give them
with a heart and a half;
sweet pitchers of mercy I’d offer
to every man.
I’d make Heaven a cheerful spot
because the happy heart is true.
I’d make the men contented for their own sake.
I’d like Jesus to love me too.
I’d like the people of Heaven to gather
from all the parishes around.
I’d give a special welcome to the women,
the three Marys of great renown.
I’d sit with the men, the women and God
there by the lake of beer.
We’d be drinking good health forever
and every drop would be a prayer.
