Venerable Brigid of Kildare, Ireland

St. Brigid was born in 453 in Faughart, Ireland. Even as a young girl, Brigid was constantly reaching out to the poor - which angered her father, a chieftain named Dubthach, as it was his property she gave away so casually. He tried to sell her to the king, but on seeing the girl give her fathers sword to a beggar, the king said "I cannot buy a girl who holds us so cheap". Dubthach tried to marry her off, but she chose instead a life of virginity, in service to God and the poor.

Brigid gathered seven other young women of like mind, and they approached St. Macaille for guidance. Initially skeptical, he came to believe that the hand of God was guiding them, and accepted their vows; Brigid established a novitiate under his direction. Eventually they were brought to St. Mel, Bishop of Ardagh, who received their final vows. A popular story says that St. Mel accidentally used the wrong service and consecrated Brigid as a bishop instead of an abbess.

At St. Mel's request, Brigid established a convent at Ardagh. in time, thousands came to Ardagh to receive instruction in the Christian faith, and Brigid, seeing potential in this, left Ardagh with a small group of nuns to see if the success of Ardagh could be replicated elsewhere. Postulants came to her everywhere she went. In each place she worked to establish the new convent, then left as soon as it was staffed in order to repeat the work in another place.

The convent Brigid established at Kildare was the most famous, and Brigid remained here as abbess. She is said to have asked the king for as much land as her cloak would cover so she could establish a convent there, and when he agreed, the cloak miraculously stretched to cover many acres of ground. She was the most prominent religious leader in the region, and many sought her advice, including St. Fiach, Bishop of Sletty, and St. Finian, Abbott of Clonard. Brigid reposed at Kildare at about the age of 70.