St. Brigid of Ireland

February 1 is the Feast Day of St. Brigid of Ireland, one of our family's favorite Saints. The quote below has long been attributed to St. Brigid.

"I'd Like A Great Lake Of Beer For The King Of Kings. I Would Like To Be Watching Heaven's Family Drinking It Through All Eternity."

Our family has long had an affection for this great Saint. She is a revered Saint in Ireland, second in popularity only to St. Patrick. Her legendary association with miracles involving beer often overshadows her deeds of charity and compassion. Brigid is believed to have been born in 451, and she died in 524 or 525. The Abbey she founded in County Kildare in the 5th century was destroyed in the 12th century.

Beyond her prayer for a "great lake of beer" this revered Saint had other interesting connections with the beverage. According to tradition, Brigid was working in a leper colony when they ran out of beer. Since beer was an important source of safe liquid refreshment and nourishment, this was indeed a serious issue. Brigid is said to have changed her bath water into beer to nourish the lepers and visiting clerics. In another miracle attributed to St. Brigid, she provided beer to 18 churches for an entire Easter season, all from a single barrel of beer in her convent.

St. Brigid Statue, Knock Shrine, County Mayo, Ireland

St. Brigid, ora pro nobis!

Cheers!