Christian Men and Women

Saint Brigid

Brigid was born around the year 435 AD and was the daughter of a wealthy man and her mother was a slave. Her father was not happy about the birth of Brigid and so he sold her mother and Brigid was raised by a Druid. Her father still kept in touch and supported her. Brigid became a Christian and shared some of the money her father gave her with the poor. This angered her father and one day when he was about to strike his daughter the King stopped him saying that she was the best Christian he had ever come across.

Brigid was very beautiful and many men wanted to marry her. Her father organised for her to marry a rich poet but Brigid did not want this to happen. Brigid wanted to become a nun. As she was very beautiful she knew that many men would want to marry her so she asked God to make her ugly while she trained to become a nun. God granted her, her wish. Brigid stayed ugly until she was ordained and became a nun.

Brigid is known today as the patron female saint of Ireland. She was greatly influenced by Saint Patrick, and it is very possible that she would have met him as she would have been around ten or twelve when he died. It is known that she carried on great works such as those of St. Patrick. They were both generous to the end toward the lower classes of Ireland, and conversions to Christianity were produced in great numbers by them both.

Some of the virtues that Brigid displayed throughout her life were Prudence, Restraint (Temoerance), Faith, Hope and Love (Charity).