Details announced for St Brigid’s Day service in Kilkenny

This year's St Brigid’s day service led by the Kilkenny Gospel Choir will take place on Wednesday, February 1 in St Fiacre’s Church Loughboy Kilkenny at 7.30pm.

As we approach the world day of prayer for cancer, the service will remember all those whose lives have been touched by cancer.

St Brigid, 'the Mary of the Gael', as she has been known to generations of Irish people, commands affection and respect. She is remembered for her hospitality and hard work - as a woman of God and a woman of the people.

Brigid's life began in Faughart, a few miles from Dundalk, in the year 453. Her father was chieftain named Dubthach, and her mother was Brocessa, a Christian bondswoman. Shortly after Brigid's birth, Dubthach's wife persuaded him to send Brocessa away, to Murroe in east Limerick.

Years later, Brigid returned to her father's house, taking her mother's place in the usual round of slave duties - minding the livestock, serving at meals. It was already apparent that Brigid had a calling as she constantly reached out to the poor.   

Brigid's genius for leadership and organisation came into its own. A woman of wisdom and common sense, she made provision for the sick, tending to them with her knowledge of contemporary medicine.

She established schools, set sisters to work making vestments, and she organised the Episcopal government of her city. More than anything else, however, Brigid was renowned for her hospitality.

After some years in charge at Kildare, Brigid was the most prominent religious leader in the Liffey plain. Many and notable are the names who came to her for help. St Fiacre sought her guidance in the founding of his monastery in Laois, as did St Finnian for his monastery at Clonard. 

She died shortly after her 70th birthday. Her spirit lives on in the hospitality afforded by the nuns at Kildare, and she is remembered in posterity as a patron of Irish women and motherhood, someone to call on for help in domestic matters and in times of sickness and loss.

This year's service will include holy water from the well of St Brigid, which will be available, as well as red flannel associated with the healing ministry of St Brigid. All are invited to bring their St Brigid’s Crosses to be blessed or buy them on the night.

"Every year hundreds of people attend the service and take the water and red flannel home with them invoking the protection of St Brigid," says Fr Willie, who will lead the service.

"It is said that St Brigid’s cloak was made of red flannel and when she spread her cloak over the sick, the worried or the anxious they were healed.

"At this difficult time in the lives of all people its important we are united in support of each other and what better way than to gather and pray for each other," said Fr Willie.

"This year we chose to remember all who have been touched by cancer, loss and depression and this is in response to the many people who ask the choir to remember them because they have had the experience of hurt in their families."

For further information on the night contact the Kilkenny Gospel Choir at kilkennygospelchoir@gmail.com.