Brigid and her mother were said to have been slaves in fifth-century Ireland; her father was believed to have been an Irish chieftain. As a young girl, one of Brigid’s responsibilities was to care for the dairy farm on the property. After Brigid milked the cows, she gave the milk away to the poor. She gave the needy the eggs she collected from the hens and churned cream into butter to share with the hungry.
An apostle leaves home and country, family and friends, to preach the good news of God’s love. God uses the apostle to reach out to pagans who believe in many gods. They do not know the beauty and goodness of the one true God. The apostle Patrick brought the great good news of the Christian God to the Irish.
Can you imagine what it would be like if it were a crime for children to go school? That was the law in Ireland when Edmund Rice, who was born in 1762, grew up. The people of Ireland were harshly ruled at that time by the British, who believed that if the Irish were uneducated, they would be easier to rule.
Columba (521-597) was born of a royal family in Donegal, Ireland, but he is best known as one of the most famous Scottish saints. He became a monk at an early age and founded monasteries in different parts of Ireland. He was forced to leave Ireland because of a personal feud that turned into a war. Bishops and abbots exiled him from Ireland, and twelve companions from his monasteries went with him.
Matt Talbot was born in 1856 to a poor family with 12 children in Dublin, Ireland. His father and several of his brothers were alcoholics. Matt began working as a messenger boy when he was 12 years old. He also began drinking alcohol around the same time.
Catherine Elizabeth McAuley was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1778. From the time she was a young child, Catherine saw her parents living their Catholic faith through service to the poor. After her parents died, Catherine lived with Protestant relatives who wanted her to become a member of their church. Catherine remained true to the Catholic faith.