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Among the saints of Ireland, Brigid of Kildare is one of three patrons to the country- the other two being Columba and Patrick. In this beautifully done icon by Vladmir Grygorenko, St. Brigid holds two signs characteristic to her life: an intricately carved crosier and a brewed Irish beer.
The first is a type of staff that abbesses are given as a sign of their authority and leadership in their monastic community, a position held by Brigid in Kildare (her abbey can be seen behind her in the icon).
The second object serves as a reminder of a miracle that she worked during her life. According to tradition, there was a severe shortage of beer in a colony of lepers (or as another story goes, a shortage for a large group of churches). At that time, beer was a valuable source of safe hydration and nutrition, as wells were often unsafe to drink from. In her love and generosity, Brigid interceded for the lepers and transformed their bathwater into a large quantity of excellent beer, thus saving the colony from a possible outbreak of disease. This miracle is similar to the first performed by Christ when He turned water into wine for the wedding at Cana. Saint Brigid's life and miracles are commemorated by many across the world on February 1.
4 x 6 inches