St. Kieran is one of the Twelve Ap0stles of Ireland and one of the Holy Cross Window Saints. He is famed for founding the monastery at Clonmacnoise, which survived the Norse Invasions, but was eventually destroyed by the armies of Henry VII during the suppression of the monasteries.
Kieran died only 7 months after the founding of the monastery by the River Shannon, but it became a center of learning and scholarship, a beacon of wisdom, for long after his death.
St. Bridget wove a cross from some straw on the floor of hut where where she had been summoned by a Pagan chieftain for healing. His curiosity about her crafting led to his conversion to the faith.
May we be equally cunning and inventive in the presence of pagan power. May St. Brigid's intercession help protect us from the power of evil and flames of destruction in the world.
September 14 was the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, our patronal feast, and we defer its commemoration until a weekend so that many more members of our parish family may pray together. Join us at Mass on this festive and joyful occasion. There will be hospitality after the 10:30 AM mass. Check our our just-finished Hospitality Room in the St. Joseph Room.
The Finding of the True Cross window on the west wall of the church depicts the story of St. Helena's discovery of the cross through a divine healing. Since its cleaning and restoration, there are spectacular views of the window at various times of the day, especially during the fall.
Monday also commemorates the first year anniversary dedication of our new church, another cause for great joy.
P.S. This is a "before cleaning" picture. We'll have to take an "after restoration" picture for comparison.
Today's feast of St. Columcille, one of our window saints at Holy Cross, gives us much to think about.
Whether banished from Ireland or self-exiled, he left his homeland and pursued his vocation on Iona and in Scotland, ministering to and converting the Picts. His responsibility for the deaths of 3,000 men in the Battle of Cooldrevny, essentially over a dispute with St. Finnian over the copyright to a psalter Finnian owned, motivated him it is said to convert at least as many souls to Christianity.
It is good for us to understand that saints have made mistakes, sinned. Sin doesn't prevent their eventual sanctification, just delays it, perhaps in a way even contributes to it by way of sorrow, compunction and repentance. We can turn away from sin. We can be forgiven, but sin does change things. Columcille left Ireland or had to. His departure didn't ruin his life, it gave him a new direction.
St. Columcille, pray for us.