Bishop Pat Storey to lead ecumenical service in Kildare on feast of St. Brigid

The Bishop of Meath and Kildare Pat Storey will lead a special ecumenical service in memory of St. Brigid of Kildare, Ireland’s patron saint, on her feast day next Thursday.
By Kevin Mullan
Published 25th Jan 2024, 16:46 BST
Updated 25th Jan 2024, 16:46 BST
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Bishop Storey will join Bishop Denis Nulty, Catholic Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, for the service at 11am in Saint Brigid’s Cathedral entitled: ‘Celebrating Saint Brigid Brigid 1500: A Service of Thanksgiving’.

The ceremony will commemorate the 1500th anniversary of Saint Brigid’s death and will take place on her Feast Day, Lá Fhéile Bríde, on February 1.

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Bishop Storey, who became the first Church of Ireland woman bishop in 2013, is a former rector of St. Augustine's Church in Derry.

Bishop Pat Storey, Church of Ireland Bishop of Kildare and Meath, and Bishop Denis Nulty, Catholic Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin look forward to the Brigid 1500 service in Saint Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare.Bishop Pat Storey, Church of Ireland Bishop of Kildare and Meath, and Bishop Denis Nulty, Catholic Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin look forward to the Brigid 1500 service in Saint Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare.
Bishop Pat Storey, Church of Ireland Bishop of Kildare and Meath, and Bishop Denis Nulty, Catholic Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin look forward to the Brigid 1500 service in Saint Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare.

Bishop Storey said: “We are delighted to be a part of the Brigid 1500 celebrations which highlight the Christian heritage and living faith of many in this land. We are partners in the gospel alongside every believer as we remember the wonderful legacy of Brigid.”

Canon Dr. Alison Joyce, the Rector of Saint Bride’s Church, Fleet Street, in the heart of London, will deliver the sermon at the service, which will also feature the leaders of the three local churches in Kildare town, Dean Isobel Jackson of Saint Brigid’s Cathedral, Father Andy Leahy of Saint Brigid’s Parish Church, and Father TC Antony of the Carmelite Church.

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The Cathedral marks the ancient hilltop site where Saint Brigid founded her double monastery, for men and for women, in the year 480 AD.

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At the end of the service at 12 noon, a ‘Pause for Peace’ will be observed in the Cathedral.

It will be introduced by Sister Rita Minehan from the Brigidine Sisters. This will be aligning with a broader initiative whereby the people of Kildare are extending a global invitation, urging individuals worldwide to pause for a minute’s silence at midday (local time) on Saint Brigid’s Day, 1 February 2024.

Bishop Nulty said: “Celebrating anniversaries help to ground us and root us in the reality of the present day. The 1500th anniversary of the death of Saint Brigid is one such anniversary.

"I am so looking forward to gathering, with Bishop Pat and the people of Kildare, in the Cathedral on February 1 as we celebrate and give thanks for the witness of Brigid and the faith that she brought.”

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Related topics:KildareIreland