On Thursday 1st February, 2024, churches across Kildare and beyond will come together to participate in a special ecumenical service at 11.00am in St Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare entitled, ‘Celebrating St Brigid. Brigid 1500: A Service of Thanksgiving’.
This service, dedicated to commemorating the Feast Day of St Brigid and the 1500th anniversary of her death, promises an uplifting experience through music, prayer, and worship.
The co–leaders of this thanksgiving service are the Most Rev Denis Nulty, Roman Catholic Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, and the Most Rev Patricia Storey, Church of Ireland Bishop of Meath and Kildare. The Reverend Canon Dr. Alison Joyce, Rector of St. Bride’s Church, Fleet Street in the heart of London, will deliver the sermon.
At the end of the service, a Pause for Peace will be observed in the cathedral at 12 noon. 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 St Brigid’s Day, the 1st of February 2024.
Livestreaming of the service will also be available worldwide. The service will take place in St Brigid’s Cathedral, Kildare, which marks the ancient hilltop site where she founded her double monastery, for men and for women, in the year 480 AD.
Commenting on the service, Bishop Pat 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.”
Bishop Denis Nulty added: “Celebrating anniversaries helps to ground us and root us in the reality of the present day. The 1500th Anniversary of the death of St. 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 1st as we celebrate and give thanks for the witness of Brigid and the faith she brought.”
Kildare County Council extends a warm invitation to the community and visitors alike to participate in the Brigid 1500 Programme and celebrate the extraordinary life and legacy of St Brigid throughout 2024, marking the 1500th anniversary of the death of St Brigid. For more information and updates on the programme, please visit www.brigid1500.ie and all Brigid 1500 social media channels.
