A Dictionary of Saintly Women/Brigid (15)
St. Brigid (15), Dec. 31, Feb. 1. 9th century. Irish. Her brother St. Andrew left his country to go on a pilgrimage. When he said farewell to her, he advised her to dedicate her life to God. She did so. Many years passed, and she had long ceased to expect news of her brother, when, about the year 840, she was sitting at home preparing her frugal fare, when an angel appeared and carried her off to Fiesole, near Florence. There she found herself in the presence of St. Andrew, who lay on his death-bed, surrounded by his sorrowing monks. He had been for years Archdeacon of Fiesole, under its Irish seventh bishop, St. Donatus, and had restored the monastery of St. Martin. Donatus was lately dead. Andrew was ill of fever, and felt that he had not many days to live. He greatly longed to see his sister Brigid before he died, and in answer to his strong wish, she had been miraculously brought to him. She thought she was dreaming, and was as much amazed and bewildered as the monks were to see her arrive in their midst Andrew said, “Brigid, my beloved sister, I have longed to see thee before I die, and because of the great distance that lay between us I feared my desire would not be granted. I trust that here where I have lived, thou, as a solitary and penitent, wilt dwell, and by thy prayers and virtues fill up the measure of my shortcomings. Cease from thy amazement, and pray for me with all thy soul, for my last hour is at hand, and my summons has come.” Then Brigid awoke as from a dream, and wept both for joy and grief; she grieved to lose him again so soon, but exulted that he had resisted temptations and overcome the evil one. She promised that all the days of life that remained to her should be dedicated to carrying out his will, and that she would stay in the country of his adoption and walk in his footsteps as far as her weakness allowed. Then brilliant lights and sweet odours announced the ascent of the soul of Andrew, and all the people came and venerated their dead saint. Brigid left the monastery and settled near the source of the Sieci, high up in the Val d’Arno, where she founded a church in honour of St. Martin of Tours. After some years she went further up the mountain to a more secluded place in the thick woods. Here she found a cave, where she led a solitary life of penance and prayer, and there she lived to a great age. The cave is still shown underneath the church of the Madonna del Sasso, high up among the Apennines, about two miles from Lobaco. In 870 the inhabitants built a church on the site of her hermitage, and called it Santa Brigida. Boll., AA. SS. Lanigan. Stokes, Six Months in the Apennines.