Who we are
Saint Brigid’s Abbey
The legend of Brigid’s cloak is often told. It’s the story about the manner in which she came to acquire the land to build her monastery at Kildare. It is often regarded as one of the first miracles associated with her
She approached the King of Leinster requesting the land on which to build her monastery. The place she selected in Kildare was ideal. It was near a lake where water was available, in a forest where there was firewood and near a fertile plain on which to grow crops. The King refused her request. Brigid was not put off by his refusal. Rather, she and her sisters prayed that the King’s heart would soften. She made her request again but this time she asked, “Give me as much land as my cloak will cover.”
Seeing her small cloak, he laughed and then granted this request. However, Brigid had instructed her four helpers each to take a corner of the cloak and walk in opposite directions – north, south, east and west. As they did this the cloak began to grow and spread across many acres. She now had sufficient land on which to build her monastery. The King and his entire household were dismayed and amazed. They realised that this woman was truly blessed by God. The King became a patron of Brigid’s monastery, assisting her with money, food and gifts. Later he converted to Christianity. It was on this land in Kildare that she built her dual monastery c.470.
Church of the Oak
Kildare Abbey is a former monastery in County Kildare, Ireland, founded by St Brigid in the 5th century, and destroyed in the 12th century.
Originally known as Druim Criaidh, or the Ridge of Clay, Kildare came to be known as Cill-Dara, or the Church of the Oak, from the stately oak-tree loved by St. Brigid. She founded a small oratory which soon expanded into a large double monastery, one portion being for women, the other for men. She procured St. Conleth to rule and ordain the monastery, and another bishop, St. Nadfraoich, to preach and teach the Gospel.
Saint Brigid
Saint Brigid of Kildare or Saint Brigid of Ireland is the patroness saint (or 'mother saint') of Ireland, and one of its three national saints along with Patrick and Columba. According to medieval Irish hagiographies, she was an abbess who founded the important abbey of Kildare (Cill Dara), as well as several other convents of nuns. There are few documented historical facts about her, and her hagiographies are mainly anecdotes and miracle tales, some of which are rooted in pagan folklore. They say Brigid was the daughter of an Irish clan chief and an enslaved Christian woman, and was fostered in a druid's household before becoming a consecrated virgin. She is patroness of many things, including poetry, learning, healing, protection, blacksmithing, livestock and dairy production. In her honour, a perpetual fire was kept burning at Kildare for centuries.
Some historians suggest that Brigid is a Christianisation of the Celtic goddess Brigid. The saint's feast day is 1 February, and traditionally it involves weaving Brigid's crosses and many other folk customs. It was originally a pre-Christian festival called Imbolc, marking the beginning of spring. From 2023 it is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland. This feast day is shared by Dar Lugdach, who tradition says was her student, close companion, and successor.
Observed within the Anglican Tradition
First and foremost, Anglicans are Christians. Globally, Anglicans form the third largest body of Christians in the world (around 80 million members) behind the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.
The name “Anglican” is traced back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Europe. The tribal name was spelled “Engles” or “Angles” and the tribe’s speech was the precursor to the English language. Their island became known as England, and their Christians were known as Anglicans. The name has nothing to do with “angels.”
Just as the English language spread with the British empire, so did Anglican Christianity. When Anglicans resettled in new lands, they brought their personal faith with them. Chaplains and pastors were often among their number. Additionally, many Anglicans traveled as missionaries to share the Gospel. Consequently, Anglican churches now exist all over the world in more than 165 countries. As Anglican Christians became a global family, the demographics shifted dramatically. While Christians from Britain, the United States, Canada, and Australia continue to play an important role, today the “average” Anglican is a young woman from Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Anglican ethos holds together three streams of the Christian Church. For those familiar with Church History, Dr. Les Fairfield provides a synopsis of the history that shapes its life today:
The Protestant movement recalled the 16th century Church to the primacy of the Word—written, read, preached, inwardly digested. The 18th century Holiness movement reminded the Church of God’s love for the poor. The Anglo-Catholic movement re-grounded the Church in the sacramental life of worship. All three strands are grounded in the Gospel. Each one extrapolates the Gospel in a specific direction. No strand is dispensable. Other Christian bodies have often taken one strand to an extreme. By God’s grace the Anglican tradition has held the streams in creative tension. This miracle of unity is a treasure worth keeping.
Anglican worship is diverse, and it is best understood by visiting and attending a local congregation. What is common to all is an inheritance of worship that recognizes the supremacy of the Bible and often finds expression through the Prayer Book. To understand what and how Anglicans pray is to understand what they believe. The Prayer Book, described as the Scriptures arranged for worship, provides helpful resources for everything from personal daily devotions to large public gatherings of worship. It includes prayers for every season of life.
High Church Liturgy
High churches emphasize more liturgical, traditional, and ceremonial elements in worship.
Think vestments, holy orders, and Eucharist!
Broad Church Theology
What is Broad Church Theology?
The term appeared in mid-nineteenth century theological discourse to describe an approach to the doctrine and worship of the Church of England which was more tolerant and liberal than the views of the existing low church and high church parties.
Praying the Daily Office
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV
As the early Christians continued the practice of praying at certain hours of the day or night, the development of The Liturgy of the Hours, or, Monastic Prayer, continued. By the time of Saint Benedict, (6th century) there were 7 times of prayer a day. Benedict added an 8th hour in agreement with the Benedictine motto “Ora et Labora” (pray & work) for the life of a monk.
The Monastic Hours of Prayer were as follows:
Matins –Midnight
Lauds -3am
Prime – 6am
Terce -9am
Sext -Noon
None -3pm
Vespers -6pm
Compline -9pm
The History of the Daily Office
In the Early Middle Ages, St. Benedict of Nursia crafted a monastic rule establishing a prayer time every three hours. This rule became popular throughout the medieval church. During the English Reformation, Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, condensed these into two daily offices, Morning and Evening Prayer, while crafting the Book of Common Prayer. Later editions of the Prayer Book, particularly the 1979 and 2019 editions, have restored Midday and Compline (night) offices.
When you first encounter the Anglican tradition, one thing quickly becomes evident: we are a people of the Bible—and we read a lot of it. Besides our liturgy that is, most often, directly derived or paraphrased from Scripture, our Eucharist services feature up to four substantial readings of Scripture. Yet we don’t reserve this Bible reading for Sunday mornings. Our Daily Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer feature even more substantial portions of Scripture to saturate us in the Word of God every day.
The morning and evening offices each feature a reading from the Psalms, one from the Old Testament (or occasionally the Apocrypha), and one from the New Testament each day. But where do we get these readings? A lectionary. A lectionary is, in simple terms, a Bible reading plan. It tells you which scripture passages to read on specific days. The Daily Office Lectionary guides you through the scriptures each morning and evening of the year.
Following Jesus Through the Church Year
The Christian life has different seasons just as the seasons of nature. Each of these seasons help to remind us of the multidimensional nature of the Christian faith. As Anglicans, our faith revolves around the seasons of the Church Year. The Church Year sets aside certain days and seasons of each year to recall and celebrate various events in the life of Jesus Christ.
The Church Year involves an annual cycle of seasons including Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time. Each season has its own unique set of prayers, colors, and themes which center on the gospel of Jesus Christ and prepare us for our journey of faith.
More resources!
Contact us
Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!