St. Brigid, also called Bride, is Ireland’s most popular saint; she may have known St. Patrick. She established a monastery at Kildare and persuaded Conlaed to bring his monks and join her. She is often depicted with a crozier or shepherd’s hook, a sign of episcopal office. We don’t know whether she was ordained a bishop, which was common for abbots of her rank, but we do know she possessed similar authority. Her love for the poor endeared her to all Ireland. (Br. Kenneth Hosley, OPC)
The Daily Office 
