Happy St. Brendan's Day!

photo via creative commons by fhwrdh

I almost let this day pass. Shame on me. Brendan the Navigator is one of my favorite Irish saints because of two things: his wondrous journey, which had to have taken a huge measure of faith and trust in God, and the numerous monasteries he founded. He wasn't alone in that, of course. He is one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland--all of whom were hugely influential in the way they spread the faith. There is also the fact that he founded a convent, which was headed by his sister Briga. He took his dying breath in that place. It's a story (most of it in my imagination) that I hope to tell one day in a novel.

So, enjoy the day and look for your own adventure.
Read about Brendan here.

Irish Pub Bans Danny Boy!

The Irish owner of a pub in Manhattan has banned the playing of Danny Boy for the entire month of March. He says, "It's overplayed, it's been ranked among the 25 most depressing songs of all time and it's more appropriate for a funeral than for a St. Patrick's Day celebration."

While it's true that it's not a traditional Irish song (at least not the lyrics, which were written by someone who never set foot in Ireland) I find the pub owner's remarks amusing. St. Patrick's Day does, after all, mark the day of the patron saint's death.

Irish songs are depressing? Who would have thought that?

I do agree that it's overplayed. I'm tired of it myself. Your thoughts??

Read more here.
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St. Valentine and Ireland

photo via creative commons by Canadian Pacific

The Irish seemed to be connected to everything! St. Valentine, a resident of Rome during his lifetime, is buried in Ireland. Well, at least some of his relics are there, and we think it's the same St. Valentine from which we get Valentine's Day. After nearly 1,800 years these things get confused sometimes.

How did he get to Ireland? His relics were a gift from Pope Gregory XVI in 1836 and reside at the Carmelite Whitefriar Street Church in Dublin. You can read more here.

It's a special day there where couples come to his shrine to receive a blessing on their lives together.

Be Thou My Vision - Healing Angel

Celebrate with me! I just finished my first draft of CELTIC WISDOM: TREASURES FROM IRELAND, to be published by Lion-Hudson this fall. This hymn, which was originally an 8th century Irish prayer, was a major influence on this book. It so beautifully illustrates the Celtic view of Christianity.