Saturday, November 08, 2003

My creative wife has come up with a new - and I think great - idea for the life of Saint Patrick's Church. She is proposing a ministry for women called The Order of Saint Brigid.

St. Brigid lived around 460-525 in Ireland and was a contemporary of St. Patrick, although she was much younger. Brigid was known for the many convents she founded around Ireland. One is of the most famous was a dual monastery of men and women at Kildare ("Church of the Oak") in County Kildare, Ireland. Brigid was known for her liveliness, generosity, and hospitality. Brigid was a missionary, who often rode far and wide over Ireland on works of charity.

Her idea is that the women meet monthly to practice one of the six rules of the order.
ƒÇ Holiness ¡V Commit to pursuing virtue, wisdom and intimacy with God
ƒÇ Hospitality ¡V Commit to inviting others into our lives and our homes
ƒÇ Charity ¡V Commit to sharing our gifts and goods with others
ƒÇ Learning ¡V Commit to developing our minds and sharpening our abilities
Ă Artistry - Commit to developing our creative abilities and sharing those with others
ƒÇ Leadership ¡V Commit to demonstrating initiative in reaching out to others; developing our gifts, talents and abilities; leading our families; and being a model for other women

The meetings should foster spiritual friendship and other organic community. Sounds pretty cool. We'll see what emerges.

Peter+

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