Brendan of Birr

Infobox Saint
name=Brendan of Birr
birth_date=
death_date=c. 573
feast_day=29 November
venerated_in=Roman Catholic Church
Anglican Communion (?)


imagesize=
caption=
birth_place=
death_place=Birr, Ireland
titles="Prophet of Ireland"
Abbot
beatified_date=
beatified_place=
beatified_by=
canonized_date=
canonized_place=
canonized_by=
attributes=
patronage=
major_shrine=
suppressed_date=
issues=

Saint Brendan of Birr (died c. 573) was one of the early Irish monastic saints. He was a monk and later an abbot, of the 6th century. He was one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland. [ [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01632a.htm The Twelve Apostles of Erin] ]

Early life

In early Christian Ireland the druid tradition collapsed with the spread of the new faith. Study of Latin learning and Christian theology in monasteries flourished. Brendan became a pupil at the monastic school at Clonard. During the sixth century, some of the most significant names in the history of Irish Christianity studied at the Clonard monastery. It is said that the average number of scholars under instruction at Clonard was 3,000.Citation
last = Gratton-Flood
first = W.H.
title = The Twelve Apostles of Erin
work = The Catholic Encyclopedia
volume = I
location = New York
publisher = Robert Appleton Company
date = March 1, 1907
year = 1907
url = http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01632a.htm
accessdate = 2008-02-09] Twelve students who studied under St. Finian became known as the Twelve Apostles of Ireland, Brendan of Birr was one of these. It was at Clonard that Brendan became a friend and companion of Brendan of Clonfert.cite web | last = Jones | first = Terry | title = Brendan of Birr | work = Patron Saints Index | url=http://catholicforum.com/saints/saintb57.htm | accessdate = 2007-12-30]

He founded the monastery at Birr in central Ireland in about 540, serving as its abbot. An adviser of Saint Columba said Columba saw a vision of Brendan's soul being carried away by angels after his death.cite web | title =St. Brendan of Birr | work =Saints and Angels | publisher =Catholic Online | url =http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1831 | accessdate =2007-12-30]

References