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229:, men as well as women. Ita was said to have a gift for guiding people in holiness. She was much sought after as a spiritual director. During this period of Christianity, the Celtic Church was more advanced than other churches at the time in recognising the qualities of spiritual leadership in women and in encouraging women in this role. It is thought that Ita may have been abbess of a double monastery of men and women.
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189:, County Waterford. Ita was said to embody the six virtues of Irish womanhood – wisdom, purity, beauty, musical ability, gentle speech and needle skills. She is also reported to have rejected a prestigious marriage for a life as a consecrated woman religious. At the age of sixteen, she moved to Cluain Credhail, a place name that has ever since been known as
248:. She probably died of cancer, though contemporary chroniclers describe how her side was consumed by a beetle that eventually grew to the size of a pig. When she felt her end approaching she sent for her community of nuns, and invoked the blessing of heaven on the clergy and laity of the district around Kileedy. Ita died sometime around 570.
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The great
Navigator visited her between his voyages and always deferred to her counsel. Brendan is believed to have asked her what three things God loved best. "True faith in God and a pure heart, a simple life with a religious spirit and open-handedness inspired by charity," she answered. The three
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Her grave, frequently decorated with flowers, is in the ruins of Cill Ide, a
Romanesque church at Killeedy where her monastery once stood. It was destroyed by Viking invaders in the ninth century. A Romanesque church was later built over its ruins, but that too failed to survive. The site, however,
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A strongly individualistic character is glimpsed in the stories that surround her life. When she decided to settle in
Killeedy, a chieftain offered her a large grant of land to support the convent. But Ita would accept only four acres, which she cultivated intensively. The community group seems to
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conferred the veil on her. Legend has it that Ita was led to
Killeedy by three heavenly lights. The first was at the top of the Galtee mountains, the second on the Mullaghareirk mountains and the third at Cluain Creadhail, which is nowadays Killeedy. Her sister Fiona also went to Killeedy with her
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A holy well nearby, almost invisible now, was known for centuries for curing smallpox in children and other diseases as well. This well has two names – It is called St. Bernard's Well on the OS map, but the local name has always been Tobar Bhaile Ui MhÈidÌn, My Little Ita's Well, coming from the
182:, follows the example of Brigit in describing the opposition Íte meets in pursuit of her vocation. Genealogies of the saints go so far as to make Íte's mother, Necht, a daughter of Dallbrónach, and therefore a sister of Brigit's mother.
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granted a special Office and Mass for the feast of St. Ita, which is kept on 15 January. Although not on the Roman calendar of saints, her feast is celebrated as an optional memorial in
Ireland. She is also celebrated by the
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St Ita is the patron saint of
Killeedy, Ireland, and along with St. Munchin is co-patron of the Diocese of Limerick. She is reportedly a good intercessor in terms of pregnancy and eye illnesses.
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have had a school for little boys where they were taught "Faith in God with purity of heart; simplicity of life with religion; generosity with love". Her pupils are said to have included Saint
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are recorded of her. She is also said to be the originator of an Irish lullaby for the infant Jesus, an
English version of which was set for voice and piano by the American composer
680:
660:
424:
Johnston, Elva. ‘Munster, saints of (act. c.450–c.700)’, Oxford
Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2008
318:(In Irish – Cill m'Ide, or church of my Ita) has links with the saint as well – having first set up a church in Kilmeedy before the one in Killeedy.
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She dedicated herself to prayer, fasting, simplicity and cultivating a gift for spiritual discernment. She was also endowed with the gift of
197:, where she founded a small community of nuns and resided for the remainder of her life, in community with other consecrated women. Bishop
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154:". The name "Ita" ("thirst for holiness") was conferred on her because of her saintly qualities. Her feast day is 15 January.
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Grattan-Flood, William. "St. Ita." The
Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 24 Jul. 2013
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things God most detested were a scowling face, obstinacy in wrongdoing, and too great a confidence in the power of money.
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210:, whom Bishop Erc gave to Ita in foster care when he was a year old. St. Ita kept him until he was six.
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174:. Her father was Cennfoelad or Confhaola and her mother was Necta. Cennfoelad was descended from
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Haggerty, Bridget. "St. Ita, foster-mother to the saints of
Ireland", Irish Culture and Customs
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Not only was St. Ita a saint, but she was the foster mother of many saints, including St.
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544:. Vol. I - January-March. United States of America: St. Eadfrith Press.
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St. Ita's AFC is the name of the association football club which is based in
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Her legend places a great deal of emphasis on her austerity, as told by St.
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150:(Cluain Credhail). She was known as the "foster mother of the saints of
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520:"Ita of Killeedy, Ireland", International Catholic Stewardship Council
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272:(Mochoemog) and Cuimin. At the request of Bishop Butler of Limerick,
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place name, Cill Barra MhÈidÌn. "Church of my little Ita's Height."
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https://www.holytrinityorthodox.com/htc/orthodox-calendar/
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Johnston, Elva (May 2008) . "Munster, saints of (act.
386:"St Ita of Killeedy", Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney
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Stained glass window of Ita in St. Kieran's Church,
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178:, King of Tara. An account of her life in the
497:. 3rd edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1993.
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185:She was baptised as Deirdre and grew up near
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588:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
493:Attwater, Donald and Catherine Rachel John.
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681:Christian female saints of the Middle Ages
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540:Hutchison-Hall, John (Ellsworth) (2013).
311:. The saint appears on the club's crest.
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585:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
578:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
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202:and became a member of the community.
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257:remains a place of pilgrimage today.
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542:Orthodox Saints of the British Isles
363:Johnston, "Munster, saints of (act.
314:Another village in County Limerick,
413:"St Ita", Limerick Diocese Heritage
281:on 15 January on the New Calendar.
193:– meaning "Church of St. Ita" – in
225:by a large number of contemporary
170:", was born in 480 in the present
115:Roman Catholic Diocese of Limerick
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661:Female saints of medieval Ireland
495:The Penguin Dictionary of Saints
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676:People from County Waterford
646:6th-century Christian saints
609:UK public library membership
126:(d. 570/577), also known as
117:, Ireland, Killeedy, Ireland
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671:Medieval saints of Munster
656:6th-century Christian nuns
641:5th-century Christian nuns
535:Orthodox Church in America
458:Saint Ita Catholic Church
351:January 28 / January 15.
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300:bearing St. Íde's name.
279:Eastern Orthodox Church
651:6th-century Irish nuns
636:5th-century Irish nuns
594:10.1093/ref:odnb/51008
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221:and was held in great
124:Íte ingen Chinn Fhalad
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142:, was an early Irish
454:"Who Was Saint Ita?"
146:and patron saint of
340:Hutchison-Hall 2013
180:Codex Kilkenniensis
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294:Conradh na Gaeilge
176:Felim the lawgiver
607:(Subscription or
551:978-0-615-92580-6
199:Declan of Ardmore
162:Ita, called the "
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85:Venerated in
16:(Redirected from
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599:14 December
438:"St. Ita",
238:County Down
27:Irish saint
631:570 deaths
626:475 births
620:Categories
611:required.)
322:References
252:Veneration
223:veneration
104:15 January
50:Ballylooby
285:Patronage
110:Patronage
76:570-01-15
65:, Ireland
36:Saint Íte
18:Saint Ita
574:.700)".
316:Kilmeedy
309:Killeedy
298:Limerick
296:hall in
242:miracles
219:prophecy
191:Killeedy
148:Killeedy
529:Sources
266:Brendan
208:Brendan
168:Munster
605:
548:
501:
463:22 May
371:.700)"
234:Cuimin
227:saints
164:Brigid
60:c. 480
570:.450–
367:.450–
100:Feast
601:2008
546:ISBN
499:ISBN
465:2016
187:Drum
158:Life
152:Erin
140:Ides
70:Died
57:Born
590:doi
236:of
166:of
144:nun
138:or
136:Ida
132:Ita
128:Íde
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510:^
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603:.
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
