St. Bridget of Ireland Church in Berryville has a beautiful
stained-glass window of St. Bridget, and a St. Bridget’s cross in the overhang
of the choir loft. There’s also an icon of the saint in the sacristy.
“But there were no statues anywhere,” said Father Paul M.
Grankauskas, pastor.
That changed April 11, when he gathered outside with parishioners
to bless a new life-size marble statue of the saint on a sunny morning between
two Sunday Masses, with white pear blossoms wafting on the breeze.
The 1,700-pound statue, installed on a pedestal near the main
entrance to the church, shows Bridget holding up her signature woven cross,
traditionally made of rushes or straw. The statue was created by Artisan
Granite and made possible by the financial donation of a parishioner who asked
to remain anonymous, Father Grankauskas said.
About 100 parishioners stood in a wide semicircle around the
statue to hear Father Grankauskas talk about St. Bridget and the purpose of
religious art.
“This is not simply meant to be a nice decoration. It’s meant to
remind us of the life of St. Bridget,” he said. “Maybe she inspires us and
challenges us, helps us to be a more faithful disciple, like our saint.”
The blessing originally was planned for the eve of St. Bridget’s
feast day, Feb. 1, the first day of the Celtic spring — but was delayed more
than once by snow and ice. Then, when the statue was being installed, it
slipped and Bridget’s hand was broken, requiring a significant repair.
The statue now stands in front of the church, which was
officially designated the diocese’s 70th parish in 2017. It was established in
1999 as a mission of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Winchester and was
dedicated in 2002, the first Catholic church in Clarke County, near the West
Virginia border.
St. Bridget (or Brigid) of Ireland, also known as St. Bridget of
Kildare, is one of the three major patron saints of Ireland, along with St.
Patrick and St. Columba of Iona.
Not much is known about her, Father Grankauskas said, “but we
know she devoted her life to Christ, and was known for her great charity.”
There are many stories and legends about her, and he shared some
with parishioners. According to tradition, Bridget was born in the year 451
A.D.; her mother was a Christian slave who had been baptized by St. Patrick.
Her father was believed to be a pagan tribal chieftain.
She became a nun, abbess and founder of several monasteries of
nuns, including one in Kildare in Ireland, whose church she is shown holding in
her other hand. The story behind St. Bridget’s cross involves the saint picking
up rushes from the floor to make the woven cross while sitting at the deathbed
of a pagan lord, which some accounts say was possibly her father, who asked to
be baptized after hearing what the cross meant.
Many other legends and stories attest to her charity and generosity
to the poor. When we see the statue, “we can think of the love she had for God
and neighbor, and even think ‘Maybe one day I’m going to be in heaven with
her,’ ” he said.
