Feast day: February 23

Abbot of Melrose Abbey, Scotland, d. 664.

Almost all that is known of St. Boisil is learnt from Bede (Eccles. Hist., IV, xxvii, and Vita Cuthberti). He derived his information from Sigfrid, a monk of Jarrow, who had previously been trained by Boisil at Melrose.

St. Boisil's fame is mainly due to his connection with his great pupil, St. Cuthbert, but it is plain that the master was worthy of the disciple. Contemporaries were deeply impressed with Boisil's supernatural intuitions. When Cuthbert presented himself at Melrose, Boisil exclaimed "Behold a servant of the Lord", and he obtained leave from Abbot Eata to receive him into the community at once...

Feast day: February 1

Also known as: Bride; Bride of the Isles; Bridget of Ireland; Bridget; Brigid of Kildare; Brigit; Ffraid; Mary of the Gael.

Born in 453 at Faughart, County Louth, Ireland and died on 1 February 523 at Kildare, Ireland of natural causes; buried in Downpatrick, Ireland with Saint Patrick and Saint Columba; head removed to Jesuit church in Lisbon, Portugal...