Saint Ita of Killeedy was born in 480 AD, in County Waterford, Ireland. She lived as a nun at Killeedy, Ireland and died in 570 AD in Killeedy, possibly due to cancer. She is the patron saint of the diocese of Limerick, Killeedy and her feast day is celebrated on January 15.
Saint Ita of Killedy’s Life History
Ita, also known as Ida or Ides, was born as Ite ingen Chinn Fhalad, in 480 AD from Cennfoelad and Necta and was said to be a descendant of Felim the King of Tara, hence of royal descent. She was baptized as Diedre and was known to have portrayed the six virtues of an Irish womanhood that were; purity, wisom, musicality, needle skills, gentle speech and beauty.
She denounced the idea of marriage and rejected a prestigious proposal so that she could live as a consecrated woman, with the permission of her father.
At the age of sixteen, she and her sister, Fions, set for Killeedy, in Limerick, led by three heavenly bodies as legends have it, where she founded a community of nuns and consecrated women. She received her veil from Bishop Dedan of Ardmore.
She was granted a huge parcel of land by Killeedy’s chieftain in support of her convent, from which she only accepted only four arces of it. her community set up a school for boys where they taught them Faith in God with purity of heart and simplicity of life with religion. One of her pupils was said to be Saint Brendan.
It was said that she used to receive visits fom the great Navigator who always deferred to her counsel.
Ita was known for her spiritual discernment, her dedication to prayer and fasting and her simplicity of life. She was believed to have been gifted with prophecy and was said tp have best guided people to holiness, hence was the most sorted spiritual director of her time. She may also have been an abbess of a double monastery of men and women.
She was given the name Brigid of Munster, one of Ireland’s patron saints, presumably due to her holy way of living. It is possible that she may have died of cancer around the year 570 AD, according to the descriptions of her biographers on the disease she was ailing from, after invoking her blessing of heaven on the clergy and nuns of her community.
Saint Ita of Killedy’s Birth
She was born in 480 AD, in County Waterford, Ireland.
Saint Ita of Killedy’s Death
St. Ita died on January 15 570 AD, possibly due to cancer.
Family Background
She was presumably from family of two children, her sister named Fiona, her father, Cennfoelad and her mother, Necta.
Profession
She lived as a nun and was also said to be abbess of a monastery in Killeedy.
Canonization
She was canonized pre-congregation
Venerated in
She is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.
Saint Ita of Killedy’s Feast day
Her feast day is celebrated on January 15.
Saint Ita of Killedy is the Patron Saint of
She is the patron saint of the Roman Catholic diocese of Limerick, Killeedy, Ireland.
Saint Ita of Killeedy’s Quotes
The following were answers to the following questions asked to her;
- What are the three things that God loves best? “True faith in God and a pure heart, simple life with a religioys spirit and open-handedness inspired by charity.”
- What are the three things that God hates the most? “A scowling face, obstinancy in doing wrong and overconfidence in the power of money.”
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