Today is the feast of St. Kevin, patron saint of animals.
Born in Ireland about 498 A.D., Kevin was ordained a priest and shortly thereafter decided to live a quiet life in prayer and solitude as a hermit.
Kevin was known for his love of nature, and it's said the birds and animals were his favorite companions. He also became known as a holy man, and soon people were flocking to visit him.
With his solitude disrupted, Kevin traveled to the remote valley of Glendalough in County Wicklow, where he founded a monastery. Four years later, when he was assured the the monastery was established, he retired again to a life of solitude and prayer.
The Irish Nobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney wrote a poem that tells the story of St. Kevin and the blackbird.
- Little White Book, Diocese of Saginaw