Читать книгу 366 Celt: A Year and A Day of Celtic Wisdom and Lore - Carl McColman - Страница 76

Ita is a lesser-known Celtic saint, remembered today mainly through her pupil: Brendan the Navigator, one of Ireland’s most colorful and renowned of early saints. Ita was the abbess (the leader of a monastery) of a community located in County Limerick. She was often described in early biographies as the “Brigid of Munster,” suggesting that she played a role in the south of Ireland similar to that held in the east by her more famous contemporary. It’s a marketing trick that is as dangerous today as it was a thousand years ago: compare yourself to someone more famous, and you’re at risk for never getting out of their shadow. Even so, Ita remained a popular saint in the south of Ireland and has been immortalized for her role as Brendan’s first teacher. The Navigator continued to seek her counsel long after leaving her fosterage. Unlike the many Celtic saints who were famed for their travels, Ita apparently loved the place where she first put down roots, and remained in Limerick until her death in the year 570.

It is said that one of the most important things any of us can do is raise or teach a child well. Perhaps Ita should be the patron saint of those who nurture greatness among those of the next generation.