Saint Kevin
Kevin (Coemghen in Irish, means "Of Gentle Birth") was born in Leinster, to the east of Ireland.
As with most information on this noble saint, the date of birth is not accurately known. Some historians situate his birth somewhere around the year 498 and others have stated his birth around the year 520. It has been agreed by most scholars that his death was in the year 618. This would give Saint Kevin a long life of nearly a century or more, but certainly he died at a saintly old age.
According to tradition, the saint was taught from the age of 7 until 12 years by a saintly Englishman named Petrocus Cumber. Another of his teachers and guide was his own uncle Eogoin of Ardstraw, a monk who founded and presided a monastery in Cualann for fifteen years. In Cualann, Kevin learned the Psalms and worked as a watchman. Cualann is an area south of Dublin (present capital of Ireland) and Wicklow (between the mountains and the ocean).
Kevin was a stylish and handsome young man. Stories account of a young and beautiful maiden named Catherine who fell in love with him and courted him. There are many versions of this story and how he handled the situation. However, all coincide by stating that he not only refused her, but he converted her as well. Recognizing her error and being repentant, Catherine promised to enter a holy way of life.
Having triumphed over carnal pleasures, Kevin turned wholly to his studies and adopted a hermit way of life. Eventually, he withdrew to a life of solitude in the forest where he lived for some time in the hollow trunk of a tree, and sustained himself with wild fruits and water. This led to a state of physical deterioration, and soon he was found by a peasant who, against the will of the saint, nourished him back to health and led him back to the monastery. Tradition tells that in veneration of the future saint, the trees and shrubs all moved aside to allow Kevin to pass, and in return the saint blessed them abundantly. This is the origin of the word Hollywood meaning Holy wood.
In time, he was ordained priest
by a bishop named Lugidus, who sent him and two other monks on a mission
to found a new church. Originally, he decided to build in a place called
Cluainduach, but for unknown reasons continued on to
Glendalough, where he founded a
monastery where his saintly life truly flourished and eventually came to an
end. He chose never to be ordained beyond the priesthood.
Among the many miracles attributed during his life, is the story of a fellow monk who asked him to fetch some firewood from the kitchen. When Kevin answered that he had nothing to carry the wood in, the monk instructed him to carry the wood in with his hands and arms which he did. However, the saint carried against his chest and in his arms burning firewood, which at no time burned or left marks.
After establishing Glendalough, Saint Kevin returned to a life of solitary contemplation in the area surrounding the monastery. He made his home in a prehistoric stone tomb on the side of a cliff 30 feet above a lake. He went on pilgrimages to evangelize the barbarians and reached as far as Argyll in Scotland, where he was venerated until the time of the Reform. He loved music and played the harp and wrote many poems. His harp survived until the XII century.
The works of the Saint are most evident, however, in or around Glendalough. The works at Glendalough reached great importance in early Ireland; so much so that there are seven Irish kings buried there. The importance of the area deteriorated with eventual wars, mainly with the Anglo/Norman occupation of Ireland, and was finally destroyed in the XVI century.
Attached to the works of Saint Kevin, is the story of willow trees which "bear apples". A child under the care of the saint once asked for an apple. Kevin blessed a willow and it immediately began to bear sweet apples. Another beloved tree from Glendalough was a yew pine planted by the saint himself which was cut in 1835 by the then owner of the property, for the purpose of making furniture. It is said that many people from the area tried to keep at least one tiny splinter of the tree planted by Saint Kevin.
Like those of Saint Francis of Assisi, many stories abound regarding his relationship with animals. A pack of wild dogs tried to attack him, but at the sight of his presence, they became like tame little puppies instead of devouring him. It's also told of a small bird which once built a nest in his hand, which he kept extended and open during in the same position for the entire incubation of the egg, until the chick hatched. Another story is told of a hunted wild boar which sought refuge in the saints' cave and survived due to the hunting dogs' refusal to enter the cave. Another story tells of a time when the saint was in kneeling in prayer on the banks of a lake, when his Psalm prayer book fell in the water. An otter returned the book to him dry and intact.
The cave known as the home of Saint Kevin is accepted as a prehistoric tomb dating from the bronze age, such as those found in Sicily. The entrance is almost inaccessible as it is more than 30 feet above ground and reached only be a steep and ill defined stone stairway without railing. Only with the help and guidance of angels, as was Saint Kevin, could one reach his home.
Kevin maintained frequent and constant communication with his angels. Tradition tells of a time when he was doing penance during lent, and an angel came to warn him of the impending danger of an avalanche, and asked him to leave lest he be crushed. Kevin asked the angel to leave him be, as he would not abandon his prayers. The avalanche did not take place until the saint concluded his sacrifice for lent.
On another occasion, an angel told Kevin that the Lord would level the mountains to create a valley where more people could dwell. Kevin pleaded with the angel that the Lord should not do such a thing as many animals would perish and that wouldn't be fair.
Upon his death, the monastery and surrounding area was passed on to his nephew Molibba, under whose leadership the area flourished as a religious and learning center. Glendalough suffered many fires, wars, attacks, and invasions (especially by the feared Vikings), and was finally destroyed by the victorious Normans who established tyrannical control throughout all of Ireland until the beginning of the XX century. Their actions destroyed most of the physical evidence of the once great Glendalough.
In the last century, however, there were a few good men who dedicated themselves to the restoration and conservation of what little remained of the glorious and historical religious Ireland, birthplace of many saints like: Saint Patrick, Saint Brendan, Saint Brigid, Saint Columban, Saint Eugene, Saint Eusebius, Saint Kieran, Saint Kilian, Saint Lawrence O' Toole, Saint Macarius, Saint Rupert, Saint Virgilius, Saint Dymphna and hundreds more. The beauty and peace felt when visiting Glendalough, cannot be described but must be experienced. Saint Kevin's presence is undoubtedly alive and felt after more than fourteen centuries of his passage into the Divine Kingdom.
Feast Day June 3