Feast Day: June 3
Title: Abbot, Hermit, Founder of Glendalough
Birth: c. 498 A.D.
Death: c. 618 A.D.
Patronage: Blackbirds, Glendalough, Ireland; animal lovers; hermits
Life and Holiness
Saint Kevin, also known in Irish as Coemgen (meaning “fair-birth” or “gentle birth”), was born into a noble Leinster family in Ireland around the year 498. From an early age, he was marked for divine favor, and tradition tells us that he was baptized by Saint Cronan and educated by Saint Petroc of Cornwall, receiving monastic formation in the rigorous and penitential spirit of the early Celtic Church.
Drawn to a life of solitary communion with God, Kevin retreated into the wild and rugged vale of Glendalough (“Glen of Two Lakes”), where he took up residence in a cave now known as St. Kevin’s Bed, perched on a steep cliff above the lake. There he lived as a hermit, embracing severe asceticism—wearing animal skins, consuming only herbs and wild foods, and devoting his days to prayer, contemplation, and psalmody.
His reputation for holiness attracted not only animals—who are said to have gathered peaceably around him—but also disciples, who sought to emulate his life of solitude and sanctity.
Miracles and Legends
Saint Kevin’s life is replete with miraculous tales, rich in the symbolic language of early Irish monasticism:
- The Blackbird on the Hand: Perhaps the most famous tale tells of a blackbird who nested in Kevin’s outstretched hand as he prayed with arms extended. So committed was the saint to stillness and reverence in prayer that he held his arm motionless until the eggs were laid and hatched.
- Animals Obeying the Saint: Like Saint Francis in later centuries, Saint Kevin was deeply connected to God’s creation. It is said that wild animals approached him with trust, and he shared his cave with a friendly otter who brought him fish.
- Battle Against Evil: In other accounts, he is shown as a spiritual warrior who drove away temptations, including a woman who tried to seduce him; tradition holds that he resisted the temptation by throwing himself into thorny brambles or freezing waters.
Founder of Glendalough Monastery
As the number of disciples grew, Kevin yielded to God’s will and organized a monastic community at Glendalough. Under his guidance, it became a great center of learning, sanctity, and missionary zeal, rivaling even Clonmacnoise in fame. Glendalough became known as one of the most revered monastic sites in Ireland, a sanctuary of both spiritual and natural beauty.
Kevin governed the monastery with wisdom and humility, serving not as a distant superior but as a father in Christ to his monks. His rule emphasized silence, penance, sacred reading (lectio divina), and devotion to the Divine Office.
Death and Legacy
Saint Kevin reposed in the Lord around 618 A.D., reportedly at the age of 120. He was buried at Glendalough, which remained a pilgrimage destination for centuries. His holiness was quickly acknowledged by the faithful, and he was venerated as a saint by popular acclaim.
Even today, pilgrims visit the Monastic City of Glendalough, where the round tower, the remains of Kevin’s oratory, and his bed in the rock stand as enduring witnesses to his life of prayer and penance.
Spiritual Reflection
Saint Kevin represents the ideal of the desert father in an Irish landscape—a man detached from the world, wholly devoted to God, and in harmony with all creation. His life invites us to seek solitude with God, to foster a spirit of penance and silence, and to let nature lead us to contemplation.
Prayer to Saint Kevin
O God, who called Thy servant, Saint Kevin, to the solitude of the wilderness, and therein didst inflame his heart with love for Thee and for all Thy creatures, grant us, we beseech Thee, to seek Thee in the silence of our hearts and to find Thee in all Thy works. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.