#157 St. Abigail - Bees and Bee Keepers

St. Abigail - Bees and Bee Keepers 6th CenturyFeast Day: February 11 Abigail, also called Gobnait or Deborah, fled from a family feud taking refuge on the Aran Islands of Ireland. An angel appeared to her saying “This is not the place of your resurrection. Look for a place with nine white deer grazing.” She found them grazing in County Cork at a place now known as St. Gobnait’s woods. There she built a convent. She was the abbess dedicating her life to caring for the sick and poor. She had a deep rapport with bees and kept them, using the honey and bee pollen to help heal people. In Celtic tradition it is said that a soul departs the body as a bee or a butterfly. "Faithful servant of God, you who had such an affinity for these marvelous creatures, I humbly ask that they may be protected and survive. Without bees there would be no us. May mankind recognize this before it is too late. Specific Sizes - Width x Height Pocket - 1 1/2" x 2 1/2"Ornament - 2 1/2" x 3 3/4"Small - 3 1/2" x 5 1/4