Foster Mother to the saints
In the old Celtic tradition, children were sent to her convent for fostering, leading St. Ita to found a school for young boys. Thus, St. Ita gained renown for being "The Foster Mother of the Saints of Ireland."
Her students were said to have included the future Saints Fachtna of Ross, Pulcherius of Liath, Cummian of Clonfert, and Brendan of Clonfert, who later became known as St. Brendan the Navigator. Brendan’s Feast Day is May 16. (According to legend, St. Brendan made landfall in America five hundred years before Leif Ericson and one thousand years before Christopher Columbus.)
St. Ita tells St. Brendan what God loves -- and hates -- most
St. Brendan is said to have visited St. Ita between his voyages, seeking her advice and wisdom. Once he asked her what were the three things God loved the most and St. Ita replied, "A pure heart with true faith in God, a simple life with a religious spirit, and openhandedness inspired by charity." When he asked her what were the three things God hated the most she answered, "A scowling face, obstinacy in wrong doing, and too great a confidence in the power of money."
St. Ita works miracles
St. Ita worked miracles, healed, and prophesied. In one instance she is said to have re-attached a head to a man who had been decapitated, and another story recounts her living off food given to her from Heaven, recalling the manna given to the ancient Hebrews in the desert. In another story, a wise man lost his speech and came to St. Ita to be cured. Before she had even finished praying for him, the wise man was cured.
Once, a nun who was under her care committed the sin of fornication. When St. Ita asked her why she hadn’t guarded her virginity, the nun denied her sin, St. Ita then told her exactly where she had committed the sin and what had happened, after which the nun became contrite and did penance, knowing that Ita was a prophet.
The Death of the Saint
St. Ita died on January 15, circa 570. To this day, her grave in the ruins of Cill Ide, a Romanesque church in Killeedy where her monastery once stood, is always decorated with flowers.
There also is a holy well nearby, the water from which is reputed to have cured everything from smallpox to warts over the centuries. Children from the local school who go down to the well during school hours who say, "Bubble up, bubble up, Blessed well!" three times are said to have been cured.
A lullaby to the Infant Jesus was inspired by her: Some say she herself was the author, others say it was written by an anonymous 9th century poet inspired by her and her life. The lullaby is called "Jesukin."
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