St. Kevin's Episcopal Church is a missionary society that works to achieve a common purpose and build partnerships through the Church.

Saint Kevin

Blessed Kevin was born in 498 in the Irish province of Leinster to noble parents, perhaps even descendants of the Kings of Leinster, and fell asleep in the Lord in 618 at the age of 120 years. His feast day is celebrated on June 3. Tradition holds his mother felt no labor pains during his birth. An angel is said to have appeared at his baptism, telling his parents to name the child "Coemgen" ("Kevin" is the Anglicized version) in the Irish tongue, which means "He of Blessed Birth."

At the age of seven, his parents sent him to the monastery run by St. Petroc in Cornwall. While there, Kevin was kneeling, his arms outstretched in prayer, on the first day of Lent in a small hut in the wilderness when a blackbird landed in his palm and proceeded to construct a nest. Kevin remained perfectly still, so as not to disturb the bird, for the whole of Lent. Kevin was fed by the blackbird with berries and nuts. By the end of Lent, the last blackbird hatch-lings had flown from the nest, which now lay empty in his hand, and Kevin returned to the monastery for the Paschal celebration.

After being ordained to the priesthood, Kevin spent seven years as a hermit in the mountains surrounding Glendalough, which comes from the Gaelic words glen (meaning "valley") and lough (meaning "lake"), meaning "Valley of the Two Lakes." He lived in a small, five by seven by three foot cave, now known as St. Kevin's Bed. His life was spent in prayer and self denial.

He often lived off herbs and fish an otter that lived in the lake would bring him whenever he visited the lake. In the winter, he would stand up to his neck in the ice cold water to pray.

Kevin's return to society was prompted by a pagan farmer, named Dima, who one day followed his cow that would continually wander off. Each day, when sent out to pasture, she would wander to Kevin's cave and lick his clothes and feet while he was in prayer. When the cow returned at evening, she would produce unbelievable amounts of milk. When the farmer stumbled upon Kevin's cave, and saw what was happening, he fell to his knees. Kevin raised him up and taught the farmer about Christ. Kevin prayed and saw that it was God's will that he return to society to spread the Gospel.

He began by teaching Dima's family, but his tutelage soon grew to dozens of families and he began to attract followers. And so, seeing the need of a central place from which to teach, Kevin decided to establish a monastery. The farmers pitched in and built Kevin a monastery in the solitude of Glendalough. Soon, other monks came to help teach all who would come to learn, old and young, rich and poor alike. More buildings were added to the little settlement. People from far afield came to Kevin for advice, which he gave freely, and the monastery, grew in fame and renown that to the point that many considered it equal to a pilgrimage to Rome. It is said that Kevin fulfilled the prophecy of St. Patrick and evangelized the region of Ireland, just south of Dublin, and is still considered the patron saint of Dublin.