By Jim Davis - Florida Catholic
In this window, St. Rose of Lima holds the spiky silver crown she wore as a reminder of the suffering of Christ.
A dog greets St. Martin de Porres, known for his infirmary in Lima, Peru. According to legend, injured dogs and other creatures were drawn to him, knowing he would care for them as he would for human patients.
Kateri Tekakwitha upholds the cross, reflecting her prayer and fasting for the conversion of her fellow Mohawks. This window tells of Kateri's beatification, but she was canonized in 2012 -- making her the first native American to be declared a saint.
St. Jean de Brebeuf was a 17th century Jesuit who evangelized among the Huron of North America. Captured and killed by enemy Iroquois, he is honored as the patron saint of Canada.
St. John Neumann blesses one of the many children he helped to educate in Philadelphia, where he was appointed bishop in 1852.
St. Elizabeth Seton, in her signature black bonnet, speaks to one of the students at the school she founded in Baltimore. She was canonized in 1975, the first American-born saint.
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini is shown with one of the 67 institutions she founded across America, including schools, orphanages and hospitals. Also known as Mother Cabrini, she founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart.
Window at St. Kieran parish shows its patron saint cradling the Church he served as one of the renowned Twelve Apostles of Ireland.
Painting of Mary Undoer of Knots hangs in the priests' chapel at St. Kieran's rectory. The image, which first appeared in a painting in 18th century Germany, is a special devotion of Pope Francis.
Realistic statue of Pope John Paul II, in the church sanctuary, was dedicated after his death in 2005.
Father John Bosco is honored in a statue in front of the office at St. Kieran. He founded the Salesian order, whose priests served the parish from 1984 to 2005.
Photography: JIM DAVIS | FC
MIAMI | In a world of money and politics and social movements, a medieval saint offers a gentle reminder. St. Kieran, whose feast day is Sept. 9, prompts us to remember personal relationships -- with other people and with God -- and not to allow money and status to dominate us.
The sixth century Irish monk shunned wealth and embraced an intimacy with God, writes Auxiliary Bishop Peter Baldacchino, pastor at the Miami parish named for him.
"The growth of his Christian faith attracted many disciples and faithful around him," Bishop Baldacchino writes in a bulletin insert. After all, he says, the Church today has the same mission as Kieran did: "bringing the light of Christ to the entire world."
Known to history as Ciaran, he was born in 516 in Connacht. He took poverty as his personal lifestyle but was rich in miracles. In one such story, he was too poor to pay for his stay at the famous monastery of Clonmacnoise. One day, however, he was followed home by a cow that provided milk for everyone at the monastery.
In another story, Kieran was carrying a sack of oats to fellow monks during a famine. As he prayed and sang psalms, the sack miraculously become four sacks of fine wheat. The bread from that wheat was even said to have healed every sick person in the monastery who ate it.
Kieran's humility and exemplary lifestyle won him a place among the Twelve Apostles of Ireland, including the likes of Finian, Brendan and Columba.
Miami's St. Kieran Church was founded in 1967, meeting in various places until it got its own structure in 1979. The Salesian Fathers came to the parish in 1984, serving there until 2005. A statue of Father John Bosco, founder of the order, still stands in front of the church office in honor of their contribution.
The parish serves neighborhoods along Brickell Avenue and U.S. 1, south of downtown Miami. Mass is celebrated in both English and Spanish, reflecting the increase of Hispanic and Latino members.
Although Kieran's feast day is Sept. 9, St. Kieran parish is planning a parish fair on Oct. 15. Mass is scheduled for 11 a.m. that day, followed by the fair.
