Holy Women's History Month: Saint Gobnait

Bees are more honored than other animals, 
not because they labor so hard, 
but because they labor for others. (Patricia Banker) 

Names are important. What we refer to as a “first name” is actually our given name, the second gift given to us by our parents (the first gift was their openness to life). Yet I never cared for my name in grade school. There were too many Debbies. I was around age 10 when I read a newspaper article on naming babies. It said that the most common names chosen between 1959 and 1961 were Mike and Debbie. My brother Mike was born in 1959 and I was born in 1961. I told my parents, “Thanks for being so original!!” During those years, the Hallmark card shops sold these pretty laminated cards for each name with its meaning on the reverse side. For Debra, the cards always said either busy bee or honeybee. How LAME!  

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The Discovery

Fast-forward to age 50. My TAN saints planner includes obscure saints celebrated in other countries. There it was on February 11: St. Gobnait. That sounded like an ancient Irish saint, and being half Irish I had to look her up. It turns out the names Debra and Abigail are anglicized versions of the Irish name Gobnait! Gobnait was a beekeeper, which is why the name Debra means “bee.” But she was so much more. 

As a teenager escaping persecution, Gobnait ran away from home to the Aran Islands during a family feud (it is also said that she was a pirate’s daughter who jumped ship and escaped). There God gave her a vision of “the place of her resurrection,” the place where He intended her to live until she died. It would be a meadow with a stream and nine white deer grazing. White deer were rare, so one could mistakenly think this would be obvious.

But our enemy, the devil, is the master of deception. His favorite trick is to lure us away from God’s will using partial truths. Keep in mind that anything partially true is also partially a lie and so can never be of God. Yet how often, and easily, do you and I fall for the enemy’s tricks and grasp at things which are only partially good? Saint Gobnait didn’t. Discerning God’s will requires a purified heart, and Gobnait was a master of discernment.

The devil presented to her a meadow and stream with only three white deer, but she didn’t fall for his trick. He continued his antics which she continued to reject until she finally came to a meadow and stream with nine white deer. Surely, she felt the overwhelming peace that comes with following God’s providential plan. 

Saint Gobnait built a thriving abbey of virgins and became well known for her many miracles. She was also a healer. When the plague advanced toward their area, Gobnait walked in prayer around the parish border, marking its boundaries with a stick as she walked. The plague ravaged neighboring villages but never entered their abbey or adjacent village, Baile Bhúirne. She also was fearless; when a chieftain of the O’Donoghues of the Glens tried to steal her cattle, she sent her bees after them, and they ran off! There is even a brewery and special beer named after her vision!  

A Heroine for Our Time

It turns out my name represents a woman who is heroic in her trust in God and love of Him as well as those He puts in her life. From her unwavering fidelity to Him came her ability to discern His will. Her loving surrender to her Spouse Jesus allowed her to be His instrument of grace and healing to others. I now LOVE being named “bee!” 

Now, every February 11th, on World Day of the Sick, in addition to celebrating my Blessed Mother of Lourdes, I get the bonus of celebrating my Gobnait, too. I encourage everyone to discover their name-saint and uncover the hidden treasures God has waiting for you. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam! 

God bless you, Ballyvourney, 
God bless you, night and day. 
Where the sad ones leave their sorrows, 
And the stricken leave their ills. 
God bless our sons and daughters, 
At home and far away, 
They’re in our thoughts, as we pray, 
At St. Gobnait’s Shrine today. 
St. Gobnait, pray for us! 
(Holy Wells of Cork & Kerry) 

During Women's History Month, Catholic Mom writers are celebrating the women who have inspired their faith journeys — whether canonized saints, saints in progress, or beloved women from Scripture. Through personal reflections and heartfelt stories, they share how these holy women have touched their lives, offering wisdom, strength, and a deeper connection to God. Join us as we honor the spiritual legacy of these remarkable women and the lasting impact they continue to have on our hearts and souls. 

Copyright 2025 Debra Black
Images: Holy Cross Family Ministries