The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Life of Saint Bridget, Virgin and Abbess, by
Anonymous
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: The Life of Saint Bridget, Virgin and Abbess
Author: Anonymous
Other: John Murphy
Release Date: January 18, 2012 [EBook #38613]
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIFE OF SAINT BRIDGET ***
Produced by Michael Gray, Diocese of San Jose
THE
LIFE OF SAINT BRIDGET
VIRGIN AND ABBESS
PATRONESS OF IRELAND
"O how beautiful is the chaste generation with glory! for the memory
thereof is immortal: because it is known with God and with men, and
it triumpheth, crowned for ever." WISD. iv, 1.
NEXT to the glorious St. Patrick, St. Bridget--whom we may consider
his spiritual daughter in Christ--has ever been held in singular
veneration in Ireland. Even in the neighboring kingdoms of England
and Scotland, as a foreign writer affirms, this great saint has,
after the glorious Virgin Mother of God, been singularly honored and
revered. [1] A pity, then, it is, that we know so little of her
hitherto, and that our means of knowing much are still so scanty. We
are not able to give more than a biographical sketch, but the facts
are so interesting, and above all so edifying, as will in some
measure compensate for their fewness. To commence, then, our account
of the great patroness of Ireland:
NATIVITY OF ST. BRIDGET--HER EARLY PIETY--SHE EMBRACES THE RELIGIOUS
STATE AND FOUNDS SEVERAL MONASTERIES--HER SAINTLY DEATH.
ABOUT the year of our Lord, 453, was St. Bridget born. The place of
her nativity was Tochard or Taugher, in the vicinity of Dundalk,
though her illustrious father, Dubtach, and her mother Brocessa or
Brotseach, of the noble house of O'Connor, usually resided in
Leinster. During her youth every attention, which parents of
distinguished rank and eminent piety could employ, was assiduously
paid to her education. Great things were expected from her; "during
her infancy her pious father had a vision, in which he saw men
clothed in white garments pouring, as it were, a sacred unguent on
her head, thereby prefiguring her future sanctity. While yet very
young, Bridget, for the love of Christ our Lord, whom she chose for
her spouse, and to whom she was closely united in heart and spirit,
bestowed every thing at her disposal on His suffering members, the
poor, and was the edification of all who knew her. She was
surpassingly beautiful; and fearing, in consequence, that efforts
might be made by her many suitors to dissolve the sacred vow by which
she had bound herself to the Lord, she besought Him to render her
deformed, and to deprive her of that gracefulness of person which had
gained for her such admiration. Her petition was instantly heard, for
her eye became swoln, and her whole countenance so changed, that she
was permitted to follow her vocation in peace, and marriage with her
was no more thought of.
"After a short interval, and when she was about twenty years old, [2]
the young virgin made known to Maccaille a bishop, and a disciple of
St. Patrick, and who had seen over her head a pillar of fire, her
determination to live only to Christ Jesus, her heavenly Bridegroom,
and he quite approved of her pious resolve, and consented to receive
her sacred vows. On the appointed day, the solemn ceremony of her
profession was performed, after the manner introduced by St. Patrick,
the bishop putting up many holy prayers, and investing Bridget with a
snow-white habit and a cloak of the same color, after she had put off
her secular ornaments. While she inclined her head on this happy
occasion to receive the sacred veil, a miracle of a singularly
striking and impressive nature occurred; that part of the wooden
platform adjoining the altar on which she knelt recovered its
pristine vitality, and put on, as all the bystanders witnessed, its
former _greenness_ and verdure, retaining it for a long time after.
At the same moment Bridget's eye was healed, and she became as
beautiful and lovely as ever." (Lessons in Office of St. Bridget.)
Encouraged by her example, three, or, as some say, eight, other
ladies made their vows with her, and in compliance with the wish of
the parents of these her new associates, the saint agreed to found a
religious residence for herself and them in the vicinity. A
convenient site having been fixed upon by the bishop, a convent--the
first in Ireland--was erected upon it; and, in obedience to the
prelate, Bridget assumed the superiority. Her reputation for sanctity
became greater every day, and in proportion as it was diffused
throughout the country, so increased the number of candidates for
admission into the new monastery. The bishops of Ireland soon
perceiving the important advantages which their respective dioceses
would derive from similar foundations, procured that the young and
saintly abbess should visit different parts of the kingdom, and, as
an opportunity offered, introduce into each one the establishment of
her institute.
While thus engaged in a portion of the province of Connaught, a
deputation arrived from Leinster to solicit the saint to take up her
residence in that territory; but the motives which they urged were
human, and such could have no weight with Bridget. She was insensible
to every argument founded on friendship and family connections (for,
as we have already said, she was of Leinster descent, and had spent
in that province a great portion of her youth); it was only the
prospect of the many spiritual advantages that would result from
compliance with their request, that induced her to accede, as she
did, to the wishes of the respectable body which had petitioned her.
Some time after, the saint taking with her a number of her spiritual
daughters, journeyed to Leinster, where they were received with many
demonstrations of respect and joy, the people exulting at the great
spiritual good which they were about to confer on the province. The
site on which Kildare now stands appearing to be well adapted for a
religious institute, there the saint and her companions took up their
abode. To the place appropriated for the new foundation some lands
were annexed, the fruits of which were assigned to the little
establishment. This donation, indeed, contributed to supply the wants
of the community, but still the pious sisterhood principally depended
for their maintenance on the liberality of their benefactors. "Mercy
having grown up" with Bridget from her very childhood, she contrived
out of their small means to relieve the poor of the vicinity very
considerably, and when the wants of these indigent persons surpassed
her slender finances, she hesitated not to sacrifice for them the
moveables of the convent. On one occasion, when their distress was
unusually grievous, the spouse of Christ, imitating the burning
charity of St. Ambrose and other great servants of God, sold some of
the sacred vestments that she might procure the means of relieving
their necessities. She was very generous and hospitable too,
particularly to bishops and religious, and so humble, that she
sometimes attended the cattle on the land which belonged to her
monastery.
The renown of Bridget's unbounded charity drew multitudes of the poor
and necessitous to Kildare; the fame of her piety attracted thither
many persons of distinction also, who were anxious to solicit her
prayers or to profit by her holy example. In course of time the
number of these so much increased, (and what an additional proof does
it not afford of the thirst for spiritual improvement indulged by our
ancestors!) that it became necessary to provide accommodation for
them in the neighborhood of the new monastery, and thus was laid the
foundation and origin of the town of Kildare. [3]
The spiritual exigencies of her community and of those numerous
strangers who resorted to the vicinity, having suggested to our saint
the expediency of procuring the locality to be erected into an
episcopal see, she represented it to the prelates, to whom the
consideration of it rightly belonged. Deeming the proposal just and
useful, Conlath, a recluse of eminent sanctity, illustrious by the
great things which God had granted to his prayers, was, at Bridget's
desire, chosen the first bishop of the newly-erected diocese. In
process of time, it became the ecclesiastical metropolis of the
province to which it belonged, [4] probably in consequence of the
general desire to honor the place in which St. Bridget had so long
abode. Over all the convents of her institute established throughout
the kingdom, a special jurisdiction is said to have been exercised by
Conlath and his successors in the see of Kildare; but the evidence
supplied by historians on this point is by no means of a conclusive
character: the only inference that can be deduced from their
statements is, that, in virtue of his dignity as metropolitan, the
bishop of Kildare was specially charged with the care of the
Bridgetine convents established within the province.
The desire of the holy abbess for the permanent residence of a
prelate at Kildare being accomplished, she applied herself
unreservedly to the care of the community over which she immediately
presided, and was to them in her every act what the devout A Kempis
means by "a mirror of life, and a book of holy doctrine." "Her
sanctity was attested by many miracles. She was constantly occupied
in promoting the good of others; she often cleansed the lepers,
healed the sick and languishing by her prayers, and obtained sight
for one blind from his nativity. Nor was the spirit of prophecy
wanting to her; numerous were her predictions of future things."
(Office, 3 Less. Roman Breviary.)
The most eminent persons of her time either visited or corresponded
with St. Bridget. Besides several others, St. Albeus, bishop of
Cashel or Emly, and St. Brendan of Clonfert, conferred with her on
religious subjects; and the celebrated Gildas is said to have sent
her, as a token of his esteem, a small bell cast by himself. [5]
After seventy years devoted to the practice of the most sublime
virtues, corporal infirmities admonished the saint that the time of
her dissolution was nigh. It was now half a century since, by her
holy vows, she had irrevocably consecrated herself to God, and,
during that period, great results had been attained, her holy
institute having widely diffused itself throughout the green isle,
and greatly advanced the cause of religion in the various districts
in which it was established. Like _a river of peace_, its progress
was steady and silent; it fertilized every region fortunate enough to
receive its waters, and caused them to bloom forth spiritual flowers
and fruits with all the sweet perfume of evangelical fragrance. The
remembrance of the glory she had procured to the Most High, as well
as the services rendered to dear souls ransomed by the precious blood
of her divine Spouse, cheered and consoled Bridget in the infirmities
inseparable from old age. Her last illness was soothed by the
presence of Nennidh, a priest of eminent sanctity, over whose youth
she had watched with pious solicitude, and who was indebted to her
prayers and instructions for his great proficiency in sublime
perfection. [6] The day on which our abbess was to terminate her
course (Feb. 1, 523) having arrived, she received from the hands of
this saintly priest the blessed body and blood of her Lord in the
Divine Eucharist, and as it would seem, immediately after her spirit
passed forth, and went to possess Him in that heavenly country where
He is seen _face to face_ and enjoyed without danger of ever losing
Him. Her body was interred in the church adjoining her convent, but
was some time after exhumed, and deposited in a splendid shrine near
the high altar. Cogitosus, who lived two centuries later, thus
describes the church which then contained this valuable treasure:
"The church of Kildare enclosed an ample space of ground, and was of
a height proportioned to its extent. The building was divided into
three compartments, each one of them remarkable for the vastness of
its dimensions, yet by the ingenuity of the architect, one roof
skilfully adapted, covered the entire. The eastern division of the
structure, terminated at north and south by two of its exterior
walls, while a wooden partition extending to the north and south, and
separated by a small interstice from the eastern extremity of the
church, formed the enclosure of the sanctuary. Adjoining the latter,
and at its northern and southern points, were two doors, by one of
which the bishop and his assistant entered to celebrate the Holy
Mass, and perform the other public offices; while by the other the
nuns were admitted on the days on which they were to receive the Holy
Communion. The nave of the church was again divided into two parts
with separate entrances. One division was appropriated to the male
portion of the congregation, the other was exclusively reserved for
females. The appearance of the edifice was very pleasing, continues
the same author, by the number of windows distributed through the
entire building. On the eastern extremity, the limit of the
sanctuary, was a variety of sacred images, which met the eye the very
moment one entered the porch of the church, and the interstices were
filled up with suitable decorations. At either side of the altar
stood the sacred shrines of St. Bridget and St. Conlath, which were
adorned with a profusion of precious metals exquisitely wrought,
studded with costly gems and stones of great price, and surmounted by
diadems of gold and silver, types of the glory with which the Lord
rewards His faithful servants." (Vita St. Brigid.)
In the following (the 9th) century, the country being desolated by
the Danes, the remains of St. Bridget were removed in order to secure
them from irreverence, and transferred to Down, were deposited in the
same grave with those of glorious St. Patrick. The Bridgetines, the
holy order founded by this holy virgin, and her most precious
memorial, continued to flourish for centuries after her decease, and
gave many saints to Ireland.
[1] Hector Boethius' History of Scotland, L. 9
[2] The age of twenty years was that required by the Irish Church to
making the monastic vows. (Synod St. Patric. ch. 17.)
[3] Kildare got its name from there being a very high oak tree near
St. Bridget's habitation. _Kil_ signifying cell--_Dura_, oak tree.
[4] Cogitosus Vita St. Brigida.
[5] Dr. Lanigan, ch. 9, sect. 5, Eccles. Hist. Ireland.
[6] "Nennidh was a student, perhaps at Kildare, when St. Bridget
happening one day to be with some of her nuns near the monastery, saw
him _running very fast and in an unbecoming manner_. Having sent for
and inquired of him whither he was running in such haste, he replied,
as if in jest, _To the Kingdom of Heaven_. Whereupon the saint
gravely said, _I wish I deserved to run along with you to-day to that
Kingdom, pray for me that I may reach it_. Affected by these words,
the young man besought her to recommend him to God that he might
pursue a steady course towards Heaven. She promptly acquiesced, and
the consequence was his commencement from that moment of a life of
perfection."--Dr. Lanigan, 9 ch. 5 section, Eccles. History.
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Life of Saint Bridget, Virgin and
Abbess, by Anonymous
*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIFE OF SAINT BRIDGET ***
***** This file should be named 38613.txt or 38613.zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
https://www.gutenberg.org/3/8/6/1/38613/
Produced by Michael Gray, Diocese of San Jose
Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
will be renamed.
Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules,
set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project
Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you
do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is
subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
redistribution.
*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
https://gutenberg.org/license).
Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works
1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works. See paragraph 1.E below.
1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the
collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an
individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in
a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check
the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning
the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
States.
1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
copied or distributed:
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
1.E.9.
1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked
to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg-tm License.
1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or
distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
that
- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is
owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments
must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License. You must require such a user to return or
destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
Project Gutenberg-tm works.
- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
of receipt of the work.
- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the
Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
1.F.
1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
your equipment.
1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.
1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with
the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy
is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
opportunities to fix the problem.
1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any
provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists
because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
people in all walks of life.
Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org.
Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
Foundation
The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
https://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at
809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
[email protected]. Email contact links and up to date contact
information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
page at https://pglaf.org
For additional contact information:
Dr. Gregory B. Newby
Chief Executive and Director
[email protected]
Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation
Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.
The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To
SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
particular state visit https://pglaf.org
While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.
International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including including checks, online payments and credit card
donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate
Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works.
Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily
keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
https://www.gutenberg.org
This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
