RELEASE: The Celtic Cross-Vigil Restored
Culdee “Breastplate of Devotion” highlighted for the broader church
Dear friends in Christ,
We are pleased—at long last—to announce the release of one of the most significant liturgical studies St Andrew’s and the Orthodox Church of the Culdees has produced in recent years:
“The Crosfigell or Cross-Vigil in Celtic Orthodoxy: Sources, Theology, and Practice.”
This is not the invention of a new devotion, but the formal restoration of a living Culdee inheritance—a practice that many of our clergy and monastics have continued in simpler forms for generations, especially through prayer to the four directions. What is new here is not the prayer itself, but its recovery in full liturgical structure, so that it can once again be shared with—and understood by—the broader Church.
A word of thanksgiving
Some of you noticed that this release was delayed. During Rev. Dr. Stephen M. K. Brunswick’s recent pilgrimage and ministry travel in Europe, severe winter weather disrupted flights, luggage was lost, and more. Through God’s mercy—and your prayers—everything was recovered, and the journey completed successfully.
We are especially thankful to report that sacred church furnishings and liturgical materials were safely delivered and are now in place. God turned trial into blessing.
Why this release matters
The Crosfigell—also called the “Breastplate of Devotion”—was one of the most powerful bodily prayers of the Celtic saints. Standing with arms outstretched in the form of the Cross, facing the twelve sacred stations of heaven and earth, the monk or priest prayed:
“Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.”
This new study brings together:
The Rule of the Céli Dé and Rule of Tallaght
The testimony of Mael Ruain and the Culdee monasteries
The Breastplate tradition of St Patrick and the Irish saints
And modern scholarship confirming the Cross-Vigil as authentic spiritual armor
What once lived quietly among monastics is now being placed back into the heart of the Church.
A short excerpt
“The Crosfigell is not merely a posture. It is the Kingdom enacted.
Facing the four quarters, the depths of earth, and the heights of heaven,
the worshiper stands inside the Cross and prays:
‘Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’”
Read the full article
May this restoration strengthen the Church, deepen prayer, and help us once again stand inside the victory of Christ.
With every blessing in Christ,
St Andrew’s Orthodox Church of the Culdees
Rev. Dr. Stephen M. K. Brunswick, ThD, PhD
Primate, Orthodox Church of the Culdees ✠