Saints
St. Patrick – Discover the Saint Behind the Legend
St. Patrick is a patron saint of Ireland, known for spreading Christianity in the country during the 5th century AD. He was born in Britain, to a wealthy Christian family, but was kidnapped and taken to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. He spent six years in captivity before he escaped and returned to Britain. He later became a bishop and returned to Ireland to convert the Irish people to Christianity.
St. Patrick is credited with many accomplishments during his mission in Ireland, including the building of schools and monasteries, which helped to spread Christianity and establish a literate Christian society. He is also known for his use of the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
He is also credited with driving the snakes out of Ireland, which is often used as a metaphor for his conversion of the pagan Irish to Christianity. He is also associated with the creation of the Celtic cross, by combining the symbol of the cross with the circle, which represents the sun and the importance of the sun in Irish pagan culture.
St. Patrick wrote two works that have survived, the Confessio, an autobiography, which tells of his early life and his mission in Ireland, and the Epistola, a letter which is thought to be addressed to the soldiers of Coroticus, who had taken some Irish Christian slaves. These works are considered important primary sources for the understanding of St. Patrick and his mission in Ireland.
St. Patrick died on March 17th, 461 AD and his feast day is celebrated on that day by the Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican Churches. His cultus spread widely throughout Ireland, and his influence can be seen in the many churches, monasteries and place names that bear his name.
St. Patrick is not only the patron saint of Ireland, but he is also considered a patron saint of engineers, philosophers, and children. He is also venerated by many people of Irish descent around the world and his feast day is celebrated with particular enthusiasm, particularly in Ireland and by the Irish diaspora.
The celebration of St. Patrick’s Day has evolved over time, from a religious feast day to a more secular celebration of Irish culture, heritage and identity. Today, it is celebrated with parades, music, and green-themed parties and events, with people all over the world donning green clothes and shamrocks to mark the occasion.
St. Patrick’s legacy continues to be felt in Ireland and beyond, as his teachings and missionary work helped to shape the religious and cultural landscape of Ireland and played a significant role in the country’s history. His life and mission have also been the subject of many literary and artistic works throughout history, which continue to inspire people today.
The Catholic Church recognizes St. Patrick as a saint and his feast day as a Holy Day of Obligation in the Catholic Church in Ireland, while the Church of Ireland, the Anglican Church, also honors him as a saint, which indicates the broad influence he has on Christianity. It is widely acknowledged that St. Patrick is the most popular and celebrated Saint from Ireland, his influence on the country and its people is indelible.
The Life of St. Patrick
As the patron Saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick has become one of the most well known saint of the modern day. In the United States, St. Patrick’s feast day, celebrated each year on March 14th has grown to be a national holiday. People deck themselves out in green, cities throw parties, and even the White House fountain is died green in celebration of the feast day of Saint Patrick. But do you know who we actually celebrating on St. Patrick’s Day?
The life of Saint Patrick is far greater than even what the legend has grown into over the years, as this is a story of a holy man who spread the Catholic Faith and who lived his life devoted to God. Lets take a moment to discover the amazing true history of one of the Church’s greatest saints, St. Patrick of Ireland.
How it all began…
“I am Patrick, a sinner, most unlearned, the least of all the faithful, and utterly despised by many. My father was Calpornius, a deacon, son of Potitus, a priest of the village of Bannavem Taburniae; he had a country seat nearby, and there I was taken captive.” Thus St. Patrick begins his biography, which he wrote toward the end of his long life. This is one of two documents written by Patrick that have survived to this day. For authentic information about Patrick separating the fact from the legend, we must turn to these two documents. The early biographies are confusing, contradictory, and filled with legends.
Unfortunately, even Patrick himself does not give us many details. He mentions no dates and he mentions very few names. For example, where was the village of Bannavem Taburniae? No one knows. Most authorities think it was somewhere on the island of Britain, but some think it was in Gaul (France). It must have been near the sea, because the raiders who captured him came and went by ship.
St. Patrick is Captured and Shipped to Ireland
“I was then about sixteen years of age,” Patrick continues. “I did not know the true God. I was taken into captivity to Ireland with many thousands of people and deservedly so, because we turned away from God and did not keep His commandments, and did not obey our priests. …”
That is all Patrick tells us about his boyhood, and that is just about all we know. We see that his father was a deacon and his grandfather a priest; there was no strict law of celibacy for priests in Britain in those days. The two men were probably government officials as Christianity had become the official religion of the Roman Empire, and clergymen often held government posts.
A picture emerges of the young Patrick living very comfortably in the family home. Perhaps the family had two homes, since he mentions a “country seat.” He seems to have been willful and somewhat spoiled. He did not take his religion seriously despite the fact that his father and grandfather were members of the clergy, and he probably did not take his schoolwork seriously either.
Then suddenly this spoiled, carefree boy was snatched from his home and carried off to Ireland, at the outermost limits of the then known world. Even the Romans had not conquered Ireland, and they had conquered most of the western world that was known at that time. Patrick was sold to a chieftain who gave him the job of tending sheep. This boy who had known a comfortable home, loving relatives, and jolly companions now spent lonely hours in the fields and forests of an alien land, and he often had only the ground for his bed.
St. Patrick Turns to God and is Saved
In his solitude, Patrick turned to God. He tells us: “The love of God and his fear came to me more and more, and my faith was strengthened. And my spirit was moved so that in a single day I would say as many as a hundred prayers, and almost as many in the night, and this even when I was staying in the woods and on the mountain, and I used to get up for prayer before daylight, through snow, through frost, through rain, and I felt no harm, and there was no sloth in me – as I now see, because the spirit within me was then fervent.”
After Patrick had been in Ireland six years a voice said to him in his sleep: “It is well that you fast. Soon you will go to your own country.” Soon after, a voice said: “See, your ship is ready.” Patrick interpreted these words as a command to leave his master and go to the sea coast. This was a difficult, dangerous trip of 200 miles for the young refugee.
At the coast he found a ship ready to sail, but the captain at first refused to take him on board. Then after Patrick said some prayers the captain changed his mind. After three days, the ship reached a coast that had been desolated journey by raiders. There were no people, no crops, no livestock.
After twenty days, Patrick and the crew members were at the point of starvation. The sailors asked Patrick to pray to his God for help. He did so. “And with the help of God, so it came to pass: suddenly a herd of pigs appeared on the road before our eyes and they killed many of them; and there they stopped for two nights and fully recovered their strength. … And from that day they had plenty of food.”
Rejecting Riches for a Life of Service
Eventually, Patrick was able to return to his family, and he was joyously received by them. They had given him up as dead and here he was, safe and sound. He was a quiet serious man, far different from the carefree lad who had been snatched from them. They begged him to take his place in the community and never leave them again.
But he had more dreams in which he heard the people of Ireland calling to him: “We beseech thee, holy youth, come and walk among us once more.” Until this time Patrick had apparently never thought of becoming a missionary, but he considered the dreams a direct call from God. From this time on he directed all his energies toward preparing for a return to Ireland.
Patrick had apparently neglected his education during the first sixteen years of his life, and then he had been a captive in Ireland for the next six years. When, as a young man in his middle or late twenties, he decided to acquire the education required of a missionary, he had a lot of “catching up” to do. In his own opinion, he never completely caught up.
Commitment to Education
No one today can say with accuracy where Patrick was educated and by whom he was ordained and later consecrated. It seems certain that much of his education was obtained in France, some of it at Auxerre, under Bishop St. Germanus. He also spent some time in monasteries learning the monastic way of life; he was later to found a number of monasteries in Ireland.
Some highly respected biographers say that Patrick spent twenty years preparing for his mission to Ireland. Others say the time must have been much shorter. Saint Patrick himself is silent on the subject. Patrick seems to have made friends while attending school, but he also seems to have been the object of amused condescension. Fellow students had years of schooling behind them while he was just beginning his education. Some of his fellow students no doubt thought it presumptuous that this “rustic” should aspire to be a missionary.
Even at the end of his life, Patrick had what almost amounted to an inferiority complex about his lack of education. In the very first sentence of his Confession, as we have seen, he calls himself “most unlearned.” He also says: “. . . I long had in mind to write, but hesitated until now; I was afraid of exposing myself to the talk of men, because I have not studied like the others. . . .” A little farther on, he says: “… I blush and fear exceedingly to reveal my lack of education; for I am unable to tell my story to those versed in the art of concise writing…”
Consecrated as Bishop of Ireland
Patrick was made a deacon and then ordained a priest. When it was planned to make him a bishop, considerable opposition arose. A friend of his student days to whom Patrick had confided a sin he had committed at the age of fifteen made the confidence public and said it disqualified Patrick for the office of bishop. This betrayal by a trusted friend pained the sensitive Patrick even in his old age. He mentions it in the Confession which he wrote at the age of seventy five or seventy-six.
Despite the opposition, Patrick was eventually consecrated bishop. Later, when other bishops were consecrated in Ireland, Patrick was the chief bishop with the powers that an archbishop would have today.
Returning to Ireland to Grow the Church
If Patrick is exasperatingly silent about his education, he is even more so about his work in Ireland, a mission which lasted at least twenty-eight years and which may have lasted forty years. “Now it would be tedious to give a detailed account of all my labors or even a part of them.. . .I do not wish to bore my readers.”
During his six years of captivity, Patrick had learned something of the political organization of Ireland. There was a High King for all of Ireland, five lesser kings over the districts into which Ireland was divided, and a large number of petty kings or chieftains. Patrick knew that it was to these kings and chieftains he must appeal first. If he could convert them, the conversion of the people would follow. He needed the help of the kings in establishing churches, schools, and monasteries.
Patrick was never able to bring about the conversion of the High King, but the King’s wife and daughters came into the Church. He was able to convert most of the lesser kings, and the mass conversion of their people usually followed.
Serving the People of Ireland
Patrick and his priests moved north, south, west and east – into every part of the island. Patrick’s sermons were forceful, beautiful, and simple – easily understood by the earnest, unlettered people to whom he spoke.
Soon he had so many converts that he did not have enough priests for them. This meant that he had to train and ordain priests and later to consecrate bishops. He had to build churches, too, and he often worked on them with his own hands. A crowd followed wherever he went. It consisted of members of his household, artisans needed in building and decorating churches, students, and men who were studying to be priests or bishops. Wherever Patrick visited, there was a soon a growing village with a construction camp, a seminary, and a primary school.
Patrick introduced the Latin language and the Latin alphabet into Ireland and taught them everywhere he went, thus ending the island’s isolation from the rest of Europe. As might be expected, Patrick encountered considerable opposition, especially from the druid priests who did not wish to lose their hold on the people. T
hese priests appealed to the kings not to give up the religion of their fathers. They performed feats of magic to show how powerful they were. They made several attempts on Patrick’s life. Once, a druid’s shaft intended for Patrick pierced the heart of his charioteer. Despite the opposition, Patrick’s work went on. In addition to his hard work, Patrick prayed earnestly and per formed severe penances. He taught by example as well as by word.
A Lasting Example for the World
He lived simply, austerely. His personal needs were few, and he never accepted a gift from any of his grateful converts. The results of Patrick’s work are almost unbelievable. One biographer says that he consecrated 350 bishops during his apostolate in Ireland. The number of people baptized cannot even be estimated
Patrick speaks of the “so many thousands” whom he baptized and confirmed. His work can be summed up by saying that he found Ireland a pagan land and left it a Christian land. When he was about seventy Patrick left the active work to others while he prayed, meditated, drew up a rule for the government of the Church in Ireland, and wrote his Confession (autobiography).
Saint Patrick was about seventy-eight when he died. Almost everyone agrees that he died on March 17, but the year of his death is not certain and neither is the place of his burial. Because his burial place is unknown, Patrick has no great monument to mark his grave. But none is needed. All of Ireland is his monument.
Popular St. Patrick Medal and St. Patrick Rosary
Prayers to St. Patrick
God our Father,
you sent Saint Patrick to preach your glory to the people of Ireland.
By the help of his prayers,
may all Christians proclaim your love to all men.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Hail Glorious St. Patrick
Hail, glorious St. Patrick!
we, honor your name,
Tho’ Erin may claim you,
the world knows your fame.
The faith of our fathers is our
treasure too,
How holy the thought,
that they learned it from you.
Thru crosses and trials its fires
burn bright,
They show us the way,
and the truth, and the light,
Great Saint!
Intercede, that we always may be
devoted and loyal,
true children of yours.
Our love and devotion
be ever like yours,
Our thought be of Jesus,
our heart be His shrine.
And when to the end of life’s path
we have trod,
Be near us great Bishop,
Anointed of God.
St. Patrick Novena
Glorious St. Patrick, you are honored as one of the greatest evangelizers, and true defenders of our faith. Please obtain for me the same zeal for Christ that enabled you to bring the light of the true faith to all of Ireland. Intercede for me and place my special intentions before Christ, especially:
(State your intentions here.)
May my petition receive a favorable response if it be for the greater honor and glory of God and my own soul.
St. Patrick, you devoted your life to spreading the good news of salvation in lands where people were initially hostile to the faith. Pray for me that I may experience true conversion in words, thoughts, and deeds.
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…
St. Patrick, Evangelist and Patron of Ireland, Pray for us! Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The Prayer of St. Patrick
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
Prayer to St. Patrick
Dear St. Patrick, you were a man of great faith and devotion to God, and your influence continues to be felt to this day. I turn to you today, asking for your intercession and guidance as I seek to deepen my own faith and live a life that brings glory to the Lord.
May I be inspired by your example and be filled with the same unwavering devotion to God that you showed throughout your life. Help me to see the world through the eyes of faith, and may I be a shining example of His love and grace to all those around me. Amen.
A prayer for the Protection of St. Patrick
Dear St. Patrick, I ask for your protection today, that I may be guarded by your example and your deep devotion to God. Protect me from harm, both physical and spiritual, and keep me safe from all danger.
May I always be guided by the light of the Lord, and live my life in a manner that brings glory to His name. Amen.
A prayer for the Intercession of St. Patrick
Dear St. Patrick, I turn to you today in need of your intercession. You were known for your unwavering faith and your compassion for all those in need, and I ask that you intercede for me and for all those in need of your help.
Please pray for those who are struggling in their faith, that they may find comfort and hope in their trials. Pray for those who are seeking a deeper relationship with God, that they may find what they are looking for. And pray for all of us, that we may grow in our faith and deepen our own relationships with the Lord. Amen.
St. Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland and Engineers
St. Patrick is considered the patron saint of Ireland and engineers. He was a historical figure who lived in the 5th century and is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland.
Why is St. Patrick the Patron Saint of Ireland and Engineers?
St. Patrick is known for his role in spreading Christianity throughout Ireland and for his efforts to convert the Irish people to the faith. He is revered as a spiritual leader and a symbol of Ireland’s rich religious heritage.
Because of this, St. Patrick is considered the patron saint of Ireland and is celebrated each year on March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day, with parades, feasts, and other festivities.
St. Patrick is also considered the patron saint of engineers because of a legend that he used a shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity to the Irish people. This association with teaching and explanation has made St. Patrick a popular patron saint for those in the engineering and educational fields.
St. Patrick’s Legacy
St. Patrick’s legacy is one of religious devotion, teaching, and leadership. His unwavering faith and his efforts to bring Christianity to Ireland have made him a beloved figure in the history of Ireland and a powerful symbol of the country’s rich spiritual heritage.
His story continues to inspire countless people to live a life of faith, service, and teaching, to bring the message of the gospel to others, and to lead by example. In an age where the values of religion and education are often challenged, St. Patrick remains a powerful witness to the importance of these virtues and a source of hope and inspiration for all who seek to live a life of faith and service.
Reflection on the feast day of St. Patrick
The feast day of St. Patrick is March 17th.
St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and is best known for his missionary work in Ireland during the 5th century. He was born in Britain, but was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave when he was a teenager. He eventually escaped, but later returned to Ireland as a missionary and is credited with bringing Christianity to the country. He is also known for using the shamrock, a three-leaved plant, to explain the Holy Trinity.
On his feast day, we can reflect on the importance of mission and evangelization. St. Patrick is known for his missionary work in Ireland, and his example reminds us of the importance of spreading the word of God to others. He understood that his mission was not just to share the message of Christianity, but to change lives and bring people closer to God. This is an example for us to follow, as we should strive to share the message of Jesus with others and to bring them closer to God.
St. Patrick’s use of the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity also reminds us of the importance of understanding our faith. He used a simple visual aid to explain a complex doctrine, in a way that was easy for people to understand. This is a reminder for us to make an effort to understand our faith and to be able to articulate it in a way that is meaningful to others.
St. Patrick’s life as a slave and later a missionary also reminds us of the importance of perseverance and resilience. He faced many challenges in his life, but he did not let them defeat him. He was able to persevere and to overcome his struggles, and his example is an inspiration for us to do the same in the face of our own challenges.
In conclusion, the feast day of St. Patrick is an opportunity for us to reflect on the importance of mission and evangelization, understanding our faith, and perseverance. Let us follow the example of St. Patrick and strive to share the message of Jesus with others, to understand and explain our faith, and to persevere in the face of challenges.
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