Saint Patrick is one of the most famous, and most popular, of all the Catholic saints. March 17th (the likely day of his death in 461 AD) is celebrated all over the world, even in areas that aren’t historically Catholic. And it’s not just because he was a big party guy or because he banished all the snakes from Ireland. He is still celebrated because he is still considered one of the greatest examples of a life lived with faith, love, and humility.
Around the end of the fourth century, St. Patrick was born in Roman Britain to a family that was neither christian nor pagan. His family was wealthy enough to stay above the growing religious fray, and they appeased (with money) whoever was in power at the time. When St. Patrick was 14, he was abducted by Irish pirates during a raid and taken to Ireland as a slave. (some say he was in County Mayo near Killala and others say he was taken to Mount Slemish in County Antrim). During this time, Ireland was a land of pagans and druids who were vehemently opposed to anything that reeked of change, whether it be invasions by the Romans or the drive to become christian.
Anyway, St. Patrick spent most of the next six years alone as he tended sheep. Since he was lonely, scared, underfed, and cold, he turned to the christian faith he’d learned about but had never relied upon before. St. Patrick later wrote in his memoir Confession, “The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was rosed, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same. I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain.”
When St. Patrick was twenty, he received a vision that told him to run away toward the coast and escape his captors. He traveled, by foot, over 200 miles until he reached the coastline and found sailors willing to take him back to Britain. Years later, while home with his family, he received another vision. He describes this vision in his memoir Confession: “I saw a man coming, as it were from Ireland. His name was Victoricus, and he carried many letters, and he gave me one of them. I read the heading: ‘The Voice of the Irish.’ As I began the letter, I imagined in that moment that I heard the voice of those very people who were near the wood of Foclut, which is beside the western sea-and they cried out, as with one voice: ‘We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us.'”
Prompted by this revelation, he joined the priesthood. Four years later St. Patrick was ordained by the Bishop of Auxerre, and left for Ireland, the country that had held him as a slave for six years. Up until this point, only a few priests dared to bring the Gospel to Ireland. The Irish were known as fierce fighters, resistant to all types of change. But St. Patrick ignored the warnings and arrived in Slane, Ireland on March 25, 433 with two goals: to minister to the few christians who were there and to convert the rest. Because St. Patrick could speak the Irish language fluently, and knew the culture and rituals well, he was able to incorporate ancient Irish beliefs into this new christian faith. An example of this is the Celtic cross. It is a sun (a powerful pagan Irish symbol) superimposed on a cross.
There were already a few christians in Ireland, but they practiced a more nature-based, pagan version. That meant that St. Patrick had an uphill battle with warriors and chieftains always trying to kill him… until one day he performed what is considered a miracle. St. Patrick converted an Irish Druid Chieftain. Although that was a huge success, and more people became interested in the Gospel, it was still a slow process. Eventually he (along with St. Brigid and St. Columba) converted thousands of people who built small stone churches all over the Island.
One of St. Patrick’s most enduring legacies, besides banishing all the snakes from the island, is his use of the shamrock to describe the Holy Trinity. After forty years of struggling, preaching, converting, and serving the poor with a happy heart, he died on March 17, 461. But, after his death, all of Ireland–including the pagans–celebrated his life. Because, despite all the miracles and epic stories (of which there are many), he was known as a humble, generous man who helped all people, not just those he converted. His churches and monasteries offered solace and help to everyone, regardless of their beliefs.
Of course, since Ireland was a land of oral histories and rich in traditions and legends, the stories about St. Patrick sometimes seem exaggerated. But regardless if you believe the stories about this famous saint, we still celebrate his life on March 17th. Not because he was known as a party guy, but because he was a man of great faith, great compassion, great humility, and great love. So today, when you raise your glass, offer a toast to Saint Patrick. A prisoner who became a priest, who became a saint, who died in poverty… who was also known as one of the happiest men who ever lived.
