About Saint Patrick

The patron saint of Ireland was born in 387 A.D. in Kilpatrick, Scotland. His name is Saint Patrick and he is one of today's most popular saints. Until the time he was sixteen, St. Patrick lived the life of a Roman noble with his parents, Calphurnius and Conchessa. He was kidnapped by marauders from Ireland and sold into slavery to the Irish king, Milchu from the county Antrim, Ireland.

From the time Saint Patrick was sixteen until he was twenty-two years old, St. Patrick worked as a slave, tending his master's sheep in Ballymena. While working in the fields, Saint Patrick prayed constantly. The hundreds of prayers he recited each day brought St. Patrick closer to Jesus Christ and strengthened his faith. Saint Patrick vowed to dedicate himself to Jesus.

Saint Patrick Escapes Slavery

An angel appeared to St. Patrick, telling him that it was time to escape from slavery and begin his work as a Christian missionary. This was all St. Patrick needed to hear and he made his escape, running from the abuse of slavery over two hundred miles to Westport. He boarded a ship that was bound for Britain, sailing home. St. Patrick carried out the vow he made to Jesus Christ and dedicated himself to his spiritual studies. He was ordained a priest and began his missionary work.

Saint Patrick, the Missionary

Saint Patrick was assigned to banish paganism from the Pelagius in Britain and eradicate heresy. All the while he was performing his duties in Britain; St. Patrick longed to return to Ireland where he had been enslaved. In 433 A.D., St. Patrick was granted his wish and made his way back to the land of Erin. Violent Druids met him in Wicklow Head and St. Patrick decided to find a friendlier area to begin his mission.

Many monasteries were founded in St. Patrick's name as he made his way through Ireland preaching the way of Jesus and performing miracles. His former slave master heard of St. Patrick's successful conversions and knew that he would soon be confronted by this escaped slave. Rather than face the humiliation of facing heresy charges by a slave, he burned his home to the ground and threw himself into the flames.

Saint Patrick and the Snakes of Ireland

Saint Patrick successfully banished paganism and heresy from Ireland. He travelled from Ulster to Munster, baptizing Prince Aengus. After this, the people welcomed St. Patrick and willingly converted to Christianity. The symbolic myth of St. Patrick driving all the snakes from Ireland actually refers to his success at converting the people of Ireland to Christianity, driving out the heretics.

St. Patrick travelled through Ireland, visiting the people and all the monasteries he founded until the day he died in 493 A.D. As Saint Patrick was leaving Munster after seven years as a missionary there, he wrote a special prayer of thanks to the people of Munster. He gave his farewell blessing to the people of Munster from the Tipperary hills.

Saint Patrick Blessing

A blessing on the Munster people -
Men, youths, and women;
A blessing on the land
That yields them fruit.

A blessing on every treasure
That shall be produced on their plains,
Without any one being in want of help,
God's blessing be on Munster.

A blessing on their peaks,
On their bare flagstones,
A blessing on their glens,
A blessing on their ridges.

Like the sand of the sea under ships,
Be the number in their hearths;
On slopes, on plains,
On mountains, on hills, a blessing.

The feast of St. Patrick is celebrated on March 17 and is commonly known as Saint Patrick's Day.

Resources: The Catholic Encyclopedia