The St. Patrick I Never Knew

Rather late in life I came across some facts about St. Patrick that took me by complete surprise. While the legend of eliminating snakes from Ireland certainly stirs the imagination, the biographical details of the man stir the adventurous soul. Following are a few of the items from St. Patrick's life that I either never knew or never fully appreciated.

St. Patrick Was a 5^th Century Roman Citizen

St. Patrick was born to a wealthy family in Roman Britain during the 5^th century. The Christian church was still in its infancy and Europe as we know it did not exist in any recognizable form. Interestingly, Patrick was not particularly religious in his youth and even claims to have renounced his faith at one point. His life began with no relationship to Ireland and certainly no indication he would become her patron saint.

Arrived in Ireland as a Captured Slave

As a teenager Patrick was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken back to Ireland as a slave. He would spend six years in the servitude of a local warlord before escaping back to Britain. Amazingly his years as a slave would help shape the course of his entire life.

First Christian to Engage "Barbarians"

No previous Christian, including the original apostles, had taken the gospel beyond the Greco-Roman world. The reason was simple: Barbarians were not considered to be human. St. Patrick embarked on virgin territory with no scholarship or guides on bridging such a culture. In addition to slave trading, the culture he faced practiced human sacrifice and engaged in constant warfare. According to accounts of Patrick's life, the first warlord he encountered on his return to Ireland raised a sword to kill Patrick on the spot. The man's arm then inexplicably froze and he could not bring his sword down on the victim. The warlord became Patrick's first convert. The fact that Patrick crossed this social divide and did so effectively is also nothing short of miraculous.

The World's First Abolitionist

Though the world and the church accepted slavery as the norm in the 5^th century, St. Patrick displayed an open and passionate opposition to the institution. His time in slavery led him to love his captors, but there was no love lost for what he witnessed during this experience. To place his views into perspective, the papacy would not officially condemn slavery for 14 more centuries.

When looking back at the life of St. Patrick, one finds that the history is indeed better than the fiction. One also finds a life that can be celebrated for manifold purposes.

Anita McGurn McSorley, "The St. Patrick You Never Knew", St. Anthony Messenger