Early years

Saint Patrick was born some time around 385 A.D. His family was Gaelic and had migrated to Britain. His birthplace is not known, but, it is believed to have been in southwestern Britain or in Scotland near the town of Dumbarton. Patrick was able to speak the language of the British Celts as well as Latin. His real name is supposedly Maewyn Succat. The name Succat means "warlike". He was given the name of Patricius which means "noble" when he was baptized. His father was a wealthy land owner and a deacon in the village church. He also knew that his father held this position for tax advantages rather than out of love for God. His grandfather was a presbyter. Patrick at the time preferred to go off with his friends rather than attending school. He took the name of Patrick or Patricus after becoming a priest.

Captive Years

Irish raiders, probably under the command of high-King Niall of the Nine Hostages, descended upon the village where St. Patrick lived. They were under orders to secure a large amount of captives and other things of value. Thousands of captives, St. Patrick included, were brought from Britain by these particular raiders. It is believed that St. Patrick was approximately 16 at the time he was captured. The captives were sold as slaves, and scattered among the many tribes throughout Ireland, even to the farthest part of Ireland. It should also be noted that Laoghaire who was the son of King Niall would later play a large part in Patrick's mission to convert Ireland to Christianity.

Patrick was bought by Miliucc, one of the pagan chieftain-kings. The king's herdsman took charge of Patrick and didn't hesitate to curb the boy's lazy ways with a stout club. He was assigned to care for a large flock of sheep belonging to the king. He spent his days and nights with the sheep on a mountain in Ireland called Slemish. While still a slave he learned the Irish language, which would be of benefit to him when he returned to Ireland years later. It was also during this period that he began to speak with the God whom his Christian grandfather had told him about. In his confession he stated that he prayed many times a day and that the love of God caused his faith to strengthen and that the spirit within himself was inflamed. As his faith grew stronger, Patrick started having Christian visions which were to guide his life.

Escape from Slavery

Patrick spent six years in slavery before he made his escape. When he escaped, it was because of the word's God had spoken to him in a vision. A voice told him a ship would be waiting to bring him home. He had to go through bogs and scale mountains, avoiding roads in fear of being discovered, in order to reach the sea This was a journey of some 200 miles before he arrived at the boat which was to take him back to his homeland. When he first spoke with the Captain asking for passage, he was refused. He slowly walked away praying and suddenly a young sailor called to him, saying that the captain had changed his mind and was willing to take him. So, Patrick made his escape on a boat headed for France which had a cargo of Irish Wolfhounds, which were greatly valued at that time.

While travelling home to Britain, he was captured by a band of brigands, who once again returned him to a life of slavery. He was to spend only two months in slavery, before being liberated from their hands. He was to spend the next seven years travelling around Europe trying to decide what his purpose in life was. He came to the conclusion that he was to become a servant of God, taking his message throughout the world. He studied at the Lerin Monastery, on an island off the Cote d'Azur. He returned to Britain as a priest upon completion of his studies. It was later revealed in a voice to Patrick that he was to return to Ireland in order to convert them to Christianity. Because of his limited education, he went to the Monastery of Auxerre in France to complete his studies. While he was at Auxerre, the monks had decided that it was the right time to send a mission to Ireland. Patrick was deeply disappointed when another monk, Palladius, was chosen for this mission instead of himself. Patrick continued in his studies for another two years until news of Palladius's death reached the monastery and it was decided to send another mission to Ireland which Patrick would lead. In 432 A.D. Patrick was made a Bishop by Pope Celestine, before commencing his mission to Ireland.

Return to Ireland

As in his earlier visions, Patrick once again returned to Ireland in 432 A.D. This time to spread the word of God and convert the pagans to Christianity. He was confident the Lord was with him in this mission and travelled far and wide preaching the word of God. Many said that Patrick had an unusually winning personality which helped him to win converts. Patrick spread the word of God, built churches, schools and monasteries even though his life was constantly in danger. He had been arrested several times by the Celtic Druids who were upset by the number of converts he was winning. Each time he was arrested, he managed to escape and continued his teachings of God. During this time, Patrick was able to convert almost the entire population of Ireland to Christianity. Patrick spent approximately forty years preaching in Ireland before his death. He retired and spent the rest of his life in County Down, where he died on March 17th, in 461A.D.

It should be noted that when Patrick began his mission, Ireland was overrun by paganism. Druid priests performed human and animal sacrifices to the local Gods. Spiritism and black magic were practiced regularly through incantations and occult rituals. At this time the Irish knew nothing of Jesus.

Upon his arrival in Ireland Patrick returned to the mountain where he had prayed as a captive years earlier. Patrick's first aim was to visit the king under whom he been enslaved to tell him about Jesus. The king in fear of Patrick's religion gathered his possessions around him and set fire to his house, where he also was consumed by flames. Patrick and the band of 25 religious crusaders, who were with him, found shelter in a barn that was owned by Dichu. He was to convert to Christianity and gave the barn to Patrick where he prayed and celebrated Christian rites. This was to be his first church in Ireland, one that would always have special meaning for him. Patrick and his group spent the winter here and in spring they travelled to Tara to see Laoghaire the high-king of Ireland at this time to obtain permission to evangelize throughout the island. Patrick arrived at the Hill of Slane which is within site of Tara on Holy Saturday.

The high-king Laoghaire and two of his druid priests, Lochru and Lucetmael were preparing to celebrate the feast of Beltine (the great Celtic fire festival) which also coincided with Easter that year. This festival was held as a greeting to the coming of Spring and all fires throughout the land were to be extinguised until Sunday morning. It was custom of the pagan festival, that the high king would be the first to light the bonfire, before any others in the land. Anyone disobeying this custom faced the penalty of death. Patrick knowing this has already lit the Pascal fire which all could see including those gathered at the castle. King Laoghaire was infuriated that someone would dare to break protocol by lighting a fire first. The druids believed that if this fire was not extinguised at once, it would last forever. He set out with the princes of Ireland in the war chariots to find the person responsible for this fire. King Laoghaire was impressed by Patrick's composure and quiet confidence whose voice was clear and concise as he explained who they were and their reasons for being there.

Patrick and his group were invited to the Royal Court at Tara the following day. They arrived at Tara bearing a cross and singing a hymn that is still know as the Breastplate of St. Patrick. King Laoghaire asked Patrick to explain what this religion was that he and his companions wished Ireland to accept. He explained that Christians worshipped only one God who had three personalities - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The druids had a struggle trying to grasp this concept thinking it ridiculous and unbelievable. It was then, through inspiration that Patrick used the shamrock to explain the concept of the Trinity. He explained it by saying "There is one stem but there are three leaves on it. So it is with the Blessed Trinity. There is one God but three persons stemming from the same divinity." Impressed by Patrick's devotion, King Laoghaire, although he did not embrace this new creed, had no objections or stood in the way of Patrick's mission. With the King's permission Patrick freely travelled the Land. He was able to convert crowds of people to Christianity where ever he went. Although it went slowly, eventually Ireland became a Christian land.

Letter to Coroticus

Many of the innocent Christians whom Patrick had converted were murdered by soldiers of North Britian. Patrick inflamed by these injustices wrote a letter to Coroticus, a British prince who had raided Ireland, carrying off many youths and maidens to be sold into slavery.

"You deliver the members of Christ as it were to a house of ill-fame. What manner of hope in God have you, or any who cooperate with you? God will judge. Aye, and where shall Coroticus with his most villainous followers, who distribute baptized damsels as rewards, and that for the sake of miserable temporal things which verily pass away in a moment like a cloud of smoke which is dispersed by the wind. That they may liberate the baptized captive women whom they have taken, so that they may deserve to live to God and be made whole here and in eternity. Did I come to Ireland without God or according to the flesh? Who compelled me! I am bound by the spirit, not to see any of my kinsfolk? Is it from me that I show godly compassion towards the nation who once took me captive and harried the men-servants and maid-servants of my father's house? I was free-born according to the flesh. I am born of a father who was a decurion, but I sold my nobility, I blush not to state it, nor am I sorry for it, for the profit of others."

Durint the time Patrick spent in Ireland he was asked to join the Irish kings to revise the laws of Ireland and to incorporate the teachings of Christianity into the national law. Thus, his mission to Ireland was deemed to be a success. Through out this, Patrick himself did not feel the success, he still thought of himself as a humble man, a man of little importance.

St. Patrick's Death Patrick died on March 17th, 461A.D.. Many believe he was buried in Downpatrick, which was where his first Church in Ireland was established. That day has been honoured as St. Patrick's Day ever since. A community grew around his burial place, but the round tower which marked his grave still remains. The National Museum in Dublin has the bell which Patrick used to summon his congregation and visitors look upon it with special reverence. There is also a reliquary beside the bell which was made in his honor by one of the Norman lords of West Ireland, one of the De Berminghams. The reliquary is covered with the figures of French saints who were popular at that time. In Ireland today there are over sixty churches and cathedrals named after Patrick with the most fameous of these being St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. The grounds of this Church also bears a mark where he baptized his converts.

Flowers mark the grave of St. Patrick

No one actually knows where the true
site of St. Patrick's burial place is. There
have been many places throughout Ireland
that claim St. Patrick was buried there.

Legends Surrounding St. Patrick

Shamrock

Apparently Patrick had a hard time converting the people of Ireland to Christianity. It was almost impossible for them to understand the Trinity. It was only after inspiration Patrick used the Shamrock to explain the meaning of Trinity. In picking the Shamrock and pointing out the three leaves, he was able to explain living proof of the Trinity. Supposedly Patrick used the Shamrock during his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. Since that time, the Shamrock hsd been adapted as the symbol of the land of Ireland.

Snakes

Patrick is also said to be responsible for driving the snakes from Ireland. At the time Patrick was in Ireland, snakes were a symbol of paganism, so, by driving the snakes out of Ireland, it could be taken as driving out paganism. The reason we can this is eventually Ireland was to become a predominately Christian Land.

Another legend says that Patrick had sworn to rid Ireland's soil of these poisoness snakes as he had had rid Ireland of the Druids paganism. He stated that he would make a drum and drum them out of the country. He set about making a drum and cut two strick as batons. He marched across the land, drumming all the while, serpents, snakes and scorpions fled before him. In his fervour, he struck the drum so hard, he caused a hole in his drum. It is said that an angel appeared and patched the hole in drum. Patrick continued to use his drum until the last of the snakes were driven into the sea. He then blessed the land, so that they could never return to Ireland. Apparently no one has ever seen a Druid or a snake in Ireland.

Battle

It is said that Patrick made a prilgrimage to Croagh at the age of fifty. While in dovotion, satan tried to tempt Patrick, but he resisted. For his courage in denying the devil, God sent an angel to reward him. Patrick was to be granted a request from the Lord. Patrick asked that the Irish keep their Christian for all time and that they be spared the horrors of Judgement Day. He asked that he be allowed to judge the Irish people whom he had come to love himself. Therefor it is said the Ireland will be drowned under a sea of water seven years before the Day of Judgement comes.

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