Around the year 387 AD a boy named Maewyn Succat was born to Calpurniusand Conchessa in what is modern day Scotland. At that time modern day Scotland was referred to as Roman Britain and was under Roman rule; the type of government in place while Britain was under Roman oppression. His parents belonged to a Roman family of high status. His Grandfather was a Priest and his Father a Deacon. His father was not a religious man, it was more for the tax benefits.
When Maewyn was baptized he was given the name Patrick, thus beginning the stories and adventures of what lead to his saint hood and immortality. When Patrick was about fourteen years old, he was captured by Irish marauders. He was taken away from his homeland to Ireland where he was sold as a slave. His job was to tend to his masters flocks. Even though he was not particularly religious, this time in isolation gave him a chance to get close to God. Patrick turned to God for comfort and strength. It was during this time that he became a devout Christian. It is written that he would pray to God up to a hundred prayers a day and almost the same at night.
During this time God was setting Patrick up for his future apostolate. Patrick acquired a perfect knowledge of the Celtic language. He became familiar with the pagan ways of the Druids. This would help him to liberate them years later.
After serving his master for six years, Patrick escaped Ireland after a dream in which God told him to go to the coast to find passage aboard a ship. He did; which finally returned him back to his homeland, Britain. He became a member of the Church and eventually received the title of Priest. He then was sent to study in a French monastery.
Patrick remembered Ireland, and dreamed of returning there one day. He had learned all the teachings of Christianity that he possible could. Shortly before the death of Pope Celestine of Rome, Patrick was given the missionary work to go back to Ireland.
Around the year 433 Patrick and his companions landed at the mouth of the Vantry River. The territory on which they arrived was not entirely the friendliest. Patrick ended up going to his former master to whom he paid the price of a slaves ransom and gave him the blessings and freedom of God’s children in exchange for the cruelty he endured at his hands.
He used the Druids beliefs changing them to Christian values; even though some of these caused much defiance and violent events. Patrick ended up converting some royal and noble women to Christendom, who in turn became nuns. He also worked with the poor and unfree encouraging them into vows of monastic chastity.
Legend has it that Patrick freed Ireland of snakes, however it was believed that it referred more to Druid symbolism since evidence suggests that post-glacial Ireland never had snakes. Using the Shamrock, a three-leaved clover, he taught the Irish about the Holy Trinity . The Shamrock highlighted the Christian belief of three divine persons in one God. Patrick is the missionary that used the Irish’s pagan beliefs and turned them into Christian truths.
The tales and stories of St. Patrick are many. Chapters are written about them.He is the one the is credited to bringing the Word of God to the Irish. In return they celebrate what he did for them on 17 March, the date of his death, every year. St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in several countries, even by non-Irish. It is the day to wear the color green, in memory of St. Patrick who lived centuries ago.
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