Who was the real Saint Patrick?
When you hear Saint Patrick's Day, what do you think of? If you said, shamrocks, the color green, or gold at the end of a rainbow, you're not alone, but what's the real reason for the celebration?
Wasn't Saint Patrick the Irish guy who chased out the snakes? Not quite. The real Saint Patrick wasn't even Irish. In fact, he was Roman, but not from Italy. He was born and raised in Britain, near or in Wales.
He lived between 300 and 600 A.D, most likely in the 5th century, and his birth name wasn't Patrick; it was Maewyn Succat. Just imagine saying 'happy Maewyn's Day' instead of 'happy Saint Patrick's Day.'
How did he get to Ireland?
He was taken by Irish raiders when he was sixteen, to Ireland. Not the ideal happy sweet-sixteen.
How did he escape?
While enslaved in Ireland, Saint Patrick (then Maewyn) was tasked with watching over the sheep for six years.
Legend has it that he had several dreams that told him it was time to leave and go home soon. A boat, some two hundred miles away, in a place he'd never been before, was being prepared to take him home.
In captivity, he said he found God and prayed daily. His story is written in the Confessio, one of the only two of his personal writings that survive today.
When the day arrived to leave, he left the field, walked the two hundred miles, and, after much prayer, was allowed on the ship which took him away from Ireland.
After sailing and walking for months, he finally returned to his family after several years without seeing them.
Why did he go back?
Like his father, Maewyn became a Catholic priest. After sixteen years of service in Britain, he returned to Ireland to teach the people there.
Once again, he felt inspired that he was needed elsewhere. In his dream, he felt prompted to return to Ireland to teach the people Christianity.
Why did they call him Saint Patrick?
When Maewyn decided to start his missionary work, he took on the name Patricius, meaning "father figure" in Latin. The formal canonization process did not exist at the time, but as the years went by, Patricius' fame and admiration grew, and the Irish people deemed him a saint by the seventh century. From then on, he was known as, "Saint Patrick."
Shamrocks and snakes?
Did he really use shamrocks to teach about the Trinity? What about casting out real snakes, or was it a metaphor to cast out paganism, as many have claimed?
Shamrocks and snakes?
Did he really use shamrocks to teach about the Trinity? What about casting out real snakes, or was it a metaphor to cast out paganism, as many have claimed?
We may never know. But we do know that his service and teachings reached the hearts of thousands and changed the face of religion in Ireland forever.
Why do we celebrate him on March 17th?
A text from a seventh-century church calendar noted that Saint Patrick died on March 17th. An additional text from the ninth century also indicates March 17th.
What do you think we celebrate St. Patrick's Day?
Helpful sources and videos:
1.Helpful YouTube video by History Calling, What Do We know about Saint Patrick?
2. The Real Story of Saint Patrick Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. March 17, 2020.
