The person who was to become St. Patrick, the patron saint of
Ireland, was born in Wales about AD 385. His given name was
Maewyn, and he almost didn't get the job of bishop of Ireland
because he lacked the required scholarship.
Far from being a saint, until he was 16, he considered himself a
pagan. At that age, he was sold into slavery by a group of Irish
marauders that raided his village. During his captivity, he
became closer to God.
He escaped from slavery after six years and went to Gaul where
he studied in the monastery under St. Germain, bishop of
Auxerre for a period of twelve years. During his training he
became aware that his calling was to convert the pagans to
Christianity.
His wishes were to return to Ireland, to convert the native pagans to Christianity. But his superiors instead appointed St.
Palladius. But two years later, Palladius transferred to Scotland.
Patrick, having adopted that Christian name earlier, was then
appointed as second bishop to Ireland.
Patrick was quite successful at winning converts. And this fact
upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several times, but
escaped each time. He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing
monasteries across the country. He also set up schools and
churches which would aid him in his conversion of the Irish
country to Christianity.
His mission in Ireland lasted for thirty years. After that time,
Patrick retired to County Down. He died on March 17 in AD 461.
That day has been commemorated as St. Patrick's Day ever
since.
Much Irish folklore surrounds St. Patrick's Day. Not much of it is
actually substantiated.
Some of this lore includes the belief that Patrick raised people
from the dead. He also is said to have given a sermon from a
hilltop that drove all the snakes from Ireland. Of course, no snakes were ever native to Ireland, and some people think this is a metaphor for the conversion of the pagans. Though originally a
Catholic holy day, St. Patrick's Day has evolved into more of a
secular holiday.
One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. And this stems
from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the
three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his
sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity.
His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his
feast day.
The St. Patrick's Day custom came to America in 1737. That
was the first year St. Patrick's Day was publicly celebrated in this
country, in Boston.
Today, people celebrate the day with parades, wearing of the green, and drinking beer. One reason St. Patrick's Day might have become so popular is that it takes place just a few days before the first day of spring. One might say it has become the first green of spring.
Copyright © 1999, 2005 by Jerry Wilson. Get Permission to Reprint this article.
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