Who was St Patrick, and what is the history of St Patrick’s Day?

Who was St Patrick, and what is the history of St Patrick’s Day?

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of Christianity’s most widely known figures. However, for all of his prevalence in culture, namely the holiday held on the day of his death that bears his name, his life remains somewhat of a mystery.

It is known that St. Patrick was born in Britain to wealthy parents near the end of the fourth century. He is believed to have died on March 17, around 460 A.D. At the age of 16, Patrick was taken prisoner by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family’s estate. They transported him to Ireland where he spent six years in captivity. During this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian.

After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his writing, a voice—which he believed to be God’s—spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland.

To do so, Patrick walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo, where it is believed he was held, to the Irish coast. After escaping to Britain, Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation—an angel in a dream tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary. Soon after, Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than 15 years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission: to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish.

Familiar with the Irish language and culture, Patrick chose to incorporate traditional ritual into his lessons of Christianity instead of attempting to eradicate native Irish beliefs. For instance, he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that veneration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish. Although there were a small number of Christians on the island when Patrick arrived, most Irish practiced a nature-based pagan religion. The Irish culture centered around a rich tradition of oral legend and myth. When this is considered, it is no surprise that the story of Patrick’s life became exaggerated over the centuries—spinning exciting tales to remember history has always been a part of the Irish way of life.

Read the text and answer the questions:

1.        Where and when was St Patrick born?

2.        When did he die?

3.        What happened to him when he was 16?

4.        How long was he kept as a prisoner?

5.        What did Patrick work as?

6.        How far did Patrick walk from County Mayo?

7.        What, according to the legend, did the angel say to Patrick in his dream?

8.        How long did Patrick’s religious training last?

9.        What were Patrick’s two objectives on his return to Ireland?

10.    In what way does his mission contradict the common notion about St Patrick?

11.    What is the Celtic cross?

12.    What religion did most Irish people practice at this time?

Would you like to know more about St Patrick? Visit the Saint Patrick Centre online:www.saintpatrickcentre.com. The Centre offers an interpretative exhibition that tells the story of Ireland’s patron saint.

Or you may watch this amazing video:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1FgA9HXkglJJISEVP1hFtV3Z8d5kwMCTe