St. Patrick

Articles

Saint Patrick (c. 385-462) was born on the west coast of Britain in the late fourth century, the son of a deacon who also acted as a Roman curial official. At the tender age of 16, he was captured by Irish pirates and brought to Ireland where he was forced into slavery. Separated from his family and immersed in suffering, he came to know God's friendship, to identify with Christ's closeness and to understand himself in a new way. After six years he escaped back to Britain and was reunited with his family who begged him never to leave them again. It was a promise Patrick could not keep for shortly afterwards, he began to sense a powerful call to return to the land of his captivity and to bring the Gospel to the Irish. This time, his presence in Ireland was not forced but was freely chosen "for the love of neighbours, sons and daughters", because of his "zeal for God" and for "the truth of Christ" (Epist. 1). There in Ireland in a pagan culture, he faced many difficulties and dangers. He was among a people many considered uncivilized and beyond redemption. He suffered persecutions, further captivity and expected to suffer martyrdom at any time. He describes himself as a "lowly, unlearned exile" (Confess., 2, 12) as he freely admits his own limitations. Yet, despite these obstacles, Patrick testifies to one of the most remarkable missionary successes in the early Church. He baptized thousands and witnessed to how the early Christian community in Ireland was "increasing beautifully" through his preaching (cf. Epist. 12). History testifies that Patrick's efforts began a chain of events that not only led to the Christianization of Ireland but to the influx of Irish missionaries into mainland Europe who made an immense contribution to the whole civilization project. With these missionaries that included St Columbanus (c. 540-615) and Malachy (1094-1148), key elements of Christian faith that promoted ecclesial and social unity were absorbed by cultures in a way that valued education, virtue and basic human rights. This concept of faith in the Trinity expressing itself in social harmony was the legacy of these Irish men and women of courage but one that originated with Patrick their father in faith.

For this reason, St Patrick is celebrated not just by the Irish but by Churches around the world who return thanks to God for the gift of faith received by Irish missionaries who left their homeland to bring the faith to other cultures and peoples after the example of Patrick himself. At this time of opportunity for evangelization, what the story of Patrick teaches us with renewed force and effect is simply that mission matters. God in his freedom did not have to involve us in his work of salvation but choose to do so. He desires that all peoples share fully in his divine life and asks us to help offer what he wants to give. God has given us the dignity of being partners with him in bringing his saving love to the ends of the earth. Therefore, in many ways the salvation of others depends on our response to be people of mission.

Patrick had an acute awareness that this was true. He speaks of his mission as "this holy and wonderful work" (Confess., 34) and of his "pastoral care for the salvation of others" (ibid., 28). He describes his preaching as "acquiring people for God" (ibid., 58) and of dedicating himself to the Irish "lovingly and joyfully for their salvation" (ibid., 51). He admits his difficulties as a Christian in a pagan culture but also of his hope that through him, God's promises would eventually be fulfilled. Despite temptation to leave the Irish, he "stayed with them for I hoped that some of them would come to faith in Jesus Christ" (ibid., 18). He is very conscious of his own example and that of the Church as being in direct proportion to people being led to Christ and his salvation. He witnesses to "the faith of truth" with "sincerity of heart" lest "the name of God be blasphemed through me" .(Confess., 48) . Because of the purity of his witness, Patrick has seen many believers "born through me" (ibid., 38) for he is "an ambassador for Christ" (Epist. 5) just as the Church is "the letter of Christ" (Confess., 11). Here is a man convinced that mission matters: that just as the Father had sent Christ into the world so Christ had sent him to Ireland to bear his saving love in person to the ends of the earth (cf. Jn 20:21).

Through God's loving call and Patrick's generous response, the saving message of Christ not only transformed his life but an entire nation. Through the birth of a Church that was defined by mission from the beginning, Irish men and women carried the offer of God's saving love everywhere they went in the world, convinced that like Patrick, the kingdom of God was brought about by their presence and witness. As the Church prepares for the New Evangelization, this conviction of Patrick and early Christians of the importance of their role as conduits of salvation cannot be overstated. With so many who wait to hear words of hope and at a time of "rich harvest" (cf. Mt 9:37), Patrick and the saints lead every Christian to understand that their response to God's call contributes uniquely to the saving mission of the Church that seeks to make Christ known and loved throughout the world. For Patrick, the acceptance of one man of his call to mission led to the conversion of a nation and the influence of millions over generations and continents. His story warns us never to underestimate the personal and unique task God has committed to each of us for in the words of Blessed John Henry Newman, "God has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another. I have my mission".

______________________________________________________________________

Public policy does not happen in a vacuum— it is planned and carried out by people within a particular culture. Religion plays a role in all cultures, and religious figures have helped shape those cultures. Some of the most prominent of these figures have become official saints in the Christian world.

One of the Catholic Church's considerations in the canonization process is whether a candidate lived Christian virtues in a "heroic" manner. On the level of popular piety and culture, the saints' stories, legends, and alleged miracles are as important as their virtues. I have been studying the lives of saints to see if I can find in them lessons that might be useful to build and nurture a free society.

St Patrick on the Hill of Slane with panoramic views of the Irish countryside in the background.GETTY

We celebrate the feast of St. Patrick (c. 389 - 461) on March 17, which is the day of his earthly death. His missionary work took place for almost three decades, from 432 to the time of his death in 461. Devotion to his memory spread beyond Ireland and Britain, especially in France, Italy, and Germany. St. Patrick is one of many saints who have helped unite very diverse cultures with common principles. In the case of Patrick, apart from teaching his Catholic faith, he also helped promote a common language, Latin, which he instituted as the ecclesiastical language in his land.

He was born during the Roman period in Britain. His father, Calpurnius, was an alderman and later a deacon. Patrick's family belonged to the landed middle class. But it was not an easy life. One of Patrick's prominent biographers, J. B. Bury, wrote that at the time the "evils of perverse legislation were aggravated by the corruption and tyranny of the treasury officials which the Emperors, with the best of purposes, seemed powerless to prevent."

St. Patrick became enslaved when he was only 16 while at his father's estate on the west coast of England. Irish raiders captured him and took him further west to Ireland. After six years working as a slave shepherd, he escaped. In a way, it was thanks to international trade. He found a trading ship, which historians say was exporting Irish wolfhound dogs. These dogs were in high demand by local chieftains and on the Continent, not only for chasing wolves and elk but also as fighting "gladiator" dogs.

After escaping, he became a more devout Christian, training for the priesthood in continental Europe. In 431, Pope Celestine I appointed him as the successor of Palladius, the first bishop of Ireland.

In addition to his efforts to expand the acceptance of Latin, St. Patrick contributed to a more unified world by improving the organization of Christianity and expanding it by helping convert many Irish kingdoms. He "brought Ireland into connection with the Church of the Empire and made it formally part of the universal Christendom" The Irish had trade with Britain, Gaul, and Spain "but now the island was brought into a direct and intimate association with western Europe by becoming an organized part of the Christian world" (Bury pp. 212-213)

The New Catholic Encyclopedia explains his efforts for Church organization in a territory where no one had preached the Gospel before, the west and north of Ireland. Such a task "had to be adapted to the political and social conditions." He founded cathedral churches with "quasi-monastic" chapters, as in the Continent. After relying on clergy from Gaul (now mainly France) and Britain, he quickly began to win converts. He was a man of action, and, rather than exploring new ideas, he relied on orthodox doctrine.

The Apostle of Ireland St. Patrick, hand-colored lithograph by Currier & Ives, New York, 1857-72, ... [+]CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES

Historians compare him to St. Boniface (c. 675 - 754), another saint born in England who influenced much of Europe and Christian culture. Boniface cut down a giant oak tree at Geismar, Germany, which the region's people regarded as sacred, representing Thor, the hammer-wielding god. Many converted when Boniface felled the oak, and only good things followed. In Patrick's lands, there was another idol; the biographer Bury writes: "It was apparently a stone, covered with silver and gold, standing in a sacred circuit, surrounded by twelve pillar stones." Patrick stuck it down with his staff, as Boniface did with the oak. Both helped shape Christianity in Europe.

Many will celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a drink where Irish also excel and which Christian monks perfected: beer. I have not been able to find any information about Patrick's drinking. Boniface, however, became the patron saint of brewers.

Patrons are served by an employee wearing a protective facemask at The Mean Fiddler on Saint ... [+]ASSOCIATED PRESS

When I think of St. Patrick's feast, my mind goes to the image of Ireland as a nation, its wonderful people, and how most of the Western world celebrates its feast day. But not all we know of St. Patrick's life is true. As Bury wrote, and other historians know, "the medieval hagiographer may be compared to the modern novelist; he provided literary recreation for the public, and he had to consider the public taste" (Bury p. 205). One of the most common images associated with St. Patrick, his use of a shamrock to symbolize the Holy Trinity, is based on legend. Similar to this is the story that he expelled all snakes from Ireland. But the many true stories have left a legacy to celebrate.

Quotes from J. B. Bury, 1905, The Life of St. Patrick and His Place in History, Second edition, Macmillan, London.