St. Patrick
Likely we've worn green and feasted on corned beef and cabbage in honor of St. Patrick’s Feast Day (or “St. Paddy’s Day”) this week. Let's take pause to look at this most interesting 5th Century slave-turned-missionary.
Patrick lived from approximately 387-460 (exact dates are not certain). He called himself a “Roman” and a “Briton,” and likely was born in Kilpatrick, Scotland, although others think his birth may be Cumberland, England, or northern Wales. His father was a high-ranking Roman and a deacon, and his grandfather a priest; his mother was a near relative of St. Martin of Tours (316 or 336-397). Patrick, however, was not much of a believer initially.
When he was 16, Patrick was captured by Irish pirates along with a large number of his father’s slaves and vassals. They were all sold as slaves in Ireland, Patrick being sold to a chieftan in the present county of Antrim to be a shepherd tending flocks near today’s town of Ballymena. St. Patrick later disclosed his life story in his book, “Confessio,” and although suffering cold and hunger, he also disclosed, “The love of God and His fear grew in me more and more, as did the Faith, and my soul was roused, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers, and in the night nearly the same, so that while in the woods and on the mountain, even before the dawn, I was roused to prayer and felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain; nor was there any slothfulness in me, such as I see now, because the spirit was then fervent within me.”
It was during this time that St. Patrick learned the Celtic language spoken in Ireland; and as his master was a Druid high priest, he also learned of the Druid (pagan) practices as well. All these experiences became essential to his future mission to Ireland. This is reminiscent of the Old Testament Joseph being sold by his brothers as a slave into Egypt, being prepared for his future mission of literally saving his entire clan, the future Israel, from starvation and extinction. So St. Patrick is another example of God’s working in a most awful catastrophe to bring about some future greater good. (As He did with Jesus’ suffering and death; and with all our life experiences as St. Paul assures us in Romans 8:28, “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.”)
After six years, St. Patrick related that he was admonished by an angel to flee his slavery, and he traveled about 200 miles to the shore, found a ship ready to sail, and after some rebuffs (perseverance!) was allowed on board and so returned to his family in Britain.
But now St. Patrick had a mission: to study Christianity to prepare himself to evangelize the people of Ireland. He went to St. Martin’s monastery at Tours, and then several other places on the continent either for studies or in pilgrimage. His desire to return to Ireland never waned, but rather was intensified by a dream vision where it seemed “all the children of Ireland from their mothers’ wombs were stretching out their hands” to him. Also another vision where he encountered a man who carried many letters, and handed Patrick one. Opening the letter, at the top it read, “The Voice of the Irish,” and as Patrick read he heard the voice of the people he had previously known in his slavery crying out with one voice, “We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us.”
Likely we've worn green and feasted on corned beef and cabbage in honor of St. Patrick’s Feast Day (or “St. Paddy’s Day”) this week. Let's take pause to look at this most interesting 5th Century slave-turned-missionary.
When he was 16, Patrick was captured by Irish pirates along with a large number of his father’s slaves and vassals. They were all sold as slaves in Ireland, Patrick being sold to a chieftan in the present county of Antrim to be a shepherd tending flocks near today’s town of Ballymena. St. Patrick later disclosed his life story in his book, “Confessio,” and although suffering cold and hunger, he also disclosed, “The love of God and His fear grew in me more and more, as did the Faith, and my soul was roused, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers, and in the night nearly the same, so that while in the woods and on the mountain, even before the dawn, I was roused to prayer and felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain; nor was there any slothfulness in me, such as I see now, because the spirit was then fervent within me.”
It was during this time that St. Patrick learned the Celtic language spoken in Ireland; and as his master was a Druid high priest, he also learned of the Druid (pagan) practices as well. All these experiences became essential to his future mission to Ireland. This is reminiscent of the Old Testament Joseph being sold by his brothers as a slave into Egypt, being prepared for his future mission of literally saving his entire clan, the future Israel, from starvation and extinction. So St. Patrick is another example of God’s working in a most awful catastrophe to bring about some future greater good. (As He did with Jesus’ suffering and death; and with all our life experiences as St. Paul assures us in Romans 8:28, “We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.”)
After six years, St. Patrick related that he was admonished by an angel to flee his slavery, and he traveled about 200 miles to the shore, found a ship ready to sail, and after some rebuffs (perseverance!) was allowed on board and so returned to his family in Britain.
But now St. Patrick had a mission: to study Christianity to prepare himself to evangelize the people of Ireland. He went to St. Martin’s monastery at Tours, and then several other places on the continent either for studies or in pilgrimage. His desire to return to Ireland never waned, but rather was intensified by a dream vision where it seemed “all the children of Ireland from their mothers’ wombs were stretching out their hands” to him. Also another vision where he encountered a man who carried many letters, and handed Patrick one. Opening the letter, at the top it read, “The Voice of the Irish,” and as Patrick read he heard the voice of the people he had previously known in his slavery crying out with one voice, “We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us.”
St. Patrick was ordained a priest, and then consecrated bishop at age 43, and sent to take the Gospel to Ireland. Over the next years he was able to preach in all of Ireland. He lived in poverty but lively preached the love of God. He built many churches and monasteries, and established the dioceses. His converts then became missionaries on the continent and played a significant role in Christianizing all of Europe. St. Patrick was a humble, pious, gentle man with total devotion to and trust in God.
Dibby Green
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church is located in California City, CA. Visit our website at ollcalcity.org.
Originally published in the print edition of the Mojave Desert News dated March 19, 2020 (modified).