Saint Patrick
St. Patrick of
Ireland is one of the world’s most popular saints.
Apostle of Ireland, born at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in Scotland, in the year 387; died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, 17 March, 461.
Along with
St. Nicholas and St. Valentine, the secular world shares our love of these saints. This is also a day when everyone’s Irish.
There are many legends and stories of St. Patrick, but this is his story.
Patrick was born around 385 in Scotland, probably Kilpatrick. His
parents were Calpurnius and Conchessa, who were
Romans living in Britian in charge of the colonies.
As a boy of fourteen or so, he was captured during a raiding party and taken to
Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep.
Ireland at this
time was a land of Druids and pagans. He learned the language and practices of the people who held him.
During his captivity, he turned to
God in prayer. He wrote
“The love of
God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my
soul was rosed, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred
prayers and in the night, nearly the same.” “I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain.”
Patrick’s captivity lasted until he was twenty, when he escaped after having a dream from
God in which he was told to leave
Ireland by going to the coast. There he found some sailors who took him back to Britian, where he reunited with his family.
He had another dream in which the people of
Ireland were calling out to him “We beg you, holy youth, to come and walk among us once more.”
He began his studies for the priesthood. He was ordained by St. Germanus, the
Bishop of Auxerre, whom he had studied under for years.
Later, Patrick was ordained a bishop, and was sent to take the Gospel to Ireland. He arrived in
Ireland March 25, 433, at Slane. One legend says that he met a chieftain of one of the tribes, who tried to kill Patrick. Patrick converted Dichu (the chieftain) after he was unable to move his arm until he became friendly to Patrick.
Patrick began preaching the Gospel throughout Ireland, converting many. He and his disciples preached and converted thousands and began building churches all over the country. Kings, their families, and entire kingdoms converted to
Christianity when hearing Patrick’s message.
Patrick by now had many disciples, among them Beningnus, Auxilius, Iserninus, and Fiaac, (all later canonized as well).
Patrick preached and converted all of
Ireland for 40 years. He worked many miracles and wrote of his love for
God in Confessions. After years of living in poverty, traveling and enduring much suffering he died March 17, 461.
Get your own Saints. This one is ours!
In my country we did not have much of her books,they had hard times coming to this part of the world,I wonder why…but I will not start another issue here…Well,without her and having much on her teaching I was still SDA . People,that is a miracle,how did that ever happen? Do you actually believe that if you show us that E.White was such and such that the SDA church will fall apart.I will tell you what actually might work. Take the Bible from us and show us that Bible is not God’s word and is not worth much then you may succeed.Even if I would ever leave the church would I think that Catholic was the one to go,it would be like saying to myself that the Earth was flat and in the center of our solar system.But that would be a lie,wouldn’t it?
