Saint Patrick

Saint Patrick

Saint Patrick (5th century C.E.) was an important Christian missionary involved in the evangalization of Ireland. He is celebrated as one of the most prominent catholic saints. The exact dates of his birth and death are unclear. In his use of Scripture and eschatological expectations, Patrick was typical of the 5th-century Bishop. One of the traits which he retained as an old man was a consciousness of being an unlearned exile, a former slave and fugitive, who learned to trust God completely.

He is recognized today as the patron saint of Irelandalong with Saint Brigid and Saint Columba. His desire to abolish all inequality most likely led him to become the patron saint of excluded people. St. Patrick is credited with fostering the development of arts and crafts and introducing the knowledge of the use of lime as mortar in Ireland. He is also responsible for the initial construction of clay churches in Ireland in the 5th century C.E. Another of St. Patrick's achievements was teaching the Irish to build arches of lime mortar instead of dry masonry. These beginnings of ceramic work developed into organized crafts, and that's how St. Patrick became the patron saint of engineers.

Birth and Early Life

Saint Patrick's own writing Confessio identifies his birthplace as the town of vico banavem in Taburnia. This town has never been identified with certainty and could be located anywhere along the west coast of Britain. Suggested sites for his birthplace include Dumbarton, Furness[1], Somerset, and Kilpatrick, Scotland.

Patrick was born at a time (early to mid 5th century) when Britain was undergoing turmoil following the withdrawal of Roman troops and Roman central authority. Having been under the Roman cloak for over 350 years, the Romano-British were having to look after themselves. Populations were on the move, and the recently converted British Christians were being colonised by pagan Anglo-Saxons. One can imagine the chaos in Britain during this time. So it was when Patrick was only sixteen years old he was swept away by Irish marauders along with "thousands" of other people. They were sold as slaves. Patrick was sold to an especially cruel master who was a Druid priest by the name of Milchu. His captivity lasted for six years and though harsh, it availed Patrick the mastery of the Celtic culture and language. It was there, on the hillsides and woodlands near Ballymena, where Patrick tended sheep, that he formed a profound relationship with God. Patrick stated "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. I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain."[2]

One day an angel appeared to him in a dream and admonished him, telling him to leave the druids place of servitude. In obedience to the admonition, he escaped, travelling for about 200 miles by foot, until he reached Westport, a city along the coast. There he boarded a ship and sailed on the Irish Sea back to Britain. Although he was back with friends, his heart was in service to God. His religious life led him to Auxerre, France, where he was later appointed by St. Germaine into the Priesthood. Patrick studied under St. Germaine for 18 years. The Saint recommended him to Pope Celestine. Celestine gave him his name Patecius, Patritius. It later became Pater Civium (the father of his people).

Patrick's return to Ireland

Patrick longed to return to Ireland. This desire became a reality when St. Germaine asked him to go on to Erin, (another name for Ireland) as a missionary.

It was in the summer months that Patrick and his companions arrived in hostile Irish territory at the mouth of Vantry River. Patrick visited Ballymena where he had been a slave. He sent word to his former master, Milchu, that in payment for his cruelity and the years of Patricks servitude, he was to receive blessing and freedom as God's child. However, when Milchu learned of the Irish aposltes coming, he was afraid and committed suicide.

Mission

His first converted patron was Saint Dichu, a Druid priest, who raised his sword to kill Patrick, when his arm became stiff and unable to strike. This experience created in Dichu respect and loyalty toward Patrick. He made a gift of a large sabhall(barn) for a church sanctuary. This first sanctuary dedicated by St Patrick became, in later years, his chosen retreat. A monastery and church were erected there, and there Patrick died; the site, Saul County Down, retains the name Sabhall (pronounced "Sowel").

Patrick wrote that he expected, on a daily basis, to be violently killed or enslaved again, probably because he took a strong stance against the prevading forces. His Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus protested British slave trading. He also protested the slaughter of Irish Christians by Coroticus's Welshmen. This is the first identified literature of the British or Celtic Catholic Church.[5] (You must reestablish the link that you removed)

Patrick gathered many followers, including Saint Benignus, who would become his successor. His chief concerns were the raising up of native clergy, and abolishing Paganism, idolatry, and Sun-worship. He made no distinction of classes in his preaching and was himself ready for imprisonment or death. He was the first writer to condemn all forms of slavery.

The Episcopal see at Armagh was organized by Patrick. He then established the churches into territorial sees, as was common in both the West and East. The choice of Armagh may have been determined by the presence of a powerful king. There Patrick had a school and presumably a small familia in residence; from this base he made his missionary journeys. Patrick encouraged the Irish to dedicate themselves to God by becoming monks and nuns. However, it took many centuries before the monastery was the principal unit of the Irish Church.

Although Patrick was not the first Christian missionary to evangalize Ireland, tradition accords him with the most impact. Men such as Secundus and Palladius were active there before him. However, there seems to have been little contact between the Palladian Christians of the southeast with Patrick's missionaries. Patrick taught along the catholic(universal empire wide church). The Paladians taught more on the practice of ascetisium including the belief that the Orignal Sin did not stem from Adam. His missions seem to have been concentrated in the provinces of Ulster and Connaught, which had little familiarity with Christianity. Patrick travelled extensivelly throughout the country preaching, teaching, building churches, opening schools and monasteries, and converting chiefs and Bards. He is said to have consecrated 350 Bishops. It is also alleged that his preaching was supported with miracles.

Patrick was noted for his meekness and humility. He wore a hair shirt and made the hard rock his bed. He simply wanted to bring the truth and blessings of God to the Irish people by teaching and defending Christianity.

Legends

There are many legends associated with the life of St. Patrick, which helped to promote the Roman Catholic faith among the Irish population.

It is said that Ireland at the time of St. Patrick was a land of many idols. The most famous of these was called Crom Crauch located in Leitrim. This idol was a huge stone overlayed in gold, surrounded by twelve brass idols representing the sun, moon, and stars. People would offer their firstlings and other sacrifices to this idol. However, Patrick was said to have thrown down Crom Crauch with the "staff of Jesus", and to call out its demons.

Another famous story is told of the annual vernal fire lit by the High King of Ireland at Tara. All the fires were to be extinguished so they could be renewed from the sacred fire from Tara. Patrick lit a rival, miraculously inextinguishable Christian bonfire on the hill of Slane, at the opposite end of the valley. This season was associated with Easter by chroniclers who followed Patrick's own account in his Confessio.'

Pious legend also credits Patrick with banishing snakes from the island. Since post-glacial Ireland never actually had snakes it is certain that "snakes" were a symbol representing something else. [3]; One suggestion is that snakes referred to the serpent symbolism of the Druids of that time and place. One could find such symbol on coins minted in Gaul. It could also have referred to beliefs such as Pelagianism, symbolized as "serpents."

Legend also credits Patrick with teaching the Irish about the concept of the Trinity by showing them the shamrock, a three-leaved clover. Through this example, Patrick highlighted the Christian dogma of 'three divine persons in the one God' (as opposed to the Arian belief that was popular in Patrick's time).

The "Breast-Plate Prayer" (Please insert it below) is thought to have been written by Patrick to mark the end of paganism in Ireland. It was written at a time when The Arc Righ of Erin had granted Patrick permission to go and to spread the Faith throughout Ireland.

Death: a contentious date

Patrick died in 493 C.E. according to the latest reconstruction of the old Irish annals. Prior to the 1940s it was believed without doubt that he died in 461 and thus had lived in the first half of the 5th century. A lecture entitled "The Two Patricks", published in 1942 by T. F. O'Rahilly, caused enormous controversy by proposing that there had been two "Patricks", Palladius and Patrick, and that what we now know of St. Patrick was in fact in part a conscious effort to meld the two into one hagiographic personality. Decades of contention eventually ended with most historians now asserting that Patrick was indeed most likely to have been active in the mid-to-late 5th century.

The compiler of the Annals of Ulster stated that in the year 553:

• "I have found this in the Book of Cuanu: The relics of Patrick were placed sixty years after his death in a shrine by Colum Cille. Three splendid halidoms were found in the burial-place: his goblet, the Angel's Gospel, and the Bell of the Testament. This is how the angel distributed the halidoms: the goblet to Dún, the Bell of the Testament to Ard Macha, and the Angel's Gospel to Colum Cille himself. The reason it is called the Angel's Gospel is that Colum Cille received it from the hand of the angel."

The placement of this event under the year 553 would certainly seem to place Patrick's death in 493, or at least in the early years of that decade.

For most of Christianity's first 1,000 years, canonizations were done on the diocesan or regional level. Relatively soon after very holy people died, the local Church affirmed that they could be liturgically celebrated as saints. [4] For this reason, St. Patrick was never formally canonized by the Pope.

The Cult of St. Patrick

Two of Patrick's biographers, Muirchú and Tírechán, are believed to have contributed to the cult of Patrick. They overemphasized Patrick's associations with the church of Armagh to make it the center. They wrote Life and Times of Patrick and Memoir of Patrick in the late seventh century. Instead of a humble, pious missionary as portrayed in his "Confessio", they created him as an ancient super hero. He was depicted as fearsome and able to turn men into animals and put curses on people. The cult put Patrick in a place where he was worshipped. Even today in Ireland people use the salutation, "May God, Mary and Patrick bless you".

Other Accolades

The Orthodox Church, especially English speaking orthodox Christians living in the British Isles as well as in North America, also venerate St. Patrick. There have even been icons dedicated to him[5].

St. Partick is also known as the Patron Saint of Nigeria. Nigeria was evangelized primarily by Irish missionaries and priests from Saint Patrick's Missionary Society known as the Kiltegan Missionaries.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Add his Confessio and Epistola here.

• Confession of Saint Patrick, translated by John Skinner (Image 1998) (Provide full details for reference plus ISBN#)
• How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill (Anchor 1996) (Provide full details for reference plus ISBN#)

External Sources

• NewAdvent.org: St. Patrick
• Catholic.org: St. Patrick
• Saint Patrick Centre: Saint Patrick's Legacy
• MSN Encarta: Saint Patrick
• HistoryChannel.com: Who Was St. Patrick?
• IrishAbroad.com: Life and History of St. Patrick
• AmericanCatholic.org: The Real St. Patrick and Celtic Spirituality
• Slate.com: St. Patrick Revealed
• Saint Patrick in Orthodoxy

Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

• Saint Patrick  ^history

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

• History of "Saint Patrick"

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.