Who was Saint Patrick?

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He is celebrated every March 17th around the world. But who was St. Patrick?  Like most historical figures he’s been mythologized over the centuries, but behind the myth, was a flesh and blood person. Most scholars believe he was born in Britain around 385AD and became an active missionary in Ireland during the second half of the 5^th Century. Based on two authentic letters written by the man himself, he was about 16 years of age when he was captured by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Ireland. After six years he escaped back to Britain, became an ordained bishop and returned to Ireland to spread the Christian Gospel! It is believed he died on March 17, in the year 461.

According to legend, the Patron Saint of Ireland, as he became known, used a shamrock to explain God to the Irish people. He told them that the three-leafed Shamrock represented the Trinity, that in one God there are three divine beings: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He also knew the Shamrock was sacred to the paganistic Druids, so it was a clever choice to use it for his Christian teachings.

The snake story is one of the most enduring myths about Saint Patrick. One version has him standing upon a hill with a wooden staff, driving all the serpents into the sea and forever banishing them from Ireland. Though it is true Ireland has no snakes, scholars believe the myth is a metaphor for Saint Patrick bringing Christianity to Ireland and driving out pagan religions, which used serpents as a common symbol.

March 17, is both a holy day and a national holiday in Ireland, and a huge parade in Dublin is held. In North America it is not recognized as a holiday but the St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York is the biggest one in the world. Everywhere it is celebrated people wear green in honour of Ireland, which is also known as the Emerald Isle

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