by Tim Harry

Created on: March 15, 2009   Last Updated: March 17, 2010

Today St. Patrick's Day is widely seen as an excuse to partake in a long session of drinking, with Guinness and varieties of green beer being drunk in huge quantities around the world. It is a time to wear green, to put on an Irish accent and to try and catch an elusive leprechaun for their pot of gold. The fact that St. Patrick's Day is a Catholic saint's day, meant to be a time for religious reflection is far from being the first thought on most people's mind.

It is though worth remembering the man, St. Patrick, who became the national saint of Ireland, and his life and works are deserving of remembrance. Patrick was born Maewyn Succat, in circa 387AD, in Dumbarton, Scotland, which at the time was part of Roman Britain. Different sources give different details about his early life, although it is commonly believed that his parents were Calphurnius and Conchessa, Calphurinius was either a high ranking roman soldier, or more likely a member of the British senate. Conchessa was a niece to St. Martin of Tours, archbishop and patron of ancient France.

At an early age the family moved to Wales, and unfortunately St. Patrick was captured by Irish raiders, who were looking for slaves and loot. Patrick was only sixteen years of age. Taken back to Ireland, St. Patrick was sold to the pagan Druid High Priest, Milchu, who put him to work as a shepherd on the slopes of Slemish near to what today is Ballymena. Roman Britain was a largely Christian country by that time, and St. Patrick would spend his time with the flocks in prayer to God, praying for his safe delivery from captivity. For six years St. Patrick would remain a slave, and quickly became adept at the Irish language.

The prayers of St. Patrick were answered and the stories tell of how an angel told him of a route by which he could escape Ireland. It was a successful escape and it was a sign to St. Patrick that he should give himself to spreading the word of Christianity. To this end he found a willing tutor in St. Germain and Pope St. Celestine I would give him the mission to convert the pagan island of Ireland. It was of course a task that Patrick was eminently suitable for, being aware of the language and customs of Ireland. The druids of Ireland though were not about to allow their power to be undermined, and Patrick was in constant danger of being put to death, he was in fact caught on several occasions but always managed to escape from his captors.

Success in his missionary work though soon came. The first

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