SAINT PATRICK, PRIEST, BISHOP AND MISSIONARY

 CELEBRATING THE GREAT MISSIONARY ICON, SAINT PATRICK MARCH 17 

INTRODUCTION

Saint Patrick existed around 415-493 AD. Some account have it that he exited around 385-461 AD. The two solid qualities of St Patrick are humility and courageousness. He was humble and he was courageous. The determination to accept suffering and success with equal indifference guided the life of the instrument of God for winning most of Ireland for Christ. 

The Missionary Bishop Patrick was a true fisher of men who attracted a great shoal of fish (Luke 5:6). He loved and served the Lord with all his heart, strength, soul and spirit; and the Lord blessed the work of his hands with fruitfulness. He was a good steward of the varied grace of God (1 Peter 4:10).

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY

The details of his life are uncertain. Current research places his dates of birth and death a little later than earlier accounts. Saint Patrick is believed to have been born in the late fourth century. So the story goes that Maewyn Succat was born near a village called Banna Vemta Burniae, which was situated on the Roman road of Watling Street, which today is known as the A5 trunk road. However, where, on this vast road, it is not clear. Some believe Maewyn Succat was born in the lowlands of Scotland, and others say it was Wales, which was under Roman control at that time. 

His father, Calpornius (Calpurnius), was a Roman-British army officer (or Roman Senator in Brittany) and a deacon. Despite the involvement of his father in the church, Maewyn Succat did not, at first, follow suit. He was not a believer. In fact, until the age of 16, his life was unexceptional. 

Saint Patrick (Maewyn Succat) called himself both a Roman and a Briton. At his time, the Roman Empire was ruling Europe. We can say St Patrick was born in a Roman Britain. At 16, he and a large number of the slaves and vassals of his father were captured by Irish raiders and sold as slaves in Ireland. They were forced to work as a slave and a shepherd. He suffered greatly from hunger and cold.

After six years Patrick escaped, probably to France, and later returned to Britain at the age of 22. His captivity had meant spiritual conversion. He may have studied at Lerins, off the French coast; he spent years at Auxerre, France. It was recorded in some account that he died on March 17 461 AD.

SAINT PATRICK IN FRANCE

At the age of sixteen, Patrick was kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold as a slave to a Celtic priest in the area now known as Northern Ireland, where he spent six years in captivity. It is worth noting that there is some dispute over where this captivity took place. Although many believe he was taken to live in Mount Slemish in County Antrim, it is more likely that he was held in County Mayo near Killala. However, during this time, he worked as a shepherd, outdoors and away from people. Lonely and afraid, he turned to his religion for solace, becoming a devout Christian. Thus, it is believed that Patrick first began to dream of converting the Irish people to Christianity during his captivity.

After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his writing, a voice, which he believed to be the voice of God, spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland. To do so, Patrick walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo, where it is believed he was held, to the Irish coast. After escaping to Britain, Patrick reported that he experienced a second revelation, an angel in a dream telling him to return to Ireland as a missionary. So, Patrick intends to return to Ireland someday. He later settled in France and spent many years as a monk in Marmoutier Abbey. The religious training received by Patrick lasted more than fifteen years. After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission: to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish. Interestingly, this mission contradicts the widely held notion that Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland. Though, the faith of Christians then was not strong. He later became a bishop in Ireland. One of the traits which he retained as an old man was a consciousness of being an unlearned exile and former slave and fugitive, who learned to trust God completely.

SAINT PATRICK AS A MISSIONARY BISHOP IN IRELAND

St Patrick became a Priest and was thereafter consecrated bishop at the age of 43. His great desire was to proclaim the good news to the Irish. In a dream vision it seemed all the children of Ireland from the wombs of their mothers were stretching out their hands to him. He understood the vision to be a call to do mission work in pagan Ireland. Despite opposition from those who felt his education had been defective, he was sent to carry out the task as a Missionary Bishop. He went to the west and north where the faith had never been preached, obtained the protection of local kings, and made numerous converts.

During his sojourn in Ireland as a Missionary Bishop, he baptized thousands of people, ordained to the priesthood numerous people, and consecrated young women. He also encouraged widows to remain chaste. He divided the country into dioceses, held Church councils, founded several monasteries and continually urged his people to greater holiness in Christ. His life, teaching and great works attracted ordinary people, princes and the wealthy to Christianity. 

On the other hand, he suffered much opposition from pagan druids and was criticized in both England and Ireland for the way he conducted his mission. In a relatively short time, the island had experienced deeply the Christian spirit, and was prepared to send out missionaries whose efforts were greatly responsible for Christianizing Europe. 

SAINT PATRICK AND THE DRIVING AWAY OF SNAKES IN IRELAND

Many of the stories traditionally associated with St. Patrick, including the famous account of his banishing all the snakes from Ireland, are false, the products of hundreds of years of exaggerated storytelling.

Saint Patrick is most known for driving the snakes from Ireland. It is true there are no snakes in Ireland, but there probably never have been  the island was separated from the rest of the continent at the end of the Ice Age. As in many old pagan religions, serpent symbols were common and often worshiped. Driving the snakes from Ireland was probably symbolic of putting an end to that pagan practice. While not the first to bring Christianity to Ireland, it is Patrick who is said to have encountered the Druids at Tara and abolished their pagan rites. The story holds that he converted the warrior chiefs and princes, baptizing them and thousands of their subjects in the Holy Wells that still bear this name.

OPPOSITION FROM PAGAN DRUIDS 

For the next 20 years as he went to France, Patrick studied in France and England. At age 43, he became a bishop, and Pope Celestine called him Patricius, which means father of the citizens. In a dream, he felt the call of God call to return to Ireland. Patrick said yes to God and sailed back to Ireland. He was at first driven back to his ship by the Druids, but landing further north, he converted the chieftain Dichu by a miracle and dedicated the first Christian sanctuary at a place called Saul. When all the chiefs had assembled at the hill of Slane near Tara some years later, Patrick seized the opportunity to expound the faith boldly, using the shamrock to illustrate the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. One stem, three leaves; one nature, three persons, was the core of his preaching. 

The enraged Druid priests demonstrated their demoniacal powers by levitation. When the prayer of Patrick brought them to naught, King Leoghaire permitted him to teach Christianity throughout Ireland. Patrick and his companions were imprisoned numerous times and even threatened with death, but his success was astounding in the end. 

Within ten years of his landing, he had been called upon to aid in revising the law of Ireland on a Christian basis. Humble yet courageous, the determination of Patrick to accept suffering and success with equal candor guided him in winning most of Ireland for Christ. Indeed, by the time he died at Saul in 461, he had established the Church in Ireland on a truly solid foundation.

THE STRENGHT OF ST PATRICK

What distinguishes Patrick is the durability of his efforts. When one considers the state of Ireland when he began his missionary work, the vast extent of his labors, and how the seeds he planted continued to grow and flourish, one can only admire the kind of man Patrick must have been. The holiness of a person is known only by the fruits of his or her work.

Patrick was a man of action, with little inclination toward learning. He had a rock-like belief in his vocation, in the cause he had espoused. One of the few certainly authentic writings is his Confessio, above all an act of homage to God for having called Patrick, unworthy sinner, to the apostolate. 

Saint Patrick is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. He described himself as a most humble-minded man, pouring forth a continuous paean of thanks to his Maker for having chosen him as the instrument whereby multitudes who had worshiped idols and unclean things had become the people of God.

THE FRUITFULNESS OF HIS MINISTRY

The mission of St. Patrick was pivotal in the Christianization of Ireland, transforming the religious landscape of Island and shaping its cultural identity, and his legacy continues to be celebrated today. 

The impact of the ministry of St Patrick in Ireland is felt all over the world, as Irish missionaries went out in great numbers to work selflessly as missionaries in many countries, including Nigeria. Today, with deep appreciation, we remember these great missionaries who brought the good news to us, established schools, and hospitals and contributed significantly to the development of our country. 

THE CHALLENGE GIVEN TO US

Having read about St Patrick, the missionary Bishop, we should ask ourselves individually if we also burn with passion to spread the Good News.

PATRONAGE

St Patrick is the patron saint against fear of snakes or ophidiophobia; ophidiophobics; against snake bites; against snakes; barbers, hairdressers; barrel makers; coopers; blacksmiths; cattle; engineers; excluded people; miners; Ireland; Nigeria (1961); Loiza, Puerto Rico; 29 dioceses

CANONIZATION

Veneration of Patrick gradually assumed the status of a local cult; he was not simply remembered in Saul and Downpatrick, he was worshipped. Indeed, homage to Patrick as the Saint of Ireland was apparent in the 8th century AD. Despite his status as a patron saint, St. Patrick was never actually canonized by the Church during his lifetime. This was primarily because such a process of canonization did not exist when he died in A.D. 461. So, at this time, the status of the national apostle Patrick was made independently of Rome. The veneration in which the Irish have held Saint Patrick is evidenced by the salutation, still common today, May God, Mary and Patrick be with you all this day.

Note that St. Ulrich of Augsburg became the first saint to be formally canonized and this took place in 993 AD. Again, the Church established an official canonization process overseen by the Pope only in the 12th century. 

SAINT PATRICK AND GREEN COLOUR

While the day of St. Patrick is now associated with wearing green, parades (when they are not canceled) and beer, the holiday is grounded in history that dates back more than 1,500 years. The earliest known celebrations were held in the 17th century on March 17, marking the anniversary of the death of St. Patrick in the 5th century. 

The colour green is now synonymous with the Day of St Patrick and Irish pride. But it was not always this way. Until the 19th century, the colour associated with St Patrick was actually blue.

SAINT PATRICK AS THE PATRON SAINT OF NIGERIA

On the day the Irish Embassy opened in Lagos in 1961, Irish Bishops working in Nigeria nominated St Patrick to be the patron Saint of Nigeria and this was accepted by the Nigerian Church.

MAEWYN SUCCAT

The real name of St. Patrick is actually Maewyn Succat. It was when he became a priest that he adopted a new name, Patrick, after Patricius. Patricius relates to the Latin root meaning father.

A READING FROM THE CONFESSION OF SAINT PATRICK

I came to the Irish people to preach the Gospel and endure the taunts of unbelievers, putting up with reproaches about my earthly pilgrimage, suffering many persecutions, even bondage, and losing my birthright of freedom for the benefit of others. If I am worthy, I am ready also to give up my life, without hesitation and most willingly, for Christ's name. I want to spend myself for that country, even in death, if the Lord should grant me this favor. It is among that people that I want to wait for the promise made by him, who assuredly never tells a lie. He makes this promise in the Gospel: They shall come from the east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This is our faith: believers are to come from the whole world. 

In his Confession, in which he tells the experience of those years, he writes, Love for God and His fear grew in me, and so faith. In a single day, I recited one hundred prayers, and at night, almost as many. I prayed in the woods and mountains, even before the dawn. Neither the snow, nor the ice, nor the rain seemed to touch me. 

According to his autobiography Confessio, for the next six years, he was kept in prison in the north of the island of Ireland. Here he worked as a herdsman tending to sheep and pigs, on Mount Slemish, in County Antrim. It was during this time that Maewyn Succat found religion. He believed that his kidnapping and enslavement were punishment for his lack of belief.

A READING FROM THE BREAST-PLATE OF SAINT PATRICK

Christ shield me this day:

Christ be with me,

Christ within me,

Christ with me,

Christ before me,

Christ behind me,

Christ beside me

Christ to win me,

Christ beneath me,

Christ above me,

Christ on my right,

Christ on my left,

Christ in quiet,

Christ in danger,

Christ to comfort me and restore me,

Christ when I lie down,

Christ when I arise,

Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in the ear that hears me

KEY POINTS

1. Christianization of Ireland: St. Patrick, a Roman-British priest, is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland, establishing churches, monasteries, and schools. 

2. Missionary Work: After being kidnapped and held as a slave in Ireland, he returned as a missionary, preaching the Gospel and converting the Irish people. 

3. Patron Saint of Ireland: While he was never formally canonized, St. Patrick is widely venerated as the patron saint of Ireland, and his feast day, March 17th, is celebrated worldwide. 

4. Cultural Impact: The mission of St. Patrick had a profound impact on Irish culture, influencing art, literature, and music. 

5. Legacy of Irish Missionaries: The efforts of Saint Patrick led to the influx of Irish missionaries into mainland Europe and Africa, spreading Christianity further afield. 

THE MESSAGE

If Peter and his friends had refused to become fishers of men and women, who would have remember their names in Christian history today? If St Patrick had refused to take the Good News to Ireland, who would have be celebrating the results of his fishing today? In our own Christian journey therefore, we too must use the special talents we have been given to turn other hearts to God. So keep a calm and sober mind; let love be sincere, think about that gift you have and begin to use it to pull others into the fold of God. The right time is NOW. 

O DIVINE WORD WHO TOOK FLESH FOR HUMAN SAKE, REDEEM US IN OUR SITUATIONS

© Rev. Fr. Utazi Prince Marie Benignus

March 20 2025