St. Patrick

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was actually born in Wales, in Great Britain, about 385 A.D. When he was sixteen, he was kidnapped by pirates and carried off to Ireland, where he was sold into slavery. He worked there as a shepherd for six years, often suffering from cold and hunger, but during all his difficulties, he found solace in his religious faith. During his captivity, he learned the Celtic language, and became familiar with the Druid religion, the prevailing faith of the country at that time.

After Patrick escaped, he went to Gaul, and studied in a monastery under St. Germain, for twelve years. During his years of study, he felt an insistent call from God to return to Ireland to convert the natives to Christianity. After being ordained to the priesthood and then becoming a bishop, Patrick's wish was granted. He was sent back to Ireland, as a missionary, by Pope Celestine I.

Patrick labored for thirty years, travelling throughout Ireland establishing churches, monasteries, and schools. Tales of miracles accompanied his ministry. He was arrested several times but always escaped. He is credited with driving all the snakes out of Ireland into the sea. To this day, it is impossible to find a serpent of any kind in the land.

Patrick succeeded so well in converting the natives from paganism to Christianity that Ireland became a Roman Catholic country, and most missionaries during the Middle Ages came from the Emerald Isle. St. Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland, died on March 17, 461 A.D. In County Down.

The Irish have observed this day as a religious holy day for thousands of years. Lenten restrictions would be lifted during the afternoon and evening hours and the people would dance, drink and feast on traditional dishes like corned beef and cabbage.

As Europeans came to the New World, they carried their traditions with them in their hearts and in their memories. Accordingly, the first St. Patrick's Day parade was held in New York City on March 17, 1762. It was planned and carried out by Irish soldiers serving in the English military. It helped them connect and socialize with their countrymen and celebrate their common heritage and tradition.

When the Great Potato Famine hit Ireland in 1845, close to a million poor, Irish-Catholic immigrants poured into America to escape starvation. At first they faced severe discrimination by the American Protestant majority, because of their funny accents and religious beliefs. The new immigrants had trouble finding even menial jobs.

However, soon the Irish-Americans realized that, because of their great numbers, they were a significant political force. They began to organize, and their political block was dubbed the "green machine". Attendance at the annual St. Patrick's Day parades became a necessity for serious politicians of all parties. In 1948, President Truman attended the St. Patrick's Day parade in New York City. Soon it became fashionable for everyone to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, no matter what their heritage.

Today, St. Patrick's Day is observed by people of every ethnic background, not only in United States, Canada and Australia but also in many other locations far from Ireland, such as Russia, Japan and Singapore. One can readily imagine St. Patrick, smiling down with pride and pleasure on the festivities, distinctly Irish, although far from land where God sent him to spread the Gospel message.