St Patrick, the Man and the Myth:

Many places claim to be the birth place of St. Patrick, however it remains a mystery as to exactly where he was born. Partick himself claims to have been from a place called Bannavem Taburniae, which may have been in Wales or even French Brittany. Some believe that he may have been born in Scotland.  All that is certain is that he was born in Roman Briton, his father Calpurnius was a Christian deacon. It is said that his mothers name was Concessa. His birth name is said to have been Gaewyn or Meawyn, he took the name Patrick upon joining the priesthood. He had five sisters, namely, Lupait and Tigris and Darerca and Liamain and Richell . Partick was not the only member of this family to be sainted. His sisters St. Tigris and St. Darerca, as well as many of their children went on to dedicate their lives to God and be sainted.

When he was about sixteen he was captured by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Ireland. It is belived that Patrick was sold into slavery in Ireland to Miliucc, a local Druid warlord at Antrim. He spent 6 years in captivity before escaping and returning to his family.It is said that Patrick had a dream that encouraged him to flee his captivity and flee southward where a ship was to be waiting for him. He traveled over 200 miles from his place captivity to Wexford town where, sure enough, a ship was waiting to enable his escape.Upon arrival in England he was again captured by brigands and returned to slavery. He escaped after two months and spent the next seven years traveling Europe seeking his destiny.

During this time he furthered his education and studied Christianity in France (Gaul). While in Gaul before leaving to go to Ireland, Saint Patrick confessed to a friend a sin that he committed when he was 15 years old in order to receive forgiveness. The nature of his sin is unknown, but much speculation has been made as to its nature. He was deeply disappointed when a friend of his to whom he had confided the story of his youthful misdeed spoke up in opposition to Patrick's appointment as Bishop to Ireland.  Instead Bishop Palladius, was commissioned to go to the Irish. During this time he still harboured a burning desire to return to Ireland and, in 431 on the death of Palladius, first Bishop of Ireland, his wish was granted when Patrick was chosen to take his place. However, Patrick was called to Rome first where, in 432, Pope Celestine consecrated him as Bishop - and where he was given the baptismal name of 'Patricius'
Patrick travelled to Ireland, together with 25 followers, arriving at Slane (about an hour north of modern day Dublin) in the winter of 432/433. There is a story of his arrival in Ireland, that he made directly for Antrim, the place of his earlier bondage.  Miliucc, thinking that Patrick was returning to bring vengeance upon his former captor, set fire to his own house and burned himself within it. He made his base at Armagh, in the north of the country, and was given the protection of Dichiu, a local king. One version of the story says that Dichu tried to kill Patrick, but Partick managed to convert the man instead. Dichiu also gave Patrick a building in which to house his first church.

Patrick decided that he would have better luck conventing the populace to Christianity if he had the support of the High King, Laoghaire, son of Nail of the Nine Hostages. Each year the Irish people celebrated a druid festival in which bonfires were lit on hilltops throughout the country. No fire was supposed to be lit until the high king had kindled his fire on the sacred hill of Tara, but Patrick violated this rule by building a huge Easter bonfire on the Hill of Slane, a few miles from Tara. When Laoghaire saw the distant flames, he angrily called his warriors together and went to confront Patrick.

Again Patrick turned an enemy into a friend. He impressed Laoghaire, and the king invited him to Tara. There the king's druids mocked Patrick, asking him if he could make it snow. According to legend, Patrick replied that only God could make it snow and at that moment it began to snow. When Patrick crossed himself, the snow stopped. Awed, the high king gave Patrick permission to continue his missionary work. Laoghaire himself never converted to Christianity, but his wife, daughters, and brother did.

It is during this time period that according to legend Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to his pagan converts. The shamrock was considered holy by the Druids, so Patrick may have used the plant to show the pagans how their beliefs connected to Christianity as well as to explain the Holy Trinity to them. However, this story did not appear until more than 1000 years after St. Patrick's death. By the 17th century, when the English began to seize Irish land and suppress Irish language and religion, the shamrock became a symbol of Irish nationalism.

It is said that Patrick fasted upon a mountain for 40 days, and at the end of his fast, the threw he threw a bell down the side of the mountain, banishing all the snakes and serpents of Ireland. However there is no evidence that there were ever snakes in Ireland. More likely is that the “snakes” where the pagans, to whom the snake was a holy symbol. The site of his fast is now known as Croagh Patrick, in County Mayo. Croagh Patrick has been a place of pilgramage for time immemorial.

There are several accounts of Saint Patrick's death. One says that Patrick died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, on March 17, 460 A.D. His jawbone was preserved in a silver shrine and was often requested in times of childbirth, epileptic fits, and as a preservative against the "evil eye." Another account says that St. Patrick ended his days at Glastonbury, England and was buried there. The Chapel of St. Patrick still exists as part of Glastonbury Abbey. Yet another tradition has it that leaving it to Providence to resolve the argument, the bier was laid on a wagon to which four oxen were yoked. The oxen were led out into the wilderness and left to seek their own destination. On a slope above the river Quoile they stayed and there, in Downpatrick, the body of St Patrick was laid in the earth. It has also been said that St.Patrick’s burial shroud was woven by St. Brigid.

Patrick Predicts the Birth of a Saint

Dewi Sant or St David, is the patron saint of Wales. The earliest mention of St. David is found in a tenth-century manuscript Of the "Annales Cambriae", which assigns his death to A.D. 601. Little else that can claim to be historical is known about St. David. The tradition that he was born at Henvynyw (Vetus-Menevia) in Cardiganshire is not improbable. According to legends, an angel told St. Patrick of the coming of St. David, 30 years before David was born. St. David’s Day is March 1^st.

Other Saints of Patrick’s Line

Patrick had 5 sisters, two of whom were themselves Saints. St Tigris or Tigra, and  St. Darerca. Each of them had several children who became Saints.

Little is known of Tigris’s life, as she is often confused with her sister Darerca. St. Tigris the mother of five sons, all of whom became bishops: Saints  Lomam of Trim; Munis of Forgney; Broccaid of Emlagh; Broccen of Breaghwy; and Mugenoc of All Duimi Gluin.

Much obscurity is attached to St. Dareca as well, and it is not easy to disentangle the actual facts of her history from the network of legend which medieval writers interwove with her acts. However, her fame, apart from her relationship to Ireland's national apostle, stands secure as not only a great saint but as the mother of many saints.

When Saint Patrick visited Bredach, as is found in the "Tripartite Life of St. Patrick," he ordained Aengus mac Ailill, the local chieftain of Moville, now a seaside resort for the citizens of Derry. While there he found "the three deacons," his sister's sons, namely, Saint Reat, Saint Nenn, and Saint Aedh, who are commemorated respectively on 3 March, 25 April, and 31 August.

Darerca was twice married, her second husband, Chonas the Briton, founded the church of Both-chonais, now Binnion, Parish of Clonmany, in the barony of Inishowen, County Donegal. She had children by both husbands, some say seventeen sons, all of whom, according to Colgan, became bishops. From the "Tripartite Life of Saint Patrick" it is evident that there were four sons of Darerca by Chonas, namely four bishops, Saint Mel of Ardagh, Saint Rioc of Inisboffin, Saint Muinis of Forgney, County Longford, and Saint Maelchu. It is well to note that another Saint Muinis, son of Gollit, is described as of Tedel in Ara-cliath.

Darerca had two daughters, Saint Eiche of Kilglass and Saint Lalloc of Senlis. Her first husband was Restitutus the Lombard, after whose death she married Chonas the Briton. By Restitutus she was mother of Saint Sechnall of Dunshaughlin; Saint Nectan of Killunche, and of Fennor (near Slane); of Saint Auxilius of Killossey (near Naas, County Kildare); of Saint Diarmaid of Druim-corcortri (near Navan); of Dabonna, Mogornon, Drioc, Luguat, and Coemed Maccu Baird (the Lombard) of Cloonshaneville, near Frenchpark, County Roscommon. Four other sons are assigned her by old Irish writers, namely Saint Crummin of Lecua, Saint Miduu, Saint Carantoc, and Saint Maceaith.

Writings of St Patrick

Few genuine writings of Saint Patrick are in existence today. These writings have become public only during the 19^th century.One is "The Confession", an autobiography of Saint Patrick near the end of his life. Another is "A letter to Coroticus", containing a fierce complaint against Coroticus who had raided a number of Patrick’s converts.

While some scholars dispute the genuineness, other writings attributed to St. Patrick include “The Lorica of St. Patrick" also known as “St. Patrick’s Breast Plate”. It is said that he wrote this preparation for this victory over Paganism.

The Lorica of St Patrick

Literal translation from the old Irish text

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity:
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism,
The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial,
The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
The virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the love of seraphim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the hope of resurrection unto reward,
In prayers of Patriarchs,
In predictions of Prophets,
In preaching of Apostles,
In faith of Confessors,
In purity of holy Virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I bind to myself today
The power of Heaven,
The light of the sun,
The brightness of the moon,
The splendour of fire,
The flashing of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of sea,
The stability of earth,
The compactness of rocks.

I bind to myself today
God's Power to guide me,
God's Might to uphold me,
God's Wisdom to teach me,
God's Eye to watch over me,
God's Ear to hear me,
God's Word to give me speech,
God's Hand to guide me,
God's Way to lie before me,
God's Shield to shelter me,
God's Host to secure me,
Against the snares of demons,
Against the seductions of vices,
Against the lusts of nature,
Against everyone who meditates injury to me,
Whether far or near,
Whether few or with many.

I invoke today all these virtues
Against every hostile merciless power
Which may assail my body and my soul,
Against the incantations of false prophets,
Against the black laws of heathenism,
Against the false laws of heresy,
Against the deceits of idolatry,
Against the spells of women, and smiths, and druids,
Against every knowledge that binds the soul of man.

Christ, protect me today
Against every poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against death-wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort,
Christ in the chariot seat,
Christ in the poop [deck],
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trinity,
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

Celebrations

St. Patrick’s Day has become a universal celebration of Irish heritage, particularly in the United Stats. It is said that it’s the one day of the year when everyone is Irish.

Festivities include parades, music and for the devout, Mass.

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T201009/text001.html

http://www.newgenevacenter.org/biography/patrick2.htm

http://www.newadvent.org

http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/holidays/st_patricks_day.htm

http://www.crewsnest.vispa.com/stpatrick.htm

http://www.sacredfire.net/celtchrist.html

http://www.cin.org/patrick.html

http://www.st-patricks-day.com/about_saintpatrick.asp

http://www.royalty.nu/Europe/Ireland/Patrick.html