By: Gabriel Lorenzo
March 17 is known for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, the day when many people celebrate by wearing green and getting pinched for not doing so. All around the world every year, people celebrate him. While St. Patrick is known globally, few people understand that he was an influential missionary who brought faith to the pagans of Ireland.
St. Patrick’s original name was Maewyn Succat. According to a 2017 documentary, he was born circa A.D. 385 on the west coast of England. At the age of 16, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders who were sent by Ireland’s King Niall. The raiders took St. Patrick to Ireland as a slave. He escaped six years later and studied in France before coming back to his homeland.
Meanwhile, he saw a vision that consisted of a common man who came to him. The man invited him to go to Ireland to teach Christianity to the people there. After he saw the vision, he went and landed at the same port where he escaped as a runaway slave. Most people believe that St. Patrick was sent by the Catholic Church and that he was a Catholic. He had the desire to share the good news to the people and wasn’t obligated to go.
Even though St. Patrick’s Day is a common holiday, there are also many well-known myths about him and what he did. One of the most common myths is that St. Patrick banished all the snakes from Ireland. According to an article called “Did St. Patrick really banish all the snakes from Ireland?”, in Ireland, the supposed “snakes” are actually lizards that have no feet. An article published by Ireland Calling, entitled “St Patrick myths and legends,” stated that the “snakes” were more of a figurative way of saying that Patrick was trying to expel the corruption of paganism that happened in his time.
Another myth mentions his walking stick. According to Ireland Calling, in the article “St Patrick myths and legends,” every time Patrick preached to the people, he would shove it into the ground. The myth states that one time, the walking stick became a living tree. The most common misconception of St. Patrick is the iconic symbol; the shamrock. According to Ireland Calling, in the article “St Patrick myths and legends,” the people didn’t understand the idea of the Holy Trinity. St. Patrick used the shamrock to help people understand the concept of the Trinity–the idea that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit exist as one.
There are other parts of St. Patrick’s Day’s story that could be included in this article. The only first-hand accounts from the fifth century are found in Patrick’s writings. St. Patrick died circa A.D. 461. Now, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated with leprechauns, gold under the rainbow, wearing green, parades and many other events. At least, the influence that St. Patrick left will be remembered because of his desire to tell the good news.
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