St. Patrick: The man behind the holiday

Today you will probably see a great deal of green. Most of us find wearing some bit of green better than getting pinched for not wearing that color on St. Patrick’s Day. However, lost in the sea of green and the tales of leprechauns and pots of gold, we have lost the man behind the legend.

In point of fact, Patrick was never canonized by the Catholic Church. He lived in the first millennium before the church developed the process for canonization. “Saint Patrick” is more an accolade by the lay people of Ireland rather an official designation by a religious body. Patrick was not even the real name of the man later dubbed “Saint Patrick.”

Frank Delaney’s “Ireland: A Novel” is a rich source of both history and Irish folklore. In his book, Delaney’s spokesman says Patrick was the son of a Roman, Potitus Colpornius. His given name was Patricius, which means “noble.” He and his family were living in Ballantrae, a community in Carrick on the west coast of Scotland.

One day, a band of Irish raiders crossed the Irish Sea and took Patricius prisoner. They returned to Ireland and sold him into slavery. According to the account of the Seanchai, the Irish word for the storyteller, the year was 403 A.D., and Patricius was just 16 years old. If those figures are near correct, the man we know as Patrick was born around 387 A.D.

For the next eight years, Patrick had a hard life. He herded swine – some say sheep – in the mountains of one of the colder parts of Ireland. Since he had no warm clothing, helping ensure his own survival and the survival of the animals under his care became his goal. For the first few weeks, he lived in a daze, trying to figure out what had happened to him. Just days before, he had been reading a book. Now he was herding pigs in freezing cold.

Since he was an educated Roman, he had been schooled in assessing situations and learning how to find an advantage. Patrick decided he could make his life easier if he learned to speak the Irish language. As Patrick mastered the language, he understood more and more just what was being said around him – and what was happening. After six bitter years of bondage, want, and deprivation, Patrick had a dream. In that dream, he saw a ship arrive. As he pondered the dream, he decided the dream meant he was to escape. He made his way to the coast, and a captain allowed him aboard his vessel and took him to France. For months, Patrick worked his way back home using his wits and his determination to survive. But he did not stay at home long.

Another dream urged him to be the “Voice of the Irish.” He embraced the Christian faith and studied for the priesthood. After his ordination, Patrick went to Ireland to preach the gospel to the people who had enslaved and mistreated him. The Irish at this time were pagans who worshiped a host of deities. Patrick understood the language. He also understood the belief system of the Irish, so he used that knowledge to reach their hearts. He took their pagan beliefs and replaced the paganism with Christian content.

In the end, Patrick became a legend – even during his lifetime. He is credited with converting the Irish to Christianity. Probably no place outside the Vatican is as faithful to the Roman Catholic Church as southern Ireland. So many legends exist about Patrick that historians have difficulty separating fact from fantasy. According to Irish tradition, Patrick died on March 17 in the year 460 A.D. Even though much of Patrick’s life lies buried in mystery, no one doubts the great impact Patrick’s life and ministry had on the Irish.

Patrick is still regarded as the patron saint of Ireland. Little wonder the Irish have observed the day of his death as a holiday – a holy day – for more than a thousand years. So if you are “wearing o’ th’ green” today, take a moment to think about the man behind the holiday – the man who rose from slave to saint.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day. And if you have genuine interest in Irish folklore and history, read Delaney’s excellent novel. His book cleverly weaves Irish history and lore into a compelling narrative.

Mike Parker is a columnist for Neuse News. You can reach him at mparker16@gmail.com.