Who is St. Patrick and why do we have a day set aside for him??

Question

Who was this guy? I heard something about him ridding Ireland of snakes,but I'm not sure if that means reptiles or if he chased out another religious cult and infused his ideas of what he thought was best for the good of all. Was he the start of the hatred between the Catholics and Protesants in Ireland? Or do they actually follow their "beliefs" and kill each other for other reasons?

Answer 1

WTF? Do you just not know how to spell wikipedia? He's an englishman who ended up becoming the patron saint of Ireland because...I believe he brought christianity to the Celts in Ireland. That said, he's got as much to do with St Patrick's day as Christ and Christmas.

Answer 2

St. Patrick is accredited with getting rid of the snakes and establishing a Catholic Cummunity in Ireland.

The trouble between Catholics and Protestants happened years later. During the 1800's citizens of Ireland were considered subjects of the English Crown and treated poorly by the Queen and England. England wanted Ireland to Protestant and prosecuted the Irish Catholics. About the 1850's, the great Potato disaster occurred and people were starving. The Queen wanted to show her love for the people and sent boats of rotted meat and vegetables. This led to a migration of Irish to the United States in time for the U.S. Civil War. Depending on what port the ships came in determined which side the Irish would fight on. New York -- North, Charlotte - South and then were formed into Irish Brigades. Eventually the people of Ireland (Irish-Catholics) wanted Ireland to be free and rebelled against England. This led to a divided Ireland. Irish-Catholics on one side and Irish-Protestants on the other with British support.

I think St. Patrick's Day here was started because of how the Irish were treated after the Civil War. Everyone now says they love the Irish and want to be Irish for a day. Years ago, Irish were treated horribly. Not being able to work unless the jobs were dangerous and treated like dirt. Even when my mom was a girl she seen signs saying "Help Wanted. Irish need not apply"

Answer 3

St Patrick was mainly responsible for bringing Christianity to Ireland.

Just a comment for the benefit of of your previous answerer's responses, he was in Ireland before there were Protestants, he also would not recognise the Roman Catholic Church as it is today with so many man made additions over the centuries (I can provide a list but it is very long). At the time of Patrick the church was still pretty much as should be, but developed into something totally different over the centuries.

So if he were here today he would have much more in common with born again Christians.

Eric, if you lived in Northern Ireland you would find and appreciate more that religion is unbelievably deep seated into the conflict than you understand, notice I say religion, not Christianity, that is something totally different, Christianity is not about religion it is about a personal relationship with God, and God does not ask us or want us to kill, torture, intimidate anyone... so these acts are acts of religion not Christianity


JB

Answer 4

St. Patrick did, in fact, rid Ireland of snakes. There have never been snakes in Ireland, the legend means the Druids. He wasn't all that good a guy but he did not start the Catholic-Protestant fight. That has more to do with Protestant England taking control of Catholic Ireland.

Answer 5

St. Patrick is a Missionary attributed to converting Ireland to Christianity (Likely the answer to your snakes reference).

Actually, no, the reason the Protestants and Catholics show hatred with each other, is because the one group wants a free Ireland (currently called Éire), the other half wants a unified Britain (currently called Northern Ireland). There may be other underlying issues there, but that seems to be the main one. It is all related to political divisions, not religion (AKA Northern and Southern Ireland).

Answer 6

St Patrick was a roman soldier who lived and served in Ireland (then known as Erie or Eirie). He was the one introducing Christianity to that region of the world when the Holy Roman Empire still subsisted. There are several legends about his many miracles, and he's said to have eradicated the old pagan cults. He's also part of the disagreement between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland.

Answer 7

Is this a homework assignment?

Yes, St. Patrick supposedly rid Ireland of snakes.

No, he is not responsible for the political situation in Ireland. If you want to know about that you need to study the history of the British Empire. Remember how we kicked them out of the colonies? The situation in Ireland isn't that much different.

Unfortunately, most people believe the conflict in Northern Ireland is based on religion, but actually, that only plays a small role. It's really about British imperialism. Ever study the fall of European colonialism? If not, you should. It will help you to understand what's going on in the world, especially in the Middle East.

Answer 8

The person who was to become St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Roman Britain about AD 385. His given name was Maewyn, and he almost didn't get the job of bishop of Ireland because he lacked the required scholarship.

Far from being a saint, until he was 16, he considered himself a pagan. At that age, he was sold into slavery by a group of Irish marauders that raided his village. During his captivity, he became closer to God.

He escaped from slavery after six years and went to Gaul where he studied in the monastery under St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre for a period of twelve years. During his training he became aware that his calling was to convert the pagans to Christianity.

His wishes were to return to Ireland, to convert the native pagans to Christianity. But his superiors instead appointed St. Palladius. But two years later, Palladius transferred to Scotland. Patrick, having adopted that Christian name earlier, was then appointed as second bishop to Ireland.

Patrick was quite successful at winning converts. And this fact upset the Celtic Druids. Patrick was arrested several times, but escaped each time. He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. He also set up schools and churches which would aid him in his conversion of the Irish country to Christianity.

His mission in Ireland lasted for thirty years. After that time, Patrick retired to County Down. He died on March 17 in AD 461. That day has been commemorated as St. Patrick's Day ever since.

Much Irish folklore surrounds St. Patrick's Day. Not much of it is actually substantiated.

Some of this lore includes the belief that Patrick raised people from the dead. He also is said to have given a sermon from a hilltop that drove all the snakes from Ireland. Of course, no snakes were ever native to Ireland, and some people think this is a metaphor for the conversion of the pagans. Though originally a Catholic holy day, St. Patrick's Day has evolved into more of a secular holiday.

One traditional icon of the day is the shamrock. And this stems from a more bona fide Irish tale that tells how Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to explain the Trinity. He used it in his sermons to represent how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity. His followers adopted the custom of wearing a shamrock on his feast day.

The St. Patrick's Day custom came to America in 1737. That was the first year St. Patrick's Day was publicly celebrated in this country, in Boston.

Answer 9

He was a Catholic bishop who drove the Pagans out of Ireland and transformed the Pagan Gods into Christian saints, which is why many of them share the same names. The snakes of legend were actually Pagans.

Answer 10

He brought Christianity to the Irish.

Patrick was born around 385 in Scotland, probably Kilpatrick. His parents were Calpurnius and Conchessa, who were Romans living in Britian in charge of the colonies.

As a boy of fourteen or so, he was captured during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep. Ireland at this time was a land of Druids and pagans. He learned the language and practices of the people who held him.

During his captivity, he turned to God in prayer.

Patrick's captivity lasted until he was twenty, when he escaped after having a dream from God in which he was told to leave Ireland by going to the coast. There he found some sailors who took him back to Britian, where he reunited with his family.

He had another dream in which the people of Ireland were calling out to him "We beg you, holy youth, to come and walk among us once more."

He began his studies for the priesthood. He was ordained by St. Germanus, the Bishop of Auxerre, whom he had studied under for years.

Later, Patrick was ordained a bishop, and was sent to take the Gospel to Ireland. He arrived in Ireland March 25, 433, at Slane. One legend says that he met a chieftain of one of the tribes, who tried to kill Patrick. Patrick converted Dichu (the chieftain) after he was unable to move his arm until he became friendly to Patrick.

Patrick began preaching the Gospel throughout Ireland, converting many. He and his disciples preached and converted thousands and began building churches all over the country. Kings, their families, and entire kingdoms converted to Christianity when hearing Patrick's message.

Patrick by now had many disciples, among them Beningnus, Auxilius, Iserninus, and Fiaac, (all later canonized as well).

Patrick preached and converted all of Ireland for 40 years. He worked many miracles and wrote of his love for God in Confessions. After years of living in poverty, traveling and enduring much suffering he died March 17, 461.

He died at Saul, where he had built the first church.