Little Known Facts About St. Patrick

The myths and commercialism surrounding the modern celebration of St. Patrick's Day often overshadows the original purpose for celebrating. If you are like me, you have probably always associated the saint with the color green, four leaf clovers, and excessive use of alcoholic beverages. These images are not exactly synonymous of those I would use for sainthood. So, who was this man of mystery? What was his story?

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was actually born in Britain. His father was a Roman official. As a teenager, he was captured by Irish pirates and taken as a slave to Ireland. As a slave, Patrick spent much time praying as he herded sheep and pigs. Years later, he escaped and returned to his family. He later returned to Ireland as a missionary. Some sources suggest that St. Patrick's original name was Maewyn Succat and only received the name Patrick when he became a bishop.

One legend of St. Patrick's work as a missionary says that during his evangelistic journey back to Ireland, he carried a staff made of ash wood. When he came to the place now referred to as Aspatria, which means the ash of Patrick, he supposedly planted his staff in the ground during his preaching and by the time he was ready to move on, it had grown roots. While the validity of this story may be questionable, it certainly underscores the vigor with which St. Patrick ministered to the Irish people.

While his methods for teaching and ministering to the Irish people is not very well recorded, many sources suggest that he used a three-leafed clover to explain the concept of the Trinity to his congregation. The connection between this legend and the common lucky four-leaf clover symbol associated with the holiday that celebrates his passing remains slightly mysterious.