Looking to learn more about this incredible Saint in the Catholic Church? Put some of these facts in your back pocket this St. Patrick's Day! Although St. Patrick’s Day can be affectionately celebrated through traditions such as eating corned beef and wearing green, here are a few things to remember about the Saint who’s behind the entire day.
St. Patrick was actually British - St. Patrick was born in Britain in the fourth century and ended up in Ireland after being kidnapped by Irish pirates as a teenager. During his six years of being held captive, Patrick worked as a shepherd and entered into a strong prayer life with God. After fleeing captivity, Patrick returned home to Britain—but a vision from God persuaded him to return to Ireland as a Christian missionary.
St. Patrick was a Catholic priest, and was later ordained a bishop. St. Patrick became a devout Christian while in captivity, finding God as a solace for his loneliness, and was ordained as a priest after returning to Britain years later. St. Patrick also served as a bishop during his life and is recognized as the patron Saint of Ireland.
St. Patrick is said to have taught using a 3-leaf clover. According to legend, St. Patrick taught about the Holy Trinity using the three-leaf clover as a representation of the three persons in unity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Nowadays, our culture favors the four-leaf clover as “lucky,” appearing on everything from McDonald’s shakes to greeting cards—but let’s not forget the beautiful symbolism of the three-leaf clover. So, next time you see someone using a four-leaf clover to represent St. Patrick's feast day, don’t be afraid to jump in and use it as an evangelization opportunity!
Legend says that St. Patrick drove all of the snakes out of Ireland. It's been said that St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland, into the ocean to drown. Some claim that "snakes" could also refer symbolically to the Devil, or to Irish pagans who threatened Patrick’s missionary efforts to spread Christianity to the country. No matter the interpretation, there’s no denying St. Patrick’s connection to the scaly reptiles, whether literally or figuratively.
St. Patrick is referred to as the patron Saint of engineers. If you’ve ever visited Ireland, or even seen photos of its towns, it’s apparent that the country has no short supply of churches! In addition to the country’s patronage, St. Patrick is also known as the patron saint of engineers due to the vast number of churches built in Ireland during his lifetime.
No matter how you’re celebrating March 17 this year, have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day—ideally with a few extra facts in your back pocket about this incredible man and Saint of the Catholic Church!