What is the Real Story of St Patrick? Who Was He?
by Ritu
Updated Apr 26, 2023
What is the Real Story of St Patrick?
St. Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. He is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland and is likely partially to blame for the Christianization of the Picts and the Anglo-Saxons (5th century, Britain and Ireland; feast day March 17). Only two brief works—the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Letter to Coroticus, a critique of British abuse of Irish Christians—have been written about him.
St. Patrick was a 5th-century Christian missionary whose true life and legacy are largely obscured by myth and legend, making it difficult to separate fact from fiction. People are curious to know What is the real story of St Patrick and who was he. So here are the details on What is the real story of St Patrick. Find below What is the real story of St Patrick, and who was he.
Who Was St Patrick?
Saint Patrick, also known as Patricius in Latin, was a Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland during the fifth century. He is commonly referred to as the "Apostle of Ireland" and is revered as the primary patron saint of Ireland alongside Brigid of Kildare and Columba. Despite having lived before current Catholic Church laws regarding canonization, he is widely recognized as a saint and venerated as such in the Catholic Church, Lutheran Church, Church of Ireland (which is part of the Anglican Communion), and the Eastern Orthodox Church.
In the latter, he is considered to be on par with the apostles and is credited as the "Enlightener of Ireland". Uncover the fascinating truth about the mysterious figure of St. Patrick - from his humble beginnings as a slave to his legendary role as the patron saint of Ireland - in this intriguing exploration of his real story and legacy. St Patrick believers who have been looking for What is the real story of St Patrick can read furthermore to get their answers.
Where Was St Patrick Born and Raised?
Patrick was born into a Romanized family in Britain. At the age of 16, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders from the home of his deacon and taken to Ireland to be sold into slavery. He worked as a herdsman there for six years during which time he fervently embraced his beliefs. He ran away from his master and obtained passage to Britain after having a dream that the ship he was to board to flee was ready.
Before being reunited with his family, he endured a second brief incarceration and came dangerously close to starving there. It is not known when Saint Patrick was born. Yet, there are several indications that his missionary career began in the second half of the fifth century. He is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland, but much of his life and accomplishments remain shrouded in mystery and legend.
The Coroticus letter's reference to the Franks as still "heathen" suggests that it was written between 451 generally regarded as the year of the Franks' irruption into Gaul as far as the Somme River and 496 the year of their mass baptism. Patrick, who claims to have converted Ireland's pagan population, should not be confused with Palladius, who Pope Celestine I appointed "first bishop to the Irish believers in Christ" in 431.
St Patrick Life
Patrick went against the wishes of his family and returned to Ireland in the year 433 A.D. The final 30 years of his life were spent in Ireland fulfilling his mission, which included baptizing the Irish pagans, ordination of priests, and construction of churches and monasteries. Remarkably, two of Patrick's works have survived: "Letter to Coroticus," which denounces a violent monarch and his army, and Confessio, a brief autobiographical narrative of his life.
Both reflect Patrick's struggles and his hard-won spirituality, which he adopted after becoming a priest and was given the name Patricius, which comes from the Latin meaning "father figure." "We know from reading his “Letter to Coroticus” that Patrick was very gutsy. He was fearless and he gave of himself unselfishly," says Fr. Michael Roach, pastor of St. Bartholomew in Manchester, Maryland, who is Irish-American and makes a yearly trip to Ireland.
That is the reason the Irish adore him. Given his own experience, it may not come as a surprise that Patrick becomes one of the first recognized anti-slavery activists in Western culture. In Confessio, he describes how his six years of caring for cattle in the Irish wilderness "humbled every day by hunger and nakedness." Patrick specifically denounces and denounces the bondage of Irish women while praising their bravery and fortitude.
St Patrick Facts
Although Patrick is said to have visited the Marmoutier Abbey, Tours, and obtained the tonsure at Lérins Abbey, he studied in Europe mostly at Auxerre. He was consecrated to the priesthood by Western Church bishop Saint Germanus of Auxerre. Patrick went back to Ireland as a Christian missionary in response to his vision. J. B. Bury claimed that he landed at Wicklow, County Wicklow, at the mouth of the Inver-dea River, today known as the Vartry.
Bury gives only circumstantial evidence to back his claim that Patrick's escape from captivity after six years occurred through the port of Wicklow. According to legend, Patrick's arrival was not well received by the natives, and he was compelled to leave and look for a more inviting landing spot farther north. He took a few days off to rest on the islands off the coast of Skerries, one of which still bears the name Inis-Patrick. Patrick's first sanctuary was established in Saul.
He retreated to Saul towards the end of his life, and it's possible that's where he wrote his Confessio. Despite his wishes to pass away in the ecclesiastical metropolis of Ireland, it is reported that an angel informed him that he would pass away in Saul, the location of his first church. Saint. Tussach performed his last rites (also spelled Tassach or Tassac).
Patrick had established himself as a legendary figure by the end of the 7th century. Patrick claimed to have revived the dead, and a 12th-century hagiography lists 33 men, some of whom were thought to have been dead for a very long time. He pleaded for food for hungry sailors traveling by land through a barren area. Traditionally, Irishmen wear shamrocks, the national flower of Ireland, in their lapels on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17. The guide on What is the real story of St Patrick has been provided, along with full details. Read the article to know all about St Patrick.
What is the Real Story of St Patrick - FAQs
He was a Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland during the fifth century. He is commonly referred to as the "Apostle of Ireland" and is revered as the primary patron saint of Ireland alongside Brigid of Kildare and Columba.
He is the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. He is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland and is likely partially to blame for the Christianization of the Picts and the Anglo-Saxons (5th century, Britain and Ireland; feast day March 17). Only two brief works—the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Letter to Coroticus, a critique of British abuse of Irish Christians—have been written about him.
Patrick was born into a Romanized family in Britain. At the age of 16, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders from the home of his deacon and taken to Ireland to be sold into slavery. He worked as a herdsman there for six years during which time he fervently embraced his beliefs. He ran away from his master and obtained passage to Britain after having a dream that the ship he was to board to flee was ready.
It is not known when was Saint Patrick was born.
Although Patrick is said to have visited the Marmoutier Abbey, Tours, and obtained the tonsure at Lérins Abbey, he studied in Europe mostly at Auxerre. He was consecrated to the priesthood by Western Church bishop Saint Germanus of Auxerre. Patrick went back to Ireland as a Christian missionary in response to his vision. J. B. Bury claimed that he landed at Wicklow, County Wicklow, at the mouth of the Inver-dea River, today known as the Vartry.