Patrick,
Saint
Patrick,
Saint (389?-461?), called
the Apostle of Ireland, Christian prelate. His birthplace
is uncertain, but it was probably in southwestern
Britain; his British name was Succat.
At
16 years of age he was carried off by Irish marauders
and passed his captivity as a herdsman near the
mountain Slemish in county Antrim (according to
tradition) or in county Connacht. The young herdsman
saw visions in which he was urged to escape, and
after six years of slavery he did so, to the northern
coast of Gaul. Ordained a priest, possibly by Saint
Germanus, at Auxerre, he returned to Ireland.
Sometime
after 431, Patrick was appointed successor to St.
Palladius, first bishop of Ireland. Patrick concentrated
on the west and north of Ireland, establishing his
see at Armagh. Patrick's two surviving works are
written in Latin and demonstrate his acquaintance
with the Vulgate translation of the Bible. In one
of these works, the Confessions, Patrick portrays
himself as an ignorant yokel in an unequal contest
with the powerful and learned adherents of Pelagianism.
His
reported use of the shamrock as an illustration
of the Trinity led to its being regarded as the
Irish national symbol. A strange chant of his, called
the Lorica, is preserved in the Liber Hymnorum (Book
of Hymns), and what purports to have been a handbell
he used during Mass is shown in the National Museum
in Dublin.
His
traditional feast day is March 17.
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Saint
Patrick, known as the Apostle of Ireland, became bishop
of Ireland sometime after 431. Many legends exist about
his life, including that he drove the snakes out of
Ireland, as is depicted here. Saint Patrick's Day is
celebrated each year on March 17.
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"Patrick, Saint," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia
2001 http://encarta.msn.com
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