Saint Patrick, Bishop & Confessor
S. Patricii Episcopi et Confessoris
Saint Patrick (fifth century) was the bishop and missionary who brought the Catholic faith to Ireland, and is honoured as the apostle and principal patron of the Irish people. His feast is kept on 17 March.
Saint Patrick lived in the fifth century and is honoured as the apostle of Ireland. Much of what we know of him comes from his own surviving writings, especially his Confession, in which he gives thanks to God for the mercies of his life. Born in Roman Britain of a Christian family, he was carried off as a youth by raiders and brought as a captive into Ireland, where for some years he served as a herdsman. In that hard exile, far from home, he turned to God in constant prayer, and his faith, which had meant little to him as a boy, became the centre of his life.
The Apostle of Ireland
After some years Patrick escaped and made his way back to his own people, but he could not forget the land of his captivity. Believing himself called by God to return and bring the Gospel to the Irish, he prepared for the work, was ordained, and in time was sent back to Ireland as a bishop. There he laboured for many years, preaching the faith, baptizing great numbers, ordaining clergy, and establishing the Church among a people who had not known Christ. He met with hardship and opposition, which he bore with patience, trusting always in the help of God.
The precise details and dates of his life are not all certain, and many later stories and legends grew up around his memory; but the substance of his work is beyond doubt. Through his preaching and that of those who came after him, Ireland became a Christian nation and in time sent its own missionaries and monks across Europe. Saint Patrick is venerated as the principal patron of Ireland, and his feast on 17 March is kept with great devotion by the Irish and their descendants throughout the world.
The Collect
O God, who didst vouchsafe to send blessed Patrick, Thy Confessor and Bishop, to preach Thy glory to the nations: grant, by his merits and intercession, that what Thou dost command us to do, we may by Thy mercy be able to accomplish. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
Deus, qui ad praedicandam gentibus gloriam tuam beatum Patricium Confessorem atque Pontificem mittere dignatus es: eius meritis et intercessione concede; ut, quae nobis agenda praecipis, te miserante adimplere possimus. Per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Patronage
Saint Patrick is the principal patron of Ireland and is invoked by the Irish people and their descendants throughout the world; he is also venerated as a patron of engineers and of the Archdiocese and many places that bear his name.
In the Modern Calendar
In the modern general calendar, this feast is observed on 17 March as an optional memorial; in Ireland and in many places where he is patron it is kept at a higher rank.
Common Questions
Who was Saint Patrick?
He was a fifth-century bishop and missionary, born in Roman Britain, who after being held captive in Ireland as a youth returned there to preach the Gospel and is honoured as the apostle and principal patron of Ireland.
When is the feast of Saint Patrick?
His feast is kept on 17 March in both the traditional calendar of the 1962 Missal and the modern calendar. In the traditional calendar it falls within Lent.
How much do we really know about his life?
His own Confession gives us the heart of his story in his own words. Many later legends grew up around him, and not every detail or date is certain, but the substance of his missionary work in Ireland is firmly attested.
See where this feast falls in the Church’s year on the liturgical calendar, or find a Traditional Latin Mass near you.
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