Patrick is remembered today as the saint who drove the snakes out of Ireland (not true), the teacher who used the shamrock to explain the Trinity (doubted), and the namesake of annual parades in New York and Boston. What is less well-known is that Patrick was a humble missionary (this saint regularly referred to himself as "a sinner") of enormous courage. When he evangelized Ireland, he set in motion a series of events that impacted all of Europe. It all started when he was carried off into slavery by Irish raiders....
Yet to Patrick, the greatest enemy was one he had been intimately familiar with—slavery. He was, in fact, one of the earliest Christians to speak out strongly against the practice. Scholars agree he is the true author of a letter excommunicating a British tyrant, Coroticus, who had carried off some of Patrick's converts into slavery.
"Ravenous wolves have gulped down the Lord's own flock which was flourishing in Ireland," he wrote, "and the whole church cries out and laments for its sons and daughters." He called Coroticus's deed "wicked, so horrible, so unutterable," and told him to repent and to free the converts.
It remains unknown if he was successful in freeing Coroticus's slaves, but within his lifetime (or shortly thereafter), the entire Irish slave trade had ended.
How sad that the life of a saint is commemorated by getting drunk and stupid!
Posted by: Mo | March 17, 2008 at 08:55 AM
Patrick was kidnapped by unconverted Irish terrorists. Good thing Patrick didn't decide to retaliate and "bomb them back to the stone age."
St. Patrick and U.S. Foreign Policy:
http://KevinCraig.us/patrick.htm
Posted by: Kevin Craig | March 17, 2008 at 06:28 PM
Yes , it is unseemly that people use this day to get drunk under the guise of remembering St. Patrick , who no doubt would admonish we moderns to remember that this time of Lent prior to the Celebration of our Lord's Resurrection at Pascha is a time for prayer and fasting and giving of alms to the poor . He is commemorated by the Orthodox Church (and NOT with drunken revelry )
http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=100821
Posted by: David | March 17, 2008 at 10:10 PM
St.Patrick's day now isn't so much about remembering Patrick as it is about celebrating Irishness but alas for the most part it's a drunken mess.
This year in Dublin, there were riots by out-of-control youth and I personally a car being burned out right in the middle of a suburban park.
Posted by: Stephen McConnell | March 18, 2008 at 10:43 AM