March 17th is known as St. Patrick's Day all over the world, but who was St. Patrick and why do we celebrate him?
Most people know that St. Patrick is a patron saint for Ireland, but many don’t know his personal story. He was born in Britain around 385AD to wealthy Roman parents and was named Maewyn Succat, which means “noble hawk” in Latin. At the age of 16, he was kidnapped and taken to Ireland where he worked as a shepherd for 6 years before escaping back to Britain.
After returning home, Maewyn dedicated himself to the church and changed his name to Patricius or “Patrick” in Latin. He then decided to go back to Ireland as a missionary with a mission from God—to share Christianity and convert the Irish Pagans to Christians. His mission had a great level of success as it is estimated that by the time of his death on March 17, 461 AD, about 60-120 thousand people had been converted under his leadership.
One of the most famous stories associated with St. Patrick is that he chased all the snakes out of Ireland. This story is believed to be symbolic; it’s seen as a representation of how he drove away paganism from Ireland and spread Christianity instead. It’s also said that he used the clover leaf or shamrock to explain the concept of Trinity (Father, Son & Holy Spirit) when talking about Christianity - something which has become synonymous with St. Patrick's Day today.
The life story of St. Patrick is one filled with courage, faith, and determination—qualities that are still celebrated during St. Patrick's Day. We remember him each year as a reminder that good things can happen when we push ourselves beyond our comfort zone and believe in something bigger than ourselves. Celebrate each year with joy in your heart knowing that you are paying tribute to someone whose legacy lives on until this day. Happy St. Patrick's Day!