Today is Friday, March 16th, 2007; Karen's Korner #1020
Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, the day we celebrate each year on March 17th. Is it only wearing green, shamrocks, lucky leprechauns, or kissing the blarney stone? How did the celebration all begin?*
Saint Patrick, born Maewyn Succat near the end of the fourth century, took on the Patrick name when he became a priest later in his life. Succat was kidnapped from his native land of Britian by a band of pirates at the age of sixteen. He was sold into slavery in Ireland where he worked as a shepherd. He turned to religion for solace. After six long years, he escaped to the northern coast of Gaul.
It was while he was in Gaul that he became "Patrick", as he studied for twelve years in a monestery there. He believed his calling was to convert pagans of Ireland to Christianity. St. Palladius was appointed to go to Ireland first, but transferred to Scotland two years later, opening the door for Patrick. He was about sixty years old when he arrived in Ireland. With the help of his winning personality, he began to win converts. He used the shamrock, a three-leafed clover, to help explain the concept of the Trinity: father, son, and holy spirit.
Patrick was arrested several times, but escaped each time. He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries and setting up schools and churches to aid in converting the Irish country to Christianity. Patrick's mission in Ireland lasted thirty years. In a population of 300,000 in Ireland at the time, St. Patrick personally baptized more than 120,000 people! He retired to County Down and died on March 17, 461 AD, the day they began celebrating both his life and his death.
** Taken from information given on an internet web site.
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