San Patrizio is the patron and the apostle of the green island, Ireland. That’s why green is the color of its party and its figure is linked to the Irish national framework, the clover (Shamrock). Thanks to a clover, in fact, San Patrizio would have explained to the Irish the Christian concept of the Trinity, taking as an example the three leaves connected to a single stem. Also famous is the legend of the well of San Patrizio, the bottomless well, from which the doors of Purgatory opened.
Who was San Patrizio?
Patrizio, born with the name of Maewyin Succat, subsequently chose the Latin name of Patrizio was an Irish bishop and missionary of Scottish origins. It is venerated as a saint by the Catholic and Orthodox Church. Together with the Saints Columba and Brigida is the patron of Ireland. He was the son of Calphurnius and Conchessa, belonging to a noble Roman family. It is celebrated by the whole Irish community of the world, America and Australia included, March 17, the date of her death. His work gave so much fruit; In fact, in Ireland the preaching of the Gospel had no martyr, although the natives were strong warriors and its inhabitants have always been very proud Christians. “Arrived in Ireland, every day I brought the cattle to the pasture,” says the saint in a memorial, “and I often prayed in the day; It was then that the love and fear of God invaded my heart more and more, my faith grew and my spirit was led to make about one hundred prayers a day and almost as much during the night, because then my spirit was full of ardor ».
San Patrizio (Cathedral of Carlow, Franz Mayer design)
The kidnapping by Irish pirates
Patrizio was born around 385 in Roman Britain from a Christian family. Father Calpurnio was a deacon of the community of Bannhaven Taberniae, their cities of origin and also owned a farm around the surroundings. The young Patrizio spent his childhood and adolescence in serenity, receiving a fairly high education. Around 16 he is kidnapped and conducted slave in Ireland, where he remains prisoner for 6 years during which he deepens his life of faith according to the song of the confession that we have read at the beginning. Escape from slavery, he returns to his homeland. He spends some time with his parents, then he is preparing to become a deacon and priest. In recent years he probably reached the continent and makes monastic experiences in France. He is now 40 years old and perhaps feels the nostalgia to return to the green island. Here there is a need for evangelizers and someone makes its name as a missionary bishop. He is preparing, but the family is reluctant to let him leave, while opponents reproach him a poor preparation. In 432, however, he is back on the island. Accompanied by an escort, preaching, baptizes, confirms, celebrates the Eucharist, orders priests, consecrates monks and virgins. The missionary success is great, but there is no shortage of assaults of enemies and predons, nor the malignancy of Christians. Patrizio then writes the confession to reject the accusations and celebrate the love of God who protected and guided him in his dangerous journeys.
Evangelize the tribes
After six years of shiavitù, he had gradually known the costumes of his masters, learning his language and so he realized that the Irish were not as rough as it seemed at the beginning. They had a tribal organization that proved to be something noble and relationships between families and tribes were full of mutual respect. Of course they were not Christians and they still worshiped the idols, but what he could do that he was still a slave; So he was increasingly convinced that he had to escape and the third attempt this time succeeded. In 431 in Ireland, Bishop Palladio from Pope Celestino I was sent, with the task of organizing a diocese for those who have already converted to Christianity. In the meantime, Patrizio completed his studies, he retired for a period in the famous Lérins monastery in front of Provence, to assimilate the monastic life with all his will, convinced that with this charisma he could implant the Church between the Celtic and Scoty peoples, as the Irish were then called.
An image of the St. Patrick parade in London
The appointment as bishop and the method of evangelization
According to recent studies, Patrizio was consecrated bishop and appointed successor of Palladio around 460, so far the ancient texts said in 432, in this case Palladio first bishop of Ireland would have operated only one year, instead it is more likely that he arrived on the island around 432 and confused by reporters with Patrizio, because the surname of Palladio or his second name was Patrizio. The method of evangelization was suitable and effective, the Irish (Celts and Scoti) were grouped in a large number of tribes that formed small sovereign states (Tuatha), therefore the favor of the king of each individual territory was needed, to have the permission to preach and protection in missionary travel. For this purpose Patrizio made many gifts to the characters of the royal lineage and also to the dignitaries who accompanied it. The money was largely his part, who drawn from the sale of the paternal runners he had inherited, not asking for anything to his faithful converted to avoid reproaches of avarice. The conversion of the kings and nobles to which Patrizio aimed first, consequently led to the conversion of the subjects. The monasticism that recently arose in the West and a large number of young people had enthusiastically hired in Ireland, making convents of monks and virgins flourish. Certainly not everything was easy, the oldest people were reluctant to leave paganism and also Patrizio and his disciples had to suffer the aversion of the Druids (pagan priestly caste of the ancient Celtic peoples, who practiced rites in the forests, even with human sacrifices), who persecuted him by tending to him and once they made him prisoner for 15 days. Patrizio in his apostolic and organizational work of the Church, established territorial dioceses with bishops with full jurisdiction, the diocesan territories generally corresponded to those of the individual tribes. Since there are no cities as in the Roman Empire, Patrizio following the example of other missionary saints of the time, established in its cathedrals organized in a monastic way as pastoral centers in the area (Synod). He preached itinerant for a few years, striving to form a local clergy, in fact the priestly ordinations were numerous and among these not a few disciples became bishops.
The slander by the Pelagian heretics
According to the “Annals of Ulster” in 444, Patrizio founded his headquarters in Armegh in the county that today bears his name; Above all, the North and the North-West of Ireland evangelized, in the rest of the island, the help of three other continental bishops, Secondino, Ausilio and Isernino, whose coming is not so clear if for help to Patrizio or independently of him and then united in mutual collaboration, had since 439. Although the Holy Bishop lived for the charity of Christ between ‘foreigners and barbarians’ for years, in his heart he always felt Roman with the desire to review his homeland and the spiritual homeland Gallia; But his missionary vocation never allowed him to leave the Church of Ireland that God had entrusted to him, in what was the land of his slavery. Patrizio had a difficult life with the Pelagian heretics, who also resorted to slander to hinder his work, he wrote a “confession” to clear himself that his missionary work was the will of God and that his aversion to pelagianism arose from the absolute theological value that he attributed to grace; He also declares himself ‘very rustic sinner’ but converted by divine grace. The tireless apostle concluded his life in 461 in the Ulster a Down, which will then take the name of Dowatrick.
