Saint patrick
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After a vision from God, Patrick escaped and returned home to Britain. As St. Patrick himself, the Catholic Church, Catholic Answers, and history otherwise all confirm, he was a Catholic bishop and missionary. Millions will watch Dolan's farewell.
Dolan turned 75 this year, the age when Catholic bishops are required to submit their resignations.
Soon after, Patrick began religious training, a course of study that lasted more than 15 years.
After his ordination as a priest, he was sent to Ireland with a dual mission: to minister to Christians already living in Ireland and to begin to convert the Irish. In a relatively short time, the island had experienced deeply the Christian spirit, and was prepared to send out missionaries whose efforts were greatly responsible for Christianizing Europe.
Patrick was a man of action, with little inclination toward learning.
The Irish culture centered around a rich tradition of oral legend and myth. He eventually became a Catholic priest and beloved bishop of his adopted country. I'm not from New York. He had a rock-like belief in his vocation, in the cause he had espoused. Thanks be to God, after many years the Lord granted them what they were calling for (Confessio 23).
Saint Patrick, Deacon, Priest, and Bishop
Patrick entered formation as a deacon and priest, studied extensively, and, in time, was also ordained a bishop.
He ordained many priests, divided the country into dioceses, held Church councils, founded several monasteries and continually urged his people to greater holiness in Christ.
He suffered much opposition from pagan druids and was criticized in both England and Ireland for the way he conducted his mission. After becoming a priest and helping to spread Christianity throughout Ireland, Patrick was likely proclaimed a saint by popular acclaim.
Additional Resources
The Catholic Encyclopedia
Catholic Answers Magazine Online
Videos
Explaining the Trinity can be challenging.
At 16, he and a large number of his father’s slaves and vassals were captured by Irish raiders and sold as slaves in Ireland. Today, the shamrock is a well-known symbol associated with Saint Patrick and Ireland.
Did Saint Patrick Drive Out Snakes?
One of the most enduring Saint Patrick legends and stories is that he drove all the snakes out of Ireland.
Watch this short video and get the in-depth answer to the question: Was St. Patrick Catholic or Baptist?
The Feast Day of Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick’s feast day has been observed for more than a thousand years.
He never doubted his direction because he understood that grace could guide him One of the few certainly authentic writings is his Confessio, above all an act of homage to God for having called Patrick, unworthy sinner, to the apostolate.
There is hope rather than irony in the fact that his burial place is said to be in County Down in Northern Ireland, long the scene of strife and violence.
Reflection
What distinguishes Saint Patrick is the durability of his efforts.
He also superimposed a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that veneration of the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish.
Although there were a small number of Christians on the island when Patrick arrived, most Irish practiced a nature-based pagan religion. This is simply due to the era he lived in.
His captivity had meant spiritual conversion. Patrick returned to Ireland to preach the gospel, convert the Irish people, and further establish the Catholic Church in Ireland, which St. Palladius had begun. It brings to a close his 16 year run as archbishop of New York.
Throughout Christmas morning, worshippers filled the cathedral, some flying in from across the world, hoping to be part of this historic moment in person.
"It's just overwhelming with happiness, joy and spending Christmas with my family," Jamie Vejare said.
Waterford-born Franciscan scholar Luke Wadding, a Catholic priest, played a significant role in adding it to the Catholic Church’s official calendar.