“Did your Mother come from Ireland?”
Well, mine did and so St. Patrick’s Day was always a cause for celebration. Lots of music, corn beef & cabbage, Irish stew with lamb, warm soda bread, maybe a wee nip & company with whom to share stories made the whole day a prayer of thanksgiving for our Irish heritage.
St. Patrick (actual name-Maewyn Succat) wasn’t Irish. He was born in 385 A.D. in either Scotland or Wales to Roman parents. As a teen he was sold into slavery in Ireland but escaped to a monastery in England. He later became a priest then bishop and returned to Ireland as a missionary taking on the name Patrick. He is best known for his use of the three leafed shamrock to explain the blessed Trinity, three persons in one God. He is the patron saint of engineers based on the number of churches he built throughout Ireland and is said to offer protection from snake bites.
On reflection, what I think is most wonderful about this feast is that it is an occasion not only for the Irish to come together in joy but the world to celebrate together. There are parades all around the world, lots of green attire, laughter, music and merriment. I wonder if St. Patrick ever considered that he would become the patron saint of unity in joy.
Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhuit - Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you!
-Maureen Condon, CSJ Associate
IMAGES: Yan Ming, K. Mitch Hodge/Unsplash