Saint Patrick's Profile
Name: Born Maewyn Succat, he adopted Patrick or Patricius upon becoming
a priest.
Nationality: Roman Briton
Born: Around 400 AD.
Died: Around March 17th, 460. Both dates are the subject of some debate.
Family: Father was a deacon, not particularly religious or devout.
Education: Largely self-educated; he later trained as a cleric in France.
Achievements:
A packed résumé; he wrote two recognized texts, the Epistle
to Coroticus and the Confessio; he escaped from slavery and was the first
church figure to oppose it; his flexible approach to Christianity helped
convert Ireland to the faith; he played a key part in preserving European
literacy and culture after the fall of the Roman Empire, through the monasteries
he founded; became Ireland's patron saint.
Mountain:
Croagh Patrick; on March 17th each year, thousands of pilgrims,
many in bare feet, climb 2,500 ft to its peak of Croagh Patrick in homage.
According to legend, it was here that Patrick rang his bell, causing the
snakes of Ireland to flee.
Feast Day:
Indisputably the world heavyweight champion of national patron
saints' days, with parades, parties and craic in every corner of the globe.
The very first St. Patrick's Day parade took place not on O'Connell Street,
but in New York on March 17, 1762.
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