St. Patrick

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Apostle ofIreland, born at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, inScotland, in the year 387; died at Saul, Downpatrick,Ireland, 17 March, 493.Some sources say 460 or 461. --Ed.

He had for hisparents Calphurnius and Conchessa. The former belonged to a Romanfamily of high rank and held the office ofdecurio inGaul orBritain. Conchessa was a near relative of the greatpatron ofGaul,St. Martin of Tours. Kilpatrick still retains many memorials of Saint Patrick, and frequentpilgrimages continued far into theMiddle Ages to perpetuate there the fame of hissanctity andmiracles.

In his sixteenth year, Patrick was carried off into captivity byIrish marauders and was sold as aslave to a chieftan named Milchu in Dalriada, a territory of the present county of Antrim inIreland, where for six years he tended his master's flocks in the valley of the Braid and on the slopes of Slemish, near the modern town of Ballymena. He relates in his "Confessio" that during his captivity while tending the flocks heprayed many times in the day: "thelove ofGod", he added,

and Hisfear increased in me more and more, and thefaith grew in me, and thespirit was roused, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundredprayers, and in the night nearly the same, so that whilst in the woods and on the mountain, even before the dawn, I was roused toprayer and felt no hurt from it, whether there was snow or ice or rain; nor was there anyslothfulness in me, such as I see now, because thespirit was then fervent within me.

In the ways of a benignProvidence the six years of Patrick's captivity became a remote preparation for his future apostolate. He acquired a perfectknowledge of the Celtic tongue in which he would one day announce the glad tidings ofRedemption, and, as his master Milchu was adruidical highpriest, he became familiar with all the details ofDruidism from whose bondage he was destined to liberate theIrish race.

Admonished by anangel he after six years fled from his cruel master and bent his steps towards the west. He relates in his "Confessio" that he had to travel about 200 miles; and his journey was probably towardsKillala Bay and onwards thence to Westport. He found a ship ready to set sail and after some rebuffs was allowed on board. In a few days he was among his friends once more inBritain, but now his heart was set on devoting himself to the service ofGod in thesacred ministry. We meet with him at St. Martin'smonastery atTours, and again at the island sanctuary ofLérins which was just then acquiring widespread renown for learning and piety; and wherever lessons of heroic perfection in the exercise ofChristian life could be acquired, thither thefervent Patrick was sure to bend his steps. No sooner hadSt. Germain entered on his great mission at Auxerre than Patrick put himself under his guidance, and it was at that greatbishop's hands thatIreland's future apostle was a few years later promoted to thepriesthood. It is the tradition in the territory of the Morini that Patrick underSt. Germain's guidance for some years was engaged in missionary work among them. WhenGermain commissioned by theHoly See proceeded toBritain to combat theerroneous teachings ofPelagius, he chose Patrick to be one of his missionary companions and thus it was hisprivilege to be associated with the representative ofRome in the triumphs that ensued overheresy andPaganism, and in the many remarkable events of the expedition, such as themiraculous calming of the tempest at sea, the visit to therelics atSt. Alban's shrine, and the Alleluia victory. Amid all these scenes, however, Patrick's thoughts turned towardsIreland, and fromtime totime he was favoured withvisions of the children from Focluth, by the Western sea, who cried to him: "Oholy youth, come back toErin, and walk once more amongst us."

Pope St. Celestine I, who rendered immortal service to theChurch by the overthrow of thePelagian andNestorianheresies, and by the imperishable wreath ofhonourdecreed to theBlessed Virgin in theGeneral Council of Ephesus,crowned his pontificate by an act of the most far-reaching consequences for the spread ofChristianity and civilization, when he entrusted St. Patrick with the mission of gathering theIrish race into theone fold ofChrist.Palladius had already received that commission, but terrified by the fierce opposition of a Wicklow chieftain had abandoned the sacred enterprise. It wasSt. Germain,Bishop of Auxerre, who commended Patrick to thepope. The writer ofSt. Germain's Life in the ninth century, Heric of Auxerre, thus attests this important fact: "Since theglory of the father shines in the training of the children, of the many sons inChrist whomSt. Germain isbelieved to have had asdisciples in religion, let it suffice to make mention here, very briefly, of one most famous, Patrick, the special Apostle of theIrish nation, as the record of his workproves. Subject to that mostholy discipleship for 18 years, he drank in no littleknowledge inHoly Scripture from the stream of so great a well-spring.Germain sent him, accompanied by Segetius, hispriest, toCelestine,Pope ofRome, approved of by whose judgement, supported by whose authority, and strengthened by whoseblessing, he went on his way toIreland." It was only shortly before his death thatCelestine gave this mission toIreland's apostle and on that occasion bestowed on him manyrelics and other spiritual gifts, and gave him the name "Patercius" or "Patritius", not as an honorary title, but as a foreshadowing of the fruitfulness and merit of his apostolate whereby he becamepater civium (the father of his people). Patrick on his return journey fromRome received atIvrea the tidings of the death ofPalladius, and turning aside to the neighboring city ofTurin received episcopalconsecration at the hands of its greatbishop,St. Maximus, and thence hastened on to Auxerre to make under the guidance ofSt. Germain due preparations for theIrish mission.

It was probably in the summer months of the year 433, that Patrick and his companions landed at the mouth of the Vantry River close by Wicklow Head. TheDruids were at once in arms against him. But Patrick was not disheartened. The intrepid missionary resolved to search out a more friendly territory in which to enter on his mission. First of all, however, he would proceed towards Dalriada, where he had been aslave, to pay the price of ransom to his former master, and in exchange for the servitude and cruelty endured at his hands to impart to him the blessings and freedom ofGod's children. He rested for some days at the islands off the Skerries coast, one of which still retains the name of Inis-Patrick, and he probably visited the adjoining mainland, which in olden times was known as Holm Patrick.Tradition fondly points out the impression of St. Patrick's foot upon the hard rock — off the main shore, at the entrance to Skerries harbour. Continuing his course northwards he halted at the mouth of the River Boyne. A number of the natives there gathered around him and heard withjoy in their own sweet tongue the glad tidings ofRedemption. There too he performed his firstmiracle onIrish soil to confirm thehonour due to theBlessed Virgin, and theDivine birth of our Saviour. Leaving one of his companions to continue the work of instruction so auspiciously begun, he hastened forward to Strangford Loughand there quitting his boat continued his journey over land towards Slemish. He had not proceeded far when a chieftain, named Dichu, appeared on the scene to prevent his further advance. He drew his sword to smite thesaint, but his arm became rigid as astatue and continued so until he declared himselfobedient to Patrick. Overcome by thesaint's meekness andmiracles, Dichu asked for instruction and made a gift of a largesabhall (barn), in which thesacred mysteries were offered up. This was the firstsanctuarydedicated by St. Patrick in Erin. It became in later years a chosenretreat of thesaint. Amonastery and church were erected there, and the hallowed site retains the name Sabhall (pronounced Saul) to the present day. Continuing his journey towards Slemish, thesaint was struck with horror on seeing at a distance the fort of his old master Milchu enveloped in flames. The fame of Patrick's marvelouspower of miracles preceeded him. Milchu, in a fit of frenzy, gathered his treasures into his mansion and setting it on fire, cast himself into the flames. An ancient record adds: "Hispride could not endure the thought of being vanquished by his formerslave".

Returning to Saul, St. Patrick learned from Dichu that the chieftains of Erin had been summoned to celebrate a specialfeast at Tara by Leoghaire, who was the Ard-Righ, that is, the Supreme Monarch ofIreland. This was an opportunity which Patrick would not forego; he would present himself before the assembly, to strike a decisive blow against theDruidism that held the nation captive, and to secure freedom for the glad tidings ofRedemption of which he was the herald. As he journeyed on he rested for some days at the house of a chieftain named Secsnen, who with his household joyfully embraced theFaith. The youthful Benen, orBenignus, son of the chief, was in a special way captivated by theGospel doctrines and the meekness of Patrick. Whilst thesaint slumbered he would gather sweet-scented flowers and scatter them over his bosom, and when Patrick was setting out, continuing his journey towards Tara, Benen clung to his feet declaring that nothing would sever him from him. "Allow him to have his way", said St. Patrick to the chieftain, "he shall be heir to my sacred mission." Thenceforth Benen was the inseparable companion of thesaint, and theprophecy was fulfilled, for Benen is named among the "comhards" orsucessors of St. Patrick inArmagh.

It was on 26 March,Easter Sunday, in 433, that the eventful assembly was to meet at Tara, and thedecree went forth that from the preceeding day the fires throughout the kingdom should be extinguished until the signal blaze was kindled at the royal mansion. The chiefs and Brehons came in full numbers and thedruids too would muster all their strength to bid defiance to the herald of good tidings and to secure the hold of theirsuperstition on the Celtic race, for theirdemoniacoracles had announced that the messenger ofChrist had come to Erin. St. Patrick arrived at the hill of Slane, at the opposite extremity of the valley from Tara, onEaster Eve, in that year thefeast of the Annunciation, and on the summit of the hill kindled the Paschalfire. Thedruids at once raised their voice. "O King", (they said) "live for ever; thisfire, which has been lighted in defiance of the royal edict, will blaze for ever in this land unless it be this very night extinguished." By order of the king and the agency of thedruids, repeated attempts were made to extinguish theblessedfire and to punish with death the intruder who had disobeyed the royal command. But thefire was not extinguished and Patrick shielded by the Divine power came unscathed from their snares and assaults. OnEaster Day the missionary band having at their head the youthBenignus bearing aloft a copy of theGospels, and followed by St. Patrick who withmitre andcrozier was arrayed in fullepiscopal attire, proceeded in processional order to Tara. Thedruids and magicians put forth all their strength and employed all their incantations to maintain their sway over theIrish race, but theprayer andfaith of Patrick achieved aglorious triumph. Thedruids by their incantations overspread the hill and surrounding plain with a cloud of worse thanEgyptian darkness. Patrick defied them to remove that cloud, and when all their efforts were made in vain, at hisprayer the sun sent forth its rays and the brightest sunshine lit up the scene. Again bydemoniac power the Arch-Druid Lochru, likeSimon Magus of old, was lifted up high in the air, but when Patrickknelt inprayer thedruid from his flight was dashed to pieces upon a rock.

Thus was the final blow given topaganism in the presence of all the assembled chieftains. It was, indeed, a momentous day for theIrish race. Twice Patrick pleaded for theFaith before Leoghaire. The king had given orders that no sign of respect was to be extended to the strangers, but at the first meeting the youthful Erc, a royal page, arose to show him reverence; and at the second, when all the chieftains were assembled, the chief-bard Dubhtach showed the samehonour to thesaint. Both these heroic men became ferventdisciples of theFaith and bright ornaments of theIrishChurch. It was on this second solemn occasion that St. Patrick is said to have plucked a shamrock from the sward, to explain by its triple leaf and single stem, in some rough way, to the assembled chieftains, the greatdoctrine of theBlessed Trinity. On that brightEaster Day, the triumph of religion at Tara was complete. The Ard-Righ granted permission to Patrick to preach theFaith throughout the length and breadth of Erin, and thedruidicalprophecy like the words ofBalaam of old would be fulfilled: the sacred fire now kindled by thesaint would never be extinguished.

The beautifulprayer of St. Patrick, popularly known as "St. Patrick's Breast-Plate", is supposed to have been composed by him in preparation for this victory overPaganism. The following is a literal translation from the oldIrish text:

I bind to myself today
The strongvirtue of the Invocation of theTrinity:
Ibelieve theTrinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

I bind to myself today
Thevirtue of theIncarnation ofChrist with HisBaptism,
Thevirtue of Hiscrucifixion with Hisburial,
Thevirtue of HisResurrection with HisAscension,
Thevirtue of His coming on the Judgement Day.

I bind to myself today
Thevirtue of thelove ofseraphim,
In the obedience ofangels,
In thehope ofresurrection untoreward,
Inprayers ofPatriarchs,
In predictions ofProphets,
In preaching ofApostles,
Infaith ofConfessors,
In purity ofholyVirgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I bind to myself today
The power ofHeaven,
The light of the sun,
The brightness of the moon,
The splendour of fire,
The flashing of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of sea,
The stability of earth,
The compactness of rocks.

I bind to myself today
God's Power to guide me,
God's Might to uphold me,
God's Wisdom to teach me,
God's Eye to watch over me,
God's Ear to hear me,
God's Word to give me speech,
God's Hand to guide me,
God's Way to lie before me,
God's Shield to shelter me,
God'sHost to secure me,
Against the snares ofdemons,
Against the seductions ofvices,
Against the lusts ofnature,
Against everyone who meditates injury to me,
Whether far or near,
Whether few or with many.

I invoke today all thesevirtues
Against every hostile merciless power
Which may assail my body and mysoul,
Against the incantations offalseprophets,
Against the blacklaws ofheathenism,
Against thefalselaws ofheresy,
Against the deceits ofidolatry,
Against the spells ofwomen, and smiths, anddruids,
Against everyknowledge that binds thesoul ofman.

Christ, protect me today
Against every poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against death-wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.

Christ with me,Christ before me,
Christ behind me,Christ within me,
Christ beneath me,Christ above me,
Christ at my right,Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort,
Christ in the chariot seat,
Christ in the poop [deck],
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I bind to myself today
The strongvirtue of an invocation of theTrinity,
Ibelieve theTrinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

St. Patrick remained duringEaster week at Slane and Tara, unfolding to those around him the lessons of Divinetruth. Meanwhile the national games were being celebrated a few miles distant at Tailten (now Telltown) in connection with the royal feast. St. Patrick proceeding thither solemnly administeredbaptism to Conall, brother of the Ard-Righ Leoghaire, on Wednesday, 5 April. Benen and others had already been privately gathered into thefold of Christ, but this was the first public administering ofbaptism, recognized by royal edict, and hence in the ancientIrish Kalendars to the fifth of April is assigned "the beginning of the Baptism of Erin". This firstChristian royal chieftain made a gift to Patrick of a site for a church which to the present day retains the name of Donagh-Patrick. Theblessing ofheaven was with Conall'sfamily.St. Columba is reckoned among his descendants, and many of the kings ofIreland until the eleventh century were of his race. St. Patrick left some of his companions to carry on the work of evangelization inMeath, thus so auspiciously begun. He would himself visit the other territories. Some of the chieftains who had come to Tara were from Focluth, in the neighbourhood ofKillala, in Connaught, and as it was the children of Focluth who in vision had summoned him to return toIreland, he resolved to accompany those chieftains on their return, that thus the district of Focluth would be among the first to receive the glad tidings ofRedemption. It affords a convincingproof of the difficulties that St. Patrick had to overcome, that though full liberty to preach theFaith throughout Erin was granted by the monarch of Leoghaire, nevertheless, in order to procure a safe conduct through the intervening territories whilst proceeding towards Connaught he had to pay the price of fifteenslaves. On his way thither, passing through Granard he learned that at Magh-Slecht, not far distant, a vast concourse was engaged in offering worship to the chief idol Crom-Cruach. It was a huge pillar-stone, covered with slabs of gold and silver, with a circle of twelve minoridols around it. He proceeded thither, and with hiscrosier smote the chief idol that crumbled to dust; the others fell to the ground. AtKillala he found the whole people of the territory assembled. At his preaching, the king and his six sons, with 12,000 of the people, became docile to theFaith. He spent seven years visiting every district of Connaught, organizingparishes, formingdioceses, and instructing the chieftains and people.

On the occasion of his first visit to Rathcrogan, the royal seat of the kings of Connaught, situated near Tulsk, in the County ofRoscommon, a remarkable incident occurred, recorded in many of theauthentic narratives of thesaint'slife. Close by the clear fountain of Clebach, not far from the royal abode, Patrick and his venerable companions had pitched their tents and at early dawn werechanting the praises of theMost High, when the two daughters of theIrish monarch — Ethne, the fair, and Fedelm, the ruddy — came thither, as was their wont, to bathe. Astonished at the vision that presented itself to them, the royal maidens cried out: "Who are ye, and whence do ye come? Are ye phantoms, or fairies, or friendly mortals?" St. Patrick said to them: "It were better you wouldadore and worship theone true God, whom we announce to you, than that you would satisfy your curiosity by such vain questions." And then Ethne broke forth into the questions:

"Who isGod?"
"And where isGod?"
"Where is His dwelling?"
"Has He sons and daughters?"
"Is He rich in silver and gold?"
"Is He everlasting? is He beautiful?"
"Are His daughters dear and lovely to the men of this world?"
"Is He on the heavens or on earth?"
"In the sea, in rivers, in mountains, in valleys?"
"Make Himknown to us. How is He to be seen?"
"How is He to beloved? How is He to be found?"
"Is it in youth or is it in old age that He may be found?"

But St. Patrick, filled with theHoly Ghost, made answer:

"God, whom we announce to you, is the Ruler of all things."
"TheGod of heaven and earth, of the sea and the rivers."
"TheGod of the sun, and the moon, and all the stars."
"TheGod of the high mountains and of the low-lying valleys."
"TheGod who is above heaven, and in heaven, and under heaven."
"His dwelling is inheaven and earth, and the sea, and all therein."
"He gives breath to all."
"He giveslife to all."
"He is over all."
"He upholds all."
"He gives light to the sun."
"He imparts splendour to the moon."
"He has made wells in the dry land, and islands in the ocean."
"He has appointed the stars to serve the greater lights."
"His Son is co-eternal and co-equal with Himself."
"The Son is not younger than the Father."
"And the Father is not older than the Son."
"And theHoly Ghost proceeds from them."
"The Father and the Son and theHoly Ghost are undivided."
"But I desire byFaith to unite you to theHeavenly King, as you are daughters of an earthly king."

The maidens, as if with one voice and one heart, said: "Teach us most carefully how we maybelieve in theHeavenly King; show us how we may behold Himface to face, and we will do whatsoever you shall say to us."

And when he had instructed them he said to them: "Do youbelieve that bybaptism you put off thesin inherited from the firstparents."

They answered: "Webelieve."

"Do youbelieve in penance aftersin?"

"Webelieve."

"Do youbelieve inlife after death?" Do youbelieve inresurrection on the Day of Judgement?"

"Webelieve."

"Do youbelieve in theunity of the Church?"

"Webelieve."

Then they werebaptized, and were clothed in white garments. And they besought that they might behold the face ofChrist. And thesaint said to them: "You cannot see the face ofChrist unless you taste death, and unless you receive theSacrifice." They answered: "Give us theSacrifice, so that we may be able to behold ourSpouse." And the ancient narrative adds: "when they received theEucharist of God, they slept in death, and they were placed upon a couch, arrayed in their whitebaptismal robes."

In 440 St. Patrick entered on the special work of theconversion of Ulster. Under the following year, the ancientannalists relate a wonderful spread of theFaith throughout the province. In 444 a site for a church was granted at Armagh by Daire, the chieftain of the district. It was in a valley at the foot of a hill, but thesaint was not content. He had special designs in his heart for that district, and at length the chieftain told him to select in his territory any site he would deem most suitable for his religious purpose. St. Patrick chose that beautiful hill on which the oldcathedral of Armagh stands. As he was marking out the church with his companions, they came upon a doe and fawn, and thesaint's companions would kill them for food; but St. Patrick would not allow them to do so, and, taking the fawn upon his shoulders, and followed by the doe, he proceeded to a neighbouring hill, and laid down the fawn, and announced that there, in future times, greatglory would be given to theMost High. It was precisely upon that hill thus fixed by St. Patrick that, a few years ago, there was solemnlydedicated the new and beautifulCatholiccathedral of Armagh. A representative of theHoly See presided on the occasion, and hundreds ofpriests andbishops were gathered there; and, indeed, it might truly be said, the wholeIrish race on that occasion offered up thatgloriouscathedral to theMost High as tribute to their unitedfaith and piety, and their never-failinglove ofGod.

From Ulster St. Patrick probably proceeded toMeath to consolidate the organization of the communities there, and thence he continued his course through Leinster. Two of thesaint's most distinguished companions, St. Auxilius and St. Iserninus, had the rich valley of the Liffey assigned to them. The former's name is still retained in the church which he founded at Killossy, while the latter ishonoured as the firstBishop of Kilcullen. As usual, St. Patrick's primary care was to gather the ruling chieftains into the fold. At Naas, the royal residence in those days, hebaptised two sons of the King of Leinster. Memorials of thesaint still abound in the district — the ruins of the ancient church which he founded, his holy well, and the hallowed sites in which the power ofGod was shown forth inmiracles. At Sletty, in the immediate neighborhood of Carlow,St. Fiacc, son of the chief Brehon, Dubthach, was installed asbishop, and for a considerabletime thatsee continued to be the chief centre of religion for all Leinster. St. Patrick proceeded through Gowran intoOssory; here he erected a church under the invocation ofSt. Martin, near the present city of Kilkenny, and enriched it with many preciousrelics which he had brought fromRome. It was in Leinster, on the borders of the present counties ofKildare and Queen's, that Odhran, St. Patrick's charioteer, attained themartyr's crown. The chieftain of that districthonoured the demon-idol, Crom Cruach, with special worship, and, on hearing of that idol being cast down,vowed to avenge the insult by the death of our apostle. Passing through the territory, Odhran overheard the plot that was being organized for themurder of St. Patrick, and as they were setting out in the chariot to continue their journey, asked thesaint, as a favour, to take the reins, and to allow himself, for the day, to hold the place ofhonour and rest. This was granted, and scarcely had they set out when a well-directed thrust of a lance pierced the heart of the devoted charioteer, who thus, by changing places, saved St. Patrick'slife, and won for himself themartyr's crown.

St. Patrick next proceeded to Munster. As usual, his efforts were directed to combaterror in the chief centres of authority, knowing well that, in the paths ofconversion, the kings and chieftains would soon be followed by their subjects. At "Cashel of the Kings" he was received with great enthusiasm, the chiefs and Brehons and people welcoming him withjoyous acclaim. While engaged in thebaptism of the royal prince Aengus, son of the King of Munster, thesaint, leaning on hiscrosier, pierced with its sharp point the prince's foot. Aengus bore the pain unmoved. When St. Patrick, at the close of theceremony, saw the blood flow, and asked him why he had been silent, he replied, with genuine heroism, that he thought it might be part of theceremony, a penalty for thejoyousblessings of theFaith that were imparted. The saint admired his heroism, and, taking the chieftain's shield, inscribed on it a cross with the same point of thecrozier, and promised that that shield would be the signal of countless spiritual and temporal triumphs.

Our apostle spent a considerabletime in the presentCounty of Limerick. The fame of hismiracles andsanctity had gone before him, and the inhabitants of Thomond and northern Munster, crossing the Shannon in their frail coracles, hastened to receive his instruction. When giving hisblessing to them on the summit of the hill of Finnime, looking out on the rich plains before him, he is said to haveprophesied the coming ofSt. Senanus: "To the green island in the West, at the mouth of the sea [i.e., Inis-Cathaigh, now Scattery Island, at the mouth of the Shannon, near Kilrush], the lamp of the people ofGod will come; he will be the head of counsel to all this territory." At Sangril (now Singland), inLimerick, and also in the district of Gerryowen, the holy wells of thesaint are pointed out, and the slab of rock, which served for his bed, and thealtar on which every day he offered up theHoly Sacrifice. On the banks of the Suit, and the Blackwater, and the Lee, wherever thesaint preached during the seven years he spent in Munster, a hearty welcome awaited him. The ancient Life attests: "After Patrick had founded cells and churches in Munster, and hadordainedpersons of every grade, and healed the sick, and resuscitated the dead, he bade them farewell, and imparted hisblessing to them." The words of thisblessing, which is said to have been given from the hills of Tipperary, as registered in thesaint's Life, to which I have just referred, are particularly beautiful:

Ablessing on the Munster people —
Men, youths, andwomen;
Ablessing on the land
That yields them fruit.

Ablessing on every treasure
That shall be produced on their plains,
Without any one being in want of help,
God'sblessing be on Munster.

Ablessing on their peaks,
On their bare flagstones,
Ablessing on their glens,
Ablessing on their ridges.

Like the sand of the sea under ships,
Be the number in their hearths;
On slopes, on plains,
On mountains, on hills, ablessing.

St. Patrick continued until his death to visit and watch over the churches which he had founded in all the provinces inIreland. He comforted thefaithful in their difficulties, strengthened them in theFaith and in the practice ofvirtue, and appointedpastors to continue his work among them. It is recorded in his Life that heconsecrated no fewer than 350bishops. He appointedSt. Loman to Trim, which rivalled Armagh itself in its abundant harvest of piety. St. Guasach, son of his former master, Milchu, becameBishop of Granard, while the two daughters of the samepagan chieftan founded close by, at Clonbroney, aconvent of piousvirgins, and merited the aureola ofsanctity. St. Mel, nephew of ourapostle, had the charge ofArdagh; St. MacCarthem, who appears to have been patricularlyloved by St. Patrick, was madeBishop ofClogher. The narrative in the ancient Life of thesaint regarding his visit to the district of Costello, in the County of Mayo, serves to illustrate his manner of dealing with the chieftains. He found, it says, the chief, Ernasc, and his son, Loarn, sitting under a tree, "with whom he remained, together with his twelve companions, for a week, and they received from him thedoctrine ofsalvation with attentive ear andmind. Meanwhile he instructed Loarn in the rudiments of learning and piety." A church was erected there, and, in after years, Loarn was appointed to its charge.

The manifoldvirtues by which the earlysaints were distinguished shone forth in all theirperfection in the life of St. Patrick. When not engaged in the work of thesacred ministry, his wholetime was spent inprayer. Many times in the day he armed himself with thesign of the Cross. He never relaxed his penitential exercises. Clothed in a roughhair-shirt, he made the hard rock his bed. His disinterestedness is specially commemorated. Countlessconverts of high rank would cast their precious ornaments at his feet, but all were restored to them. He had not come to Erin in search ofmaterial wealth, but to enrich her with the priceless treasures of theCatholicFaith.

Fromtime totime he withdrew from the spiritualduties of his apostolate to devote himself wholly toprayer and penance. One of his chosen places of solitude andretreat was the island of Lough Derg, which, to our own day, has continued to be a favourite resort ofpilgrims, and it is known asSt. Patrick's Purgatory. Another theatre of hismiraculous power and piety and penitential austerities in the west ofIreland merits particular attention. In the far west of Connaught there is a range of tall mountains, which, arrayed in rugged majesty, bid defiance to the waves and storms of the Atlantic. At the head of this range arises a stately cone in solitary grandeur, about 4000 feet in height, facing Clew Bay, and casting its shadow over the adjoining districts of Aghagower and Westport. This mountain was known inpagan times as the Eagle Mountain, but ever sinceIreland was enlightened with the light ofFaith it is known asCroagh Patrick, i.e. St. Patrick's mountain, and ishonoured as the Holy Hill, theMount Sinai, ofIreland.

St. Patrick, in obedience to hisguardian angel, made this mountain his hallowed place ofretreat. In imitation of thegreat Jewish legislator onSinai, he spent forty days on its summit infasting andprayer, and other penitential exercises. His only shelter from the fury of the elements, the wind and rain, the hail and snow, was a cave, or recess, in the solid rock; and the flagstone on which he rested his weary limbs at night is still pointed out. The whole purpose of hisprayer was to obtain specialblessings and mercy for theIrish race, whom he evangelized. Thedemons that madeIreland their battlefield mustered all their strength totempt thesaint and disturb him in his solitude, and turn him away, if possible, from his pious purpose. They gathered around the hill in theform of vast flocks of hideous birds of prey. So dense were their ranks that they seemed to cover the whole mountain, like a cloud, and they so filled the air that Patrick could see neither sky nor earth nor ocean. St. Patrick besoughtGod to scatter thedemons, but for atime it would seem as if hisprayers and tears were in vain. At length he rang his sweet-soundingbell, symbol of his preaching of the Divinetruths. Its sound was heard all over the valleys and hills of Erin, everywhere bringing peace andjoy. The flocks ofdemons began to scatter. He flung hisbell among them; they took to precipitate flight, and cast themselves into the ocean. So complete was thesaint's victory over them that, as the ancient narrative adds, "for seven years noevil thing was to be found inIreland."

Thesaint, however, would not, as yet, descend from the mountain. He had vanquished thedemons, but he would now wrestle withGod Himself, likeJacob of old, to secure the spiritual interests of his people. Theangel had announced to him that, to reward his fidelity inprayer and penance, as many of his people would be gathered intoheaven as would cover the land and sea as far as his vision could reach. Far more ample, however, were the aspirations of thesaint, and he resolved to persevere infasting andprayer until the fullest measure of his petition was granted. Again and again theangel came to comfort him, announcing new concessions; but all these would not suffice. He would not relinquish his post on the mountain, or relax his penance, until all were granted. At length the message came that hisprayers were heard:

Such were the extraordinary favors which St. Patrick, with his wrestling with theMost High, his unceasingprayers, his unconquerablelove ofheavenly things, and his unremittingpenitential deeds, obtained for the people whom he evangelized.

It is sometimes supposed that St. Patrick's apostolate inIreland was an unbroken series of peaceful triumphs, and yet it was quite the reverse. No storm ofpersecution was, indeed stirred up to assail the infantChurch, but thesaint himself was subjected to frequent trials at the hands of thedruids and of other enemies of theFaith. He tells us in his "Confessio" that no fewer than twelve times he and his companions were seized and carried off as captives, and on one occasion in particular he was loaded with chains, and his death wasdecreed. But from all these trials and sufferings he was liberated by a benignProvidence. It is on account of the many hardships which he endured for theFaith that, in some of the ancientMartyrologies, he ishonoured as amartyr.

St. Patrick, having now completed his triumph overPaganism, and gatheredIreland into thefold of Christ, prepared for the summons to hisreward.St. Brigid came to him with her chosenvirgins, bringing the shroud in which he would be enshrined. It is recorded that when St. Patrick andSt. Brigid were united in their lastprayer, a special vision was shown to him. He saw the whole ofIreland lit up with the brightest rays ofDivine Faith. This continued for centuries, and then clouds gathered around the devoted island, and, little by little, the religiousglory faded away, until, in the course of centuries, it was only in the remotest valleys that some glimmer of its light remained. St. Patrickprayed that the light would never be extinguished, and, as heprayed, theangel came to him and said: "Fear not: your apostolate shall never cease." As he thusprayed, the glimmering light grew in brightness, and ceased not until once more all the hills and valleys ofIreland were lit up in their pristine splendour, and then theangel announced to St. Patrick: "Such shall be the abiding splendour of Divinetruth inIreland."

At Saul (Sabhall), St. Patrick received the summons to hisreward on 17 March, 493 [See note above —Ed.].St. Tassach administered the lastsacraments to him. Hisremains were wrapped in the shroud woven by St. Brigid's own hands. Thebishops andclergy and faithful people from all parts crowded around his remains to pay duehonour to the Father of theirFaith. Some of the ancient Lives record that for several days the light ofheaven shone around his bier. His remains wereinterred at the chieftan's Dun or Fort two miles from Saul, where in after times arose thecathedral ofDown.

Writings of St. Patrick

The "Confessio" and the "Epistola ad Coroticum" are recognized by all modern critical writers as of unquestionable genuineness. The best edition, with text, translation, and critical notes, is by Rev. Dr. White for the Royal Irish Academy, in 1905. The 34canons of asynod held before the year 460 by St. Patrick, Auxilius, and Isserninus, though rejected by Todd and Haddan, have been placed by Professor Bury beyond the reach of controversy. Another series of 31ecclesiastical canons entitled "Synodus secunda Patritii", though unquestionably ofIrish origin anddating before the close of the seventh century, is generally considered to be of a laterdate than St. Patrick. Two tracts (in P.L., LIII), entitled "De abusionibus saeculi", and "De Tribus habitaculis", were composed by St. Patrick in Irish and translated into Latin at a later period. Passages from them are assigned to St. Patrick in the "Collectio Hibernensis Canonum", which is of unquestionable authority and dates from the year 700 (Wasserschleben, 2nd ed., 1885). This "Collectio Hibernensis" also assigns to St. Patrick the famous synodicaldecree: "Si quae quaestiones in hac insula oriantur, ad Sedem Apostolicam referantur." (If any difficulties arise in this island, let them be referred to theApostolic See). The beautifulprayer, known as "Faeth Fiada", or the "Lorica of St. Patrick" (St. Patrick's Breast-Plate), first edited by Petrie in his "History of Tara", is now universally accepted as genuine. The "Dicta Sancti Patritii", or brief sayings of thesaint, preserved in the "Book of Armagh", are accurately edited by Fr. Hogan, S.J., in "Documenta de S. Patritio" (Brussels, 1884). The old Irish text of "The Rule of Patrick" has been edited by O'Keeffe, and a translation by Archbishop Healy in the appendix to his Life of St. Patrick (Dublin, 1905). It is a tract of venerable antiquity, and embodies the teaching of thesaint.

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