St Patrick

When: Every year on March 17

Patrick was a Christian born in Roman Britain who, as a teenager, was taken to Ireland as a slave. He escaped, and later returned to share his faith there. He is the patron saint of Ireland, and March 17 is a day of parades, green and gathering.

Where it came from

We know about Patrick from two short letters he wrote himself, in rough Latin, in the 400s. In his Confession, he tells that as a teenager he was captured by raiders and taken to Ireland, where he herded sheep for six years and learned to pray. He escaped by sea, went home, and then felt called to go back to Ireland as a bishop and teacher.

Many stories were added later. The tale that he drove the snakes out of Ireland is a legend; there were no snakes in Ireland to begin with. Patrick is said to have used the shamrock, a three-leaved clover, to explain the Trinity. That story is first written down much later, in the 1700s. We do not know exactly when he died, but tradition says March 17, around the year 460.

How it is kept around the world

• Ireland. St Patrick's Day is a national holiday with church services, parades and festivals. Dublin's festival lasts several days.
• The United States. Irish immigrants held the first parades in the 1700s. Today there are parades in many cities, and Chicago dyes its river green.
• Canada and Newfoundland. Parades and music in many places, and a provincial holiday in Newfoundland and Labrador.
• Montserrat. In the Caribbean, this island, settled by many Irish, also keeps March 17 as a public holiday.
• Around the world. Many cities light up buildings in green. People wear green or a shamrock, and some churches read Patrick's “Breastplate”, a famous prayer attributed to him.

Christians differ

Patrick is honoured by Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox and Lutheran churches. Many Protestants admire his courage and his writings. Today much of the celebration is cultural and is enjoyed by people who are not churchgoers. Some Christians would like it to be more about Patrick's faith and less about parties.

Do it together

Ages 0 to 2

• Hold a green leaf and say “green”.
• Hum a quiet lullaby while rocking a toy.

Ages 3 to 5

• Look at a three-leaf clover or draw one. Count the leaves.
• Make a green paper shamrock and say thank you for something.

Ages 6 to 8

• Find Ireland and Britain on a map. Where might the boat have sailed?
• Learn one line of a famous Irish blessing and say it to a friend.

Ages 9 to 12

• Read part of Patrick's Confession (a short translation). What do you notice about how he describes his fears and his faith?
• Write the story of the shamrock and decide what we know and what is a legend.

Ages 13 to 17

• Read about the Breastplate prayer and write a modern one for your own life.
• Talk about how someone who has been hurt can still forgive.

A short prayer

God, thank you for those who share their faith with courage. Be with us on every road we walk, and help us to forgive. Amen.

Mark as done

Where this comes from

• Patrick, Confession and Letter to Coroticus (5th century), in Ludwig Bieler, ed., Libri Epistolarum Sancti Patricii Episcopi (Royal Irish Academy, 1952), or in an English translation
• Thomas O'Loughlin, Discovering Saint Patrick (Paulist Press / Darton, Longman and Todd, 2005)
• F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone, eds., The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd ed. (Oxford University Press, 2005), entry “Patrick, St”

Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed. Please read it before sharing it with a child.