March 17th is St Patrick’s Day, celebrated by millions of people around the world wherever Irish people have settled. In Ireland, St Patrick’s Day is a public holiday. It was always held as an important feast day to celebrate the teachings of Christianity by St Patrick and has become a celebration of Irish heritage and culture.
We are fortunate to have historical data in the form of Patrick’s own words in:-
– The Confessions of St Patrick
– The “Lorica” or “The Deer’s Cry”
– The Letter to Soldiers of Coroticus
Those three writings are universally accepted accounts as being documented personally by St Patrick. This gives balance to the many legends, myths, oral tradition and historical interpretation attributed to St Patrick’s ministry in Ireland. Read more about St Patrick’s life here
Image: “Kilbennan St. Benin’s Church Window St. Patrick Detail 2010 09 16” by Andreas F. Borchert. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 de via Wikimedia Commons
