Who is St. Patrick?

Tomorrow, March 17, is not only Hazel Torgerson's birthday, but also the Feast Day of St. Patrick (for those with Roman Catholic, Episcopal, or Lutheran roots). 

So a question: who is St. Patrick?  And why is he so well regarded?  It is more than about green bagels, milkshakes, or beer.

From Huffingtonpost.com:

Patrick was a real person, but not much is known of his life. He was born in the late 300s when the Roman Empire extended to England, so he was not “really” Irish — like the vast majority of people who celebrate his day. In his “Confessio,” one of only two surviving documents attributed to him, Patrick wrote that while his father was a Christian deacon, he was not devout. At age 16, Patrick was captured by Irish marauders, carried across the Irish Sea and enslaved. Patrick spent six years alone in the wilderness tending his master’s sheep, praying constantly. “It was among foreigners that it was seen how little I was,” he wrote. He began to have visions and hear voices that told him: “Look, your ship is ready.” So Patrick left his first flock and walked 200 miles to the coast. It’s a pretty safe bet he would have loved a beer, green or otherwise, as he stepped into a boat bound for England.

Aside from being named a saint? Yes. St. Patrick merged Christianity with more traditional parts of Irish culture, including adding bonfires to Easter celebrations and creating the Celtic cross, which incorporates the sun with the cross.

He also is largely responsible for helping convert the Irish to Christianity.

Here's more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/13/who-was-st-patrick_n_6866482.html?utm_hp_ref=religion

Happy St. Patrick's Day, one and all!

Pax!

Pastor B