Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Don't Forget to Wear Your Green Today!

Who is Saint Patrick?

Saint Patrick is the Patron Saint of Ireland, also known as the Emerald Isle, Although many believe him to be Irish, he was actually born a Roman in Britannia (in 385 AD) in what is now known as England. His full name was Maewyn Succat. As a young man he was taken prisoner by the Irish and was imprisoned for 6 long years. As many a prisoner who has nothing else to do but to venture into his thoughts, he began to hear the voice of God. It was this voice who told him how to escape from prison and return to England. It was during his imprisonment that he became a devout Christian.

Saint Patrick returned to Britannia where he entered the Christian church. It is alleged that he began to have visitations from an Angel who encouraged him to return to Ireland as a missionary. He did return to Ireland, bringing Christianity with him. He became a bishop in Ireland and was known as the "Apostle of Ireland."

There is a legend that says that it was Saint Patrick who banished all the snakes from Ireland. The legend says that he was standing on a hilltop where he was observing a 40-day fast when he was attacked by snakes. The legend goes that he counter attacked and was able to drive all of the snakes off of the island and into the sea. This legend is just a parable or analogy where snakes are once again representing Satan and how Saint Patrick manages to vanquish him out of Ireland. The reality is that some 8500 years ago there was a land bridge between England and Ireland. There are only 3 known species of snakes in England and they appeared some 6500 years ago. 2000 years before their arrival, the massive glaciers surrounding that landmass begain to melt, raising the levels of the sea and submerging the land bridge. Hence, no snakes ever migrated to Ireland in the first place.