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With a plethora of myths and legends and relics, it would be easy to cynically dismiss Patrick as another Cuchalainn: a fantastic legend without any truth or proof. Fortunately, Patrick's own Confession provide a personal and emotional account of his life and achievement in Ireland. The words are Patrick's own and are much more reliable than the numerous reinterpretations and mistranslations. The Confession was written in Latin by Patrick a few years before his death. Reading the entire piece or even selecting extracts allows us insight into Patrick's own interpretation of his mission and life. His humility, resilience, sincerity and tenacity come alive when we read the Confession. Much has been written about Patrick's poor standard of Latin, but to concentrate on the use of grammar and syntax overlooks the honesty and impact of Patrick's moving words. He defines himself as an unworthy sinner who has faced death, ridicule and persecution, trusts entirely in God and rejoices in the life he has been given:

Ego Patricius peccator rusticissimus et minimus omnium fidelium et contemptiibliis sum apud plurimos.

I am Patrick, a sinner, most unlearned, the least of all the faithful and utterly despised by many.

Patrick was born about 385 on the west coast of Wales. By reading the Confession, we learn that Patrick's father Calpornius was a deacon. When he was sixteen, Patrick was kidnapped and taken to Ireland "with many thousands of people" by Irish pirates. He was sold as a slave and sent to tend sheep on a mountain for an Irish chieftain. Patrick recorded that "we deserved this fate because we had turned away from God; we neither kept his commandments nor obeyed our priests who used to warn us about our salvation".

Six years as slave shepherd changed the carefree boy into a deeply religious man who possessed a steadfast faith in God. Patrick wrote that he used to pray often during the day and night. His love of God and reverence for God grew stronger.

After six years, in response to a voice Patrick heard in his sleep, he escaped from bondage and after a journey of 200 miles, he got onto a boat and made his way to France. When he later returned to Britain, Patrick's family were overjoyed that he was alive and wanted him to promise that he would never leave them again.

He had a dream in which he described the moment of vocation:
" One night I saw a vision of a man called Victor. who appeared to have come from Ireland with an unlimited number of letters. He gave me one of them and I read the opening words which were - 'The voice of the Irish'. As I read the beginning of the letter I seemed at the same moment to hear the voice of those who were by the wood of Voclut which is near the Western Sea. They shouted with one voice- 'We ask you, boy, come and walk once more among us'. I was broken-hearted and could read no more, and so I woke up. Thanks be to God, after many years the Lord gave to them according to their cry".

Patrick interpreted the dream as a call from God to become a missionary to the pagan Irish. The efforts of Patrick's parents to induce him to stay in Britain were unsucessful.

more on the Life of Saint Patrick

Back to Saint Patrick's Mission

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