That was his whole thing, right? Turns out Patrick wasn’t the first Christian proselytizer to set foot on Irish soil.
Author Archives: I. E.
Was St. Patrick Really a Saint?
I mean, it’s in the name, right? But here’s the thing: “Saint” Patrick was never formally canonized by a pope.
Was St. Patrick an Engineer?
He’s the patron saint of engineers, but did Patrick ever roll up those green sleeves and get his hands dirty?
What Was St. Patrick’s Job?
Before he became a preacher, St. Patrick had another vocation. Granted, it was not one he chose himself.
Where Did St. Patrick Get His Staff?
No image of St. Patrick would be complete without a pastoral staff (a.k.a. shepherd’s crook a.k.a. crozier) in his hand. But where did he get it?
Why Did St. Patrick Change His Name?
The world now knows him as Patrick, but his family knew him as Maewyn Succat. Why the rebrand?
Did St. Patrick Dress in Green?
“The wearing of the green” is a time-honored St. Patrick’s Day tradition. But did the man himself actually get decked out in emerald?
Did St. Patrick Use the Shamrock to Teach the Trinity?
It’s become the official symbol of *his* day, but did St. Patrick really teach Irish pagans about the Trinity with the help of a shamrock?
Did St. Patrick Chase the Snakes Out of Ireland?
Driving the snakes out of Ireland is one of St. Patrick’s biggest claims to fame, but does this serpentine story hold up?
Was St. Patrick Irish? English? Welsh? Scottish? Italian? French?
Many assume that Ireland’s patron saint must have been Irish. The reality of St. Patrick’s nationality is more complicated.