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By J.D. Long-García, The Catholic Sun

Between sips of green beer and bites of shamrock-decorated cookies, some will remember that St. Patrick spent six years as a slave before he began his ministry.

St. Patrick, who was born in Scotland, spent his days as a slave praying while he tended his master’s flocks in Ireland. After he fled — admonished by an angel, as the story goes — he returned to his hometown.
But the reason why we celebrate him today is because he came back in the 400s to pagan Ireland and made it a Catholic country.

“He was a man of deep faith who saw in Ireland a great opportunity for conversion,” said Msgr. John McMahon, a retired Irish priest that served the Phoenix Diocese. In Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is a Holy Day of obligation.

“People go to Mass on that day, that’s the way they keep it holy,” said Msgr. Thomas Hever, pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Scottsdale.

“And then they have their celebrations afterward — their parades or their parties or what it is,” he said. “Ireland has traditionally had a great tradition and love of the Mass. The Irish have that devotion to the Eucharist all throughout their lives.”

St. Patrick, a bishop, was able to convert Ireland in large part because he was able to convert kings and other leaders to the Catholic faith. Their followers, in turn, also became Catholic.

“Patrick had a great influence not only in Ireland, but in Europe too,” Msgr. McMahon said, listing of several countries like Italy and Holland, in which St. Patrick had a profound effect.

Despite being a slave early in life, St. Patrick’s life was marked by great joy.

“That joy went along with his reputation,” Msgr. McMahon said. “The hilarity and joy of the day is St. Patrick’s. And with that comes the Irish tradition of ‘bending the elbow a little bit.’”

Msgr. McMahon also said that the Irish tradition pf of celebrating their faith and living it with joy is inherited from St. Patrick. He also left his missionary zeal. At one time, there were four seminaries in Ireland dedicated to forming missionaries. Msgr. McMahon also said the annual collection for the propagation of the faith continues to elicit the largest response.

“I get a great sense of joy that in the mayor cities of this country there are parades that honor St. Patrick,” he said. “And those parades aren’t just for Irish people. But his spirit continues among many cultures.”