[Kolokotronis]

Saint Patrick, the Apostle of the Irish, was seized from his native Britain by Irish marauders when he was sixteen years old. Though the son of a deacon and a grandson of a priest, it was not until his captivity that he sought out the Lord with his whole heart. In his Confession, the testament he wrote towards the end of his life, he says, "After I came to Ireland - every day I had to tend sheep, and many times a day I prayed - the love of God and His fear came to me more and more, and my faith was strengthened. And my spirit was so moved that in a single day I would say as many as a hundred prayers, and almost as many at night, and this even when I was staying in the woods and on the mountain; and I would rise for prayer before daylight, through snow, through frost, through rain, and I felt no harm." After six years of slavery in Ireland, he was guided by God to make his escape, and afterwards struggled in the monastic life at Auxerre in Gaul, under the guidance of the holy Bishop Germanus. Many years later he was ordained bishop and sent to Ireland once again, about the year 432, to convert the Irish to Christ. His arduous labours bore so much fruit that within seven years, three bishops were sent from Gaul to help him shepherd his flock, "my brethren and sons whom I have baptized in the Lord - so many thousands of people," he says in his Confession. His apostolic work was not accomplished without much "weariness and painfulness," long journeys through difficult country, and many perils; he says his very life was in danger twelve times. When he came to Ireland as its enlightener, it was a pagan country; when he ended his earthly life some thirty years later, about 461, the Faith of Christ was established in every corner.

[Kolokotronis]

St. Paddy’s ping!

[Professional Engineer]

[JohnLongIsland]

The Archbishop has given a special dispensation for us Orthodox Christians on Tuesday to enjoy a CB on rye w/mustard, a pint ‘o Guinness ,and a wee dram of Jamesons.
;) ;) ;)

[Young Werther]

My Grandson is Declan!

He converted the people of the Decies, an ancient principality of southern Ireland, to Christianity. There he founded the monastic settlement of Ardmore. Although Ardmore is no longer the seat of a diocese, the local Catholic parish bears Declan's name. His Life is preserved in both a Latin and Irish version; the latter was translated into English by Rev. P. Power in 1914.

There was much controversy involving which Saint was to become the Patron Saint of Ireland. Since St. Patrick was not of Irish heritage many of the Irish people believed that St. Declan should instead become the country's Patron Saint.

I guess St Patrick had the better publicist.

[Lancey Howard]

[Honorary Serb]

Well, we all had an Orthodox St. David’s day (Enlightener of Wales) on March 1, and we’ll have an Orthodox St. Patrick’s day tomorrow.

You gotta love those Western Orthodox saints (including my own patron saint)!!!!

But my other favorite saint, whom I pray to daily, is St. Sava of Serbia, whom I believe prayed me into Orthodoxy. So I get the best of both East and West.

[Obamageddon]

St. Patrick (real name Maewyn Succat) was a late comer to Ireland.

I celebrate St. Palladius, the real first Bishop of the Irish Christians.

Happy St Paldy's!