Who Is St. Patrick?

Apostle of Ireland, born at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in Scotland, in the year 387; died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, 17 March, 461.

Patrick was born around 385 in Scotland, probably Kilpatrick. His parents were Calpurnius and Conchessa, who were Romans living in Britian in charge of the colonies.

As a boy of fourteen or so, he was captured during a raiding party and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep. Ireland at this time was a land of Druids and pagans.

During his captivity, he turned to God in prayer. He wrote

"The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was rosed, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same." "I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain."

Patrick's captivity lasted until he was twenty, when he escaped after having a dream from God in which he was told to leave Ireland by going to the coast. There he found some sailors who took him back to Britian, where he reunited with his family.

He had another dream in which the people of Ireland were calling out to him "We beg you, holy youth, to come and walk among us once more."

He studied for the priesthood and later was ordained a bishop, and was sent to take the Gospel to Ireland.

Patrick preached and converted all of Ireland for 40 years. He worked many miracles and wrote of his love for God in Confessions. After years of living in poverty, traveling and enduring much suffering he died March 17, 461.

He died at Saul, where he had built the first church.
Catholic.org

Why a shamrock?
Patrick used the shamrock to explain the Trinity, and has been associated with him and the Irish since that time.


Why green?
Originally the colour associated with Saint Patrick was blue. However, over the years the colour green and its association with Saint Patrick's day grew probably due to the green clover, shamrock, a three-leaved plant.

One final note: I'm Irish too! My paternal grandparents were both Irish, the Thorton's and Hart's!

Father's Day!

Father's Day is a great way to honor our fathers. Mine has since passed on and since we didn't have a good relationship I don't think about him much. But my husband has been a wonderful father, a man of character and a great example to our children.

This Father's Day was a busy day with 2 of my children coming to visit and 7 of my grand kids made it quite an eventful day. It seems children can all get along as no one touches an another and and keeps to themselves. Did that happen of course not, kids wouldn't be kids if they didn't cause a commotion.

My oldest daughter came and made her father's favorite German Chocolate cake with coconut frosting. She in listed her sister's son to help her make the cake. She had Christian put the eggs in the batter and he put the eggs shell in all in the cake. Of course she took the shells out before baking.


The children played on the "mini trampoline", I bought just for the grandkids this weekend, the swimming pool, swinging, and digging in the dirt. Mally's favorite part of play was the trampoline.



Some of us choose to go to the Irish festival since we are 1/2 Irish and wanted to see what was going on. There was vendors everywhere, and Gaelic dancing, Spanish dancers and Irish bagpipes. My husband's favorite part was the bagpipes which he has informed me that he wants at his funeral.




My husband went along for the ride, he's such a good sport. I'm sure his favorite thing to do was to go golfing on Friday and watch it on TV. Boy, has he become a golf fanatic, but love him anyways.