Saint of the Month - March
Dates: March 1-31, 2010
St. Patrick
St. Patrick
Saint Patrick is the Catholic saint celebrated each year on March 17th, which is called Saint Patrick's Day. He is revered by Christians for establishing the church in Ireland during the fifth century AD. The precise dates and details of his life are unclear, but some points are generally agreed: as a teen he was captured and sold into slavery in Ireland, and six years later he escaped to Gaul (now France) where he later became a monk. Around 432 he returned to Ireland as a missionary and succeeded in converting many of the island's tribes to Christianity. Late in life he wrote a brief text, Confessio, detailing his life and ministry. (It is now known as The Confession of St. Patrick.) His feast day, March 17, is celebrated as a day of Irish pride in many parts of the world.