Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Today is the official worldwide celebration of St Patrick’s Day and in keeping with our desire to preserve and respect all European cultures, Patriots’ Voice sends it’s greetings to all people of Irish descent.

St Patrick was born in Roman Britain during the fifth century and was taken captive at 16 years of age by Irish raiders and held prisoner in Ireland.

According to his Confession, Patrick was told by God in a dream to flee and return to Britain whereupon he joined the church in Auxerre in Gaul and became a priest.

In 432 Patrick went back to Ireland to preach Christianity to the Irish. Folklore claims that he used the shamrock to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) to the Irish people.

He spent 30 years in Ireland and was buried in Downpatrick, or so the tradition has it. Patrick was not the only missionary to Ireland, but has emerged as the principal champion of Irish Christianity.

Blue was Patrick’s original colour, but over the years it was changed to green and today that colour is most closely associated with all things Irish.