CULTURE

Saint Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick's Day, on the 17th of March, is the national holiday of Ireland. It is celebrated by Irish people the whole world over, and in many countries has become a permanent feature of the local cultural calendar. Ireland, lying on the edge of Europe, is an island inhabited by about 4 million people, although the total amount of Irish people in the world is much greater: the Irish Diaspora numbers at least 70-80 million! Of these, approximately 44 million inhabitants of the USA alone claim to be of Irish descent. For several years, the tradition of St. Patrick's Day celebrations has also been present in Poland. For the last 2 years, a St. Patrick's Parade has been organised in Warsaw, and this year sees the inaugural 'St. Patrick's Week' organised in Poznań by Morgan's Irish Pub and the Polish-Irish Society.

For the foreigner, this occasion gives rise to many questions. Why St. Patrick? Who was he? It is worth taking a closer look at this figure and making some sense of this important day. Saint Patrick lived around the turn of the V century (389-461). He came from Britain - most probably from the region of Cumbria, although some historians claim that he may have lived in Wales. What is certain is that he was not a native Irishman. At the age of 16, he was kidnapped by pirates and taken to Ireland as a slave. There, his occupation as a shepherd gave him plenty of time to converse with God, and it was at this time that he decided to devote himself to promoting the teachings of Christ. With divine help, as later stories relate, Patrick fled from slavery and returned to Britain. Back in his family home, he had a prophetic dream, in which God bade him to return to Ireland and convert this then pagan country to Christianity. Patrick became a priest and, in 432, was enthroned as a bishop. Soon after this, he set off on his return journey to Ireland, now with the goal of bringing theological studies to this country. At this point, one should emphasise that St. Patrick was not the first Christian missionary in Ireland. Bishop St. Palladius and St. Declan, amongst others, are known to have been active there before him. Nevertheless, it was most certainly Patrick who succeeded in Christianising the greater part of the island. Patrick's mission became the conversion of the local Irish rulers, foremost among whom was King Laoghaire, whose seat was on Mount Tara. This ruler was forewarned by fortune-tellers of the impending danger and of the prospect of the nation's destruction. Hence the extremely cool and even hostile reception given to Patrick by the king. Thanks to divine intervention, including an earthquake and the persuasive words of this saint, the king and all his court decided to be baptised. During his stay with the king on Mount Tara, Patrick was the victim of various attempts on his life by the fortune-tellers. When a drop of poison was added to a drink that he was served, Patrick froze the drink with a blessing, poured away the poisoned drop, which had remained unfrozen, and the drink returned to its original consistency. Another legend connected with Patrick is that he drove all the snakes from Ireland. This event was not, of course, without its biblical reference, since Patrick was thus said to have rid Ireland of evil, which even today is represented in Christianity by the form of a snake. Finally, the shamrock - along with the harp a symbol of Ireland - is associated with Patrick. With the help of a shamrock, St. Patrick explained to the Irish pagans the essence of the dogma of one God in three forms (the Holy Trinity). Patrick travelled throughout Ireland, converting people to the true faith wherever he could, and becoming increasingly popular. King Aonghus invited him to his seat on Cashel Rock in Southern Ireland, and decided to be baptised. During the long baptismal ceremony in Cashel castle, Patrick, who was standing next to the ruler, accidentally kept his bishop's crook pressed on the foot of the unfortunate king for several hours, causing him considerable pain. When Patrick realised the suffering he had been causing, he asked the king why he had not mentioned his aching foot. In reply, Aonghus assured the saint that he had been convinced that it was an element of the ceremony, designed to ensure that the person being christened was aware of the momentous nature of the occasion. From the South of Ireland, Patrick moved north, working in the area around the city of Galway, and then in County Mayo, where St. Patrick's Mount (Croagh Patrick) can be found. This is the annual destination of an important pilgrimage, which is not complete without a barefoot trek up the rocky slopes of the mount - a form of physical mortification also associated with St. Patrick. In his teachings, he stated that only fools would walk in shoes, which is also the source of the association of physical suffering with the full experience of God.

Towards the end of his life, Patrick lived in the north of the island. Before his death, his bishop's residence was situated in Armagh, which is where he died on the 17th of March 461, after many years spent Christianising Ireland. In appreciation for the role he played in their history, the Irish immortalised Patrick with the Saint's Day which falls on the day of his death - the most important celebration for every Irish person. The cult of St. Patrick is little known in Poland, with only one parish under his patronage existing to date - in Warsaw. Let's hope that this year's St. Patrick's Week celebrations will make both Ireland and the figure of St. Patrick more popular in our country.

Krzysztof Schramm
President of the Polish-Irish Society

Saint Patrick's Week in Poznań will run from 14th to 17th of March. The organisers are Sean Morgan of Morgan's Irish Pub on ul. Wielka 7 (tel. 8528383) and the Polish-Irish Society. The programme will include the only concert in Poznań of Irish musicians and dancers, a concert by the group Carrantuohill, and other attractions. Details available in Morgan's Irish Pub (tel. 8528383)