Saint Patrick is loved in every corner of the world, but most of all in Ireland. The people of this country consider a man from ancient times to be their patron. In the history of Christianity, it is difficult to find another such real person, whose life is a dense thicket of legends, fables and fairy tales.
Childhood and youth
The early biography of Saint Patrick is mysterious and vague, based on his own memoirs, and also consists of the assumptions and conjectures of historians. The exact place of birth, however, as well as the year, could not be established (the years of life fall in the middle of the 5th century). In the Confessions, the man mentions the place Bannawem and Ventre.
The English scholar Charles Thomas suggested that this was a British settlement in the lands colonized by the Romans. It is known that the father of Patrick Calpurnius is a Roman officer-official, concurrently a deacon. Grandfather Potit also served as a priest.
Partik, under the name Magon, was born into a wealthy family that had a country estate and even slaves. Ross with two sisters. In his memoirs, he admits his own ignorance, however, by the abundance of errors in works written in Latin, and this is understandable. But here and there a man suddenly speaks of a brilliant education received in his father's house.
At the age of 16, the young man shared a slave share with thousands of compatriots. Patrick was stolen from his home and taken to Ireland, where he was forced to tend flocks of sheep. Who exactly abducted the child is also a mystery: perhaps the robbers who flew under the flags of the Irish king Niall, or people from Scotland and Scotts, representatives of the Celtic tribes.
The owner gave the future priest a nickname, calling him Patricius, which means "noble person, patrician." Since then, the man no longer remembered his former name, having carried the “stigma” of the humiliation of captivity all his life, which is quite understandable. In captivity, he believed in the true God, praised the Almighty day and night long - allegedly read 100 prayers a day. The name became, as it were, the starting point on the path to religion.
Once a young man had a dream in which a voice promised an early return to his homeland. Here the spiritual biography of the saint echoes motifs from the adventures of the Old Testament. Patrick decided to escape, having reached the sea, he saw a ship. With difficulty, but the captain agreed to take on board a penniless traveler and did not regret it - on the way, thanks to sincere prayers, God sent food to the crew from a herd of pigs and honey.
For unknown reasons, Patrick again fell into slavery to the tribes of the desert, now only for 60 days. With considerable difficulty, the young man reached the house, where in a dream an angel called him to return to Ireland:
"Holy brother, we implore you, come and convert us."
Christian ministry
From the moment of sleep, Patrick's life was illuminated by a sacred service, which the Confessions describes very sparingly. The man entered the service in the church in the rank of deacon, and the plans were to become a bishop. He traveled a lot around the world, studying in monasteries. In 432, Patrick returned to Ireland in robes and with the powers of a bishop, as the angel had asked. The priest's mission was to preach the gospel to the pagans and Christianize the country.
Patrick has thousands of baptisms and confessions to his credit. People from the lower strata of society flocked to the church, the flock mainly consisted of slaves, young people and women. The saint's list of achievements includes between 300 and 600 temples that he founded throughout Ireland.
The man repents in a handwritten biography about bribes in the form of gifts, which he poured as if from a cornucopia at the feet of rulers and judges in those places where he managed to visit in the form of a missionary. And he did not take the bribe. Not everywhere the priest was hospitably received, once, together with like-minded people, he ended up in prison and sat in shackles.
Patrick's life is shrouded in legends. One of the legends says that during a missionary campaign near the lake, the priest met the royal heirs Etne and Felem. Having heard the details about God, the girls wanted to be baptized, and after the ceremony they immediately wanted to take communion - the desire to see the Almighty as soon as possible was so great. However, as soon as Patrick performed the ceremony, the king's daughters fell dead. The sisters were later canonized.
Another legend tells that Patrick cleared Ireland of snakes. Historians are sure that the legend should be interpreted as an allegory - reptiles mean pagan worshipers. Clover became an integral part of the image of the saint, and also thanks to legend: using the example of the shamrock, Patrick explained to the people the idea of the Holy Trinity.
Saint Patrick is respected for many of the deeds that he did in the name of strengthening Christianity in Ireland, but the man is not considered a pioneer missionary. Before this priest, other Christians made their way into the country, a century earlier. And from the south, and not from the north, like Patrick. For example, the Roman bishop Palladius visited here, who was not lucky enough to convert enough people to the true faith - he fell seriously ill and hastily left for his homeland.
Historians suggest that the teachings of Patrick also influenced the Christianization of Russia, the church of this saint reached the Russian lands through the Varangians.
Death
The mysterious Christian hero, of course, died under unclear circumstances. Legends say that the priest, anticipating death, climbed to the top of Mount Krokh and sat there for 40 days and the same number of nights. The day before his death, Patrick confessed to the bishop, and at the same time threw a bell from the mountain with prayers for the strengthening of the Christian faith on Irish soil. The angels heard the calls and picked up the bell.
Some admirers of the saint are sure that Patrick is buried in the city of Downpatrick in the north of Ireland. Others believe that the grave is worth looking for in the villages of Soul or Arma. However, the difference in positions is explained by a legend: after death, the saint's relics were allegedly put into a cart drawn by rabid bulls, and where the animals decide to stop, there will be a grave. The first night, the angels guarded the burial place, and soon two certain peoples launched a massacre for the possession of the relics of Patrick. However, the war ended in a draw, because God protected the saint who had retired.
St.Patrick 's Day
St. Patrick's Day is celebrated almost all over the world - in Argentina, Great Britain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Japan and other countries. And, of course, celebrations are held on a grand scale in Ireland. .
On this day, cities are transformed. Walking along the street, you will definitely meet a green man, clover suddenly flaunts in an unexpected place, the lingering sounds of bagpipes add color to the general atmosphere. Beer flows like water, concerts are held in every corner, and festive services are held in cathedrals.
People are selflessly looking for a four-leaf clover stalk. The one who finds it on March 17 will be lucky in any business, because on this day the magical divine powers are doubled.
Russia also celebrates St. Patrick's Day. So, every year on March 30 in the church of Peter and Paul at the University. Herzen (St. Petersburg), a conference of the Russian-Irish Friendship Society is taking place. Prayers are held in the church in front of the icon of the glorious missionary.
Memory
- Until the 18th century in Liverpool, a special cross marked the place where Patrick preached before starting his mission to Ireland.
- In the Irish city of Cashel, a rock is named after Patrick.
- The middle of the 7th century - “The First Synod of St. Patrick."
- VII century - "The Life of St. Patrick" by Murhu.
- 1191 - St. Patrick's Cathedral was built in Dublin (Ireland).
- 1762 - First St. Patrick's Day parade held in America.
- 1931 - the first parade on March 17, held in Dublin.
Each country has its own patron saint, who on a certain day (usually the day of death or elevation to the saints) lavish festivities are held. For Ireland, St. Patrick is of such importance, who is very revered by the whole country and by the Irish living abroad. on a certain day, people can see a unique procession, a masquerade, timed to coincide with the day of the saint. This holiday is celebrated annually on March 17th. Celebrations are mainly associated with Irish culture - on this day, the Irish wear green clothes or accessories of this color. Religious services are held in churches. This day is officially considered a holiday.
People all over the world celebrate St. Patrick's Day, especially in places with large Irish-American communities. Even if you do not belong to the Irish nationality, this will not prevent you from participating in a bright holiday in honor of the saint. Traditional Irish dishes are served on this day, including corned beef, coffee, soda bread, potatoes and shepherd's pie. Cafes and restaurants offer a traditional Irish breakfast with sausage, black and white pudding, scrambled eggs and fried tomatoes.
The main action takes place on the streets - parades are held. The scale is different in different cities. Cities that hold big, colorful and tastefully costumed parades are Boston, New York, Philadelphia, New Orleans. Of course, let's not forget about the major cities of Ireland - Dublin, Cork. Since Ireland is a predominantly Catholic country, its inhabitants, both within the country and abroad, observe fasting. In the days before Easter, it is forbidden to drink alcohol, and this ban can be violated only on March 17th.
By the way, one interesting detail is connected with this - the liquid is colored green. Green beer is served in pubs, in Chicago, where many Irish people live, the river of the same name turns green. Even the fountain of the White House can turn green on this day. Having become a little acquainted with the feast of St. Patrick, the question involuntarily arises - and who was this same Patrick? Why is he famous and why is he so revered by all the Irish in the world?
Almost nothing is known about his early life because many details of his life have been lost. The exact place and time of his birth is also unknown, but some historians suggest that he was born in the family of a deacon in Britain. When he was 16 years old, he was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Ireland. The young boy, who had previously ignored God, is gradually converted in captivity and becomes one of the most ardent preachers. Many years later he fled and returned to his family in Britain, then returned to Ireland for missionary work after finding a position as a clergyman and later as a bishop.
The symbol of Patrick is the shamrock, a plant that personifies the Trinity. In addition, according to legend, the Saint performed miracles, for example, he delivered Ireland from snakes. During the post, he was attacked by creepers, but was able to fight back and drive them away to the coastal zone. We admit that most likely this is only a legend, since snakes have not been found in Ireland since the post-glacial period.
The history of St. Patrick's Day and why it is celebrated
St. Patrick's Day was first celebrated in America in 1737, organized by the Benevolent Irish Society of Boston, including a holiday and a religious service. The first celebration of this holiday in the colonies was devoted mainly to Irish culture, since it was from Ireland that the colonists came to America at that time. In New York, the first celebration took place as a small gathering in the home of an Irish Protestant.
St. Patrick's Day parades began in New York City in 1762 when a group of Irish soldiers marched down Broadway. The parade has since featured military personnel dressed in national uniforms. Gradually, the holiday turned from a modest religious dinner into the very bright and unforgettable masquerade that we know today.
World Parades and St. Patrick's Day Celebrations
Parades and the tradition of wearing green flowers have always been a traditional part of St. Patrick's Day celebrations, but the details depended on the city.
In Boston, the St. Patrick's Day celebration draws over 600,000 visitors. The city hosts one of the largest parades in which many veterans take part, as well as various entertainment events in Irish pubs. The Irish Cultural Center hosts celebrations and many events serve Irish cuisine. New York City is the site of the oldest civilian parade, with over 150,000 people. It can be veterans, firefighters, policemen, cultural clubs.
It is led by the New York 69th Infantry Regiment. Another city in New York State, Pearl River has the second largest parade in the state with crowds of over 100,000 people. Buffalo hosts two St. Patrick's parades. Scranton - This parade in Pennsylvania is one of the oldest and largest. This parade has been one of the most popular since 1862 and is currently attended by around 150,000 people. New Orleans - This coastal city was the largest immigration point for the Irish. St. Patrick's Day celebrations are usually held at the community or borough level, as many Irish have gradually moved away from here to other American cities.
Of course, you can not pass by the second homeland of St. Patrick - Ireland. This holiday here is more religious in nature. In 1903, when it was declared an official holiday, the first Saint Patrick's Festival took place in 1996. Until now, the Saint remains one of the most revered on the Emerald Isle.
Alexey Mikheev
Saint Patrick, the heavenly patron of Ireland, is associated all over the world with noisy street festivities accompanied by the consumption of alcoholic beverages traditional for the country. Parades and music festivals in his honor have been held in the Russian capital for many years. And recently, the Enlightener of Ireland was included in the calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church. Did it add to his popularity and how do Orthodox believers celebrate his day? - in the material of RIA Novosti.
"Patrick is ours!" social networks reacted violently to last year's decision of the Holy Synod. Prior to that, in the Russian Church, St. Patrick was venerated only by individual communities. Now, together with him, 14 more saints who lived in Europe before the split of the one Christian Church into Western and Eastern were canonized.
Non-Russian roots
"Why do we need a Western saint at all?" - this question was asked by many. "He's a Catholic!" some were outraged. Metropolitan of Kaluga and Borovsk Clement tried to dot the i's. He explained that in making the decision, the Synod was guided by evidence of the impeccable confession of the Orthodox faith by these saints, the absence of their names in disputes between Christians of the West and the East, and their contemporary veneration in foreign dioceses of the Russian Church.
“Saint Patrick baptized thousands of people and led Irish kings to faith. We perceive him as Georgians perceive their Saint Nina. Apologists of the so-called Russian Christianity for some reason completely forget that Saint Nicholas was not a Russian person at all,” says the priest of the Russian cathedral Peter and Paul in Dublin, Father Nikolai Evseev.
The Irish, in his opinion, are generally very close to the Russians in spirit - it is easy to communicate with them and immediately find topics for conversation, he adds.
Not beer alone
In Russia, there is not yet a church dedicated to the Apostle of Ireland, or even an icon of him. Yes, and the very day of his memory, the Russian Church celebrates not on March 17, like the Western world, but two weeks later - according to the Julian calendar. But in any case, both of these dates fall on the strict Orthodox days of Great Lent. However, on weekends, the church charter allows you to drink a little wine.
"We'll buy Guinness (the famous Irish beer. - Ed.), cook shrimp and sit after the service. Everything else is for Easter," says the rector of one of the churches near Moscow, who asked not to be named. Shrimp, like other seafood, the Lenten church charter also does not prohibit on weekends.
“Most of those who celebrate this day with beer and festivities are non-church people. And for church people, prayerful veneration of the saint is most important. Unfortunately, this is what is forgotten in the secular tradition: so many videos have been shot and articles written about St. Patrick’s Day, but in there is nothing about why he became a saint,” complains Father Nikolai.
Russians on top of the mountain
However, whether someone likes it or not, St. Patrick's Day has long been a kind of "Ireland day". Partly, according to the Orthodox clergyman, this is due to the ongoing secularization of Europe and the entire Western world. But the Church, traditionally strong on Irish soil, does not give up.
The Russian Orthodox Church respects St. Patrick's Day, but observe fastingSt. Patrick's Day should be treated with respect as a day of remembrance of the saint, which is celebrated in the Western tradition, and as a national Irish holiday, but the Orthodox cannot join in the fun on this day, since they have this time of Great Lent.“At the top of Mount Krokh there is a small chapel, in the summer we serve the liturgy there. Every year more and more people rise with us, although this is not easy for many. But still, for three years we have been maintaining such a pious tradition - we pray where, according to legend, Saint Patrick spent 40 days in prayer before bringing Christianity to the islanders,” says Father Nikolai.
According to another legend, on the top of Krokh, the Enlightener of Ireland prayed before his death, and at the last hour he threw a bell into the air, asking God that faith not dry out in the country. The angels picked up the bell. And they guarded the grave of the saint on the first night.
“Lent is coming to an end, Easter is coming soon. Our church cannot always accommodate everyone who comes on this day. I would like to wish that believers in Russia turn their prayers to the wonderful saints of the Irish land as often as possible,” concludes the priest.
Meanwhile, one of the leading producers of Irish whiskey for St. Patrick's Day announced a private party in Moscow with the participation of a rapper from Australia. The main theme will be "barhopping" - a trip to drinking establishments in the company of friends.
Which is held in honor of the famous patron of this country. According to legend, it was he who brought Christianity to the country, eradicating paganism, and he also drove the snakes off the island. For the Irish, this is a fun, colorful, springtime holiday.
When is Patrick celebrated? This happens in early spring, March 17, when young leaves and grass are especially fresh and green. Although this holiday was originally celebrated only in Ireland, now the tradition is spread all over the world.
A famous joke says: "On this day, anyone who wants to can become an Irishman." What are the customs of this holiday?
The history of the legend
Although it is believed that it was Saint Patrick who Christianized Ireland, there are indications that this religion existed there before him. Moreover, some scientists are generally inclined to believe that St. Patrick is nothing more than a character in legends. It is authentically known that in 373 AD, a boy, Mavin Sukkat, was born in Britain. He was very far from Christianity, but at the age of sixteen he was taken into slavery and taken to Ireland. It was in conditions of severe bondage that he came to religion, and the new faith helped him survive.
When he finally managed to free himself, he left for Gaul, where he became a minister of the church and received the name Patrick. Then he returned to his native country as a missionary, preaching Christianity.
Holiday customs
Despite the fact that, logically, St. Patrick's Day is closely related to Christianity, this holiday is an interweaving of both pagan and Christian traditions. The veneration of the deeds of the saint, for example, can be attributed to climbing Mount Cro-Patrick, on which, according to legend, the saint expelled all the snakes from the country.
Another tribute to Christianity is the decoration of houses and clothes with a green shamrock, which symbolizes the cross.
Folk traditions include the fact that on St. Patrick's Day you need to drink at least a glass of alcohol in an Irish pub, and before that you need to put a shamrock leaf in it. This is called "draining the shamrock". After that, be sure to remove the sheet from the glass and throw it over your left shoulder.
The traditional color of clothing on this day is green. It symbolizes Ireland, spring and the shamrock. In general, the Irish are guided by the rule: the more green - the better! And in Chicago, they even paint the river green every year!
On St. Patrick's Day in Ireland and around the world, massive parades in extravagant costumes are held, in which famous brass bands with bagpipes also take part.
In addition to all this, leprechauns are an invariable image of the holiday - mythical characters, each of which, according to legend, has a bag of gold. But if the gold falls into the wrong hands, it will immediately dissolve into the air, so there is no point in asking or taking away their wealth from the leprechauns. In honor of funny characters, the participants of the holiday always wear tall green top hats.
Festive cuisine
Although St. Patrick's Day falls on Lent, the Irish gorge themselves on meat dishes without violating restrictions. How is this possible? This is another holiday magic. According to Catholic tradition, fish is considered a lenten dish, so there was a belief that Saint Patrick makes the meat put in the pan on this day a fish. So the people are happy, and the fast is not broken.
The traditional dish used to be cabbage with bacon, but later it was replaced by salted meat, which was brought to the Irish by immigrants.
Another characteristic feature is that almost all festive dishes on this day, even sweet ones, are added ... beer!
St. Patrick's Day is not to be missed. If you went out into the street in spring, and everything around is green, beer flows like a river and bagpipes sound loudly - do not hesitate, the favorite holiday of all the Irish has come!
Today the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates for the first time the memory of St. Patrick, Enlightener of Ireland. The news about the inclusion of new saints in the calendars was received ambiguously in Orthodox circles. Let's try to figure out whether we are really talking about the veneration of the "Catholic saint."
At a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on March 9, 2017, 15 saints who labored in the West during the period of the undivided Church, before the division into Orthodox and Catholics, were included in the Russian Menologion. Among this list is the name of the great apostle of Ireland, St. Patrick (Patricius) († after 460). Little is known for certain about his life. The sources for describing his life and deeds are his own writings (“Confession”, “Letter to Koroticus”, the prayer “Shield of St. Patrick” and some others) and poetic hymns written shortly after his death.
Saint Patrick was born in Britain around 383 to the deacon Calpurnius. At the age of 16, he was kidnapped along with many other residents by pirates who took him to Ireland, where they sold him to a landowner who instructed Patrick to guard his herds in the mountains.
The harsh life and close contact with nature turned his heart to God. He spent days and nights in prayer, strengthened by the Holy Spirit. After six years of captivity, by divine command, he escaped and, having traveled more than 320 kilometers at random, boarded a pagan ship. After numerous misadventures, he finally managed to return to his homeland.
Soon after his return, God again called the future educator to the apostolic service in those lands where he was in slavery for some time. Patrick responded to this call and decided to prepare himself for the enlightenment of the Irish barbarians. To do this, he had to complete the church education, which he could not receive in his early youth. He went to Gaul, lived in various monastic centers, including Lerins. He spent about 15 years in Auxerre under the spiritual guidance of Saint Germanus (Comm. 31 July), who ordained him a deacon. After some time, the saint received consecration as a bishop from the hands of Saint Herman, after which his apostolic mission began on the Irish island.
Thanks to his zealous and selfless service to the cause of the gospel, he managed to convert thousands of Irish people to Christ, including rulers and pagan Druid priests. The latter tried to counteract him with the help of witchcraft, but the power of God, acting through St. Patrick, turned their machinations into nothing. Some of them turned to Christ and even became pious presbyters, zealous in enlightening their brethren. Having devoted his life to missionary work in Ireland, Saint Patrick ordained new clerics, founded monasteries, tirelessly preached and defended the common people from oppression. He himself led a strict life, constantly practicing prayer and reading the Holy Scriptures.
His “Confession”, written at the end of life, testifies to his special love for the Word of God. In this short narrative, he explicitly or implicitly refers to the Holy Scriptures approximately two hundred times. He expresses his selflessness and love for Christ in these words: I pray to God that He will give me steadfastness and honor me to be His faithful witness until my death. And if I have ever done anything good for the sake of the God I love, I pray that He will grant me to shed my blood with the exiled and imprisoned for His name, even if I remain unburied, or my worthless body is torn to pieces in shredded by dogs and wild beasts, or destroyed by the birds of the air, for I firmly believe that if this happens, I will save both soul and body. For without any doubt on that [last] day we will rise again in the radiance of the sun, that is, in the glory of Jesus Christ our Redeemer, as children of the living God and joint heirs with Christ, made in his image, and we will reign through him, with him and in Him."
Saint Patrick rested peacefully in the Lord around the year 460 in the town of Saul after many years of apostolic service to the Irish people. Thanks to the work of St. Patrick, Ireland flourished as a Christian land and quite deservedly began to be called the "Isle of Saints." Here he is warmly revered as their chief protector. More than 200 churches are dedicated to St. Patrick. His veneration is widespread throughout the West.
The inclusion of 15 names of saints in the Russian calendar was perceived ambiguously in Orthodox circles. A number of media, both secular and near-church, reported with delight or, on the contrary, indignation about the unheard-of veneration of “Catholic” saints by the Russian Orthodox Church. St. Patrick of Ireland suffered most of all, whom some sources even blasphemously called a blasphemer, seeing Catholic signs in his teaching and life. As the main argument, they claim that allegedly his glorification as a saint began in the Catholic West as early as the 17th century, and the ROC simply recognized Catholic canonization by its decision.
“The tendency to oppose everything Western is not new and is understandable in its own way, but to bring it to such an absurdity that not recognizing the holy saints of God on the grounds that they lived in the West already crosses all boundaries”
Regarding the ancient veneration of St. Patrick, I managed to find a little information, but already this information is quite enough to refute the nonsense being spread. In particular, they write that Catholics began to venerate St. Patrick only in the 17th century. This is a frankly false statement. In ancient times, there was no official canonization procedure. The church community or individual usually received the blessing of the bishop for the preservation of the relics of the saint and for the annual celebration of his memory. Therefore, the saints began to be venerated soon after their repose. Who officially glorified St. Nicholas the Wonderworker? I doubt that anyone will find such a formal definition. Although in the Western Church the veneration of saints was more formalized than in the East, nevertheless, the veneration of individual ascetics began without strict control by church authorities. The first known formal act of establishing veneration is the canonization of St. Ulrich of Augsburg in 993. . So, it is historically incorrect to wait for the decision of some ancient council on the official canonization of ascetics.
So when, then, did the Orthodox Church begin to honor the Irish bishop as a saint?
In addition, more than 2,000 cathedrals and churches around the world are dedicated to him, the most famous of which is St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, built in 1192.
Consequently, the inclusion of St. Patrick in the Monthly Books of the Russian Orthodox Church is not a recognition of Catholic canonization, but a restoration of the unjustly forgotten veneration of him by the Ancient Church.
St. John of Shanghai († 1966), who worked hard to restore the veneration of ancient Western saints, said that many of them, unfortunately, are completely unknown to Russian people. According to him, " the resolutions of the meetings of the Russian elders on the veneration of the saints of the West are by no means their canonization, but the establishment that the aforementioned ascetic was venerated as a saint before the West fell away, and he is a saint revered by the Orthodox Church. The absence of hymns and information about the saint in the East does not mean that his holiness is not recognized there. After all, church services are far from all composed for those revered in the East, for the saints who shone there. For almost every day in the synaxar and the prologue, the memory of saints is indicated, not only to whom the service of that day is dedicated, but also to others. Many saints have not been assigned a special day of remembrance, although they are mentioned in some services, for example, in the service to the Saints who shone in Lent, or they are already known and revered. The lives of martyrs, ascetics and other saints are known only to God. All of them are glorified together in the week of All Saints, as it is said in the synaxar for the same day. Saints, unknown until now (or at present) in the East, but revered within the West, belong to different ages by their earthly life and became famous in different ways... St. Patrick He was distinguished by a very strict life and, like St. Martin, he combined hierarchical labors with monastic exploits. During his lifetime, he became famous for many miracles that contributed to the conversion of the Irish. How a saint is honored from the day of his death, which followed in 491 or 492 with a series of signs testifying to his holiness.
As you have already understood, for St. John the holiness of Patrick and many other Western ascetics did not raise any doubts. He reports the initial veneration of the Irish bishop. The ROCOR Council of Bishops, chaired by St. John, decided to venerate the ancient saints of the Orthodox West (including St. Patrick) so that these the righteous were revered by the entire Orthodox Church, and its faithful members would turn to them in their prayers.
By the way, the most ancient life of St. Patrick (the end of the 7th century) was published in Russian in the book by G. Bondarenko “The Daily Life of the Ancient Celts” (see the appendix to the book). Well, this is for those who still strongly doubt that he was revered in antiquity.
In addition, many Orthodox Western saints were not known and revered in the East, which in no way detracts from their holiness. For example, Blessed Augustine, whom the Fifth Ecumenical Council placed among the twelve most authoritative teachers of the Church, began to be revered in the East after the schism with the Catholics (apparently, only in the 19th century). His memory is not even in the Typicon, which does not prevent us from honoring him as an Orthodox saint.
For some reason, violent outrage began only now, despite the fact that St. Patrick and many other Western ascetics have long been revered as locally venerated saints of the ROC MP (in particular, St. Patrick in the Diocese of Sourozh and in the parishes of the ROC in the USA) and in the Orthodox Church of Constantinople . His name is listed in the Great Synaxar of the Greek Church. Temples are built in his honor in the Antiochian Orthodox Church. It's just that local veneration has become general church, as it happens with other saints.
In addition, on August 21, 2007, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church established the day of the Cathedral Memory of the saints who shone in the land of Britain and Ireland, on the third Sunday after the feast of the Trinity. Although the saints are not listed here by name, among the Irish saints the enlightener of this country cannot but be implied.
Someone began to write that this step of the Holy Synod would encourage drunkenness, which in the West and in Russia accompanies the feast of St. Patrick. In my opinion, this is quite a stupid argument. Who needs to find a reason to drink, he will find it without any canonizations. At this rate, all church holidays can be canceled in general. The Church celebrates the memory of the saints traditionally - with a divine service, I don’t think that in this case it will be different. The Church glorified the saint, and did not legalize the commercial celebration under his name. Yes, I don’t think that services will be served for him in many parishes: the memory of St. Alexis, the man of God, which is also celebrated on March 30, is more familiar to the Russian Orthodox person.
In the glorification of long-forgotten saints, someone can see ecumenical politics or the imposition of Western values - you can come up with as many explanations as you like, fortunately, our people like it to be more terrible. Personally, I see in this, together with St. John of Shanghai, the restoration of historical justice and the opportunity to rejoice at the thought that we have several more intercessors before God. The search for negativity in everything seems to me a sign of spiritual ill health, so I urge you to better pray and honor the memory of the great apostle of Ireland, St. Patrick, whose feast day we remember today.
Happy Feast of Saint Patrick, brothers and sisters!
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