Legacy Of Saint Patrick example essay topic

Saint Patrick's birth is the most important event in the medieval era. The goal of this essay is to show and prove why Saint Patrick is the most important figure in the medieval era. Saint Patrick is the most important figure in the medieval era because even today, everyone who is anyone knows who St. Patrick is. Whether this is because he is the reason for the day that everyone is Irish or not, one can not deny that he has had a widespread influence on the world.

St. Patrick is one of Christianity's most widely known figures. But for all his popularity, his life is a mystery to most people. Many of the stories traditionally associated with St. Patrick are false, the products of years of exaggerated storytelling. The second paragraph of this paper will discuss the life of Saint Patrick. The third paragraph of this paper will discuss Saint Patrick's Day. The fourth paragraph of this paper will discuss the legacy of Saint Patrick.

The fifth and final paragraph of this paper will be the summary. Most people think of Saint Patrick as the dead Irish guy who we get a day of school off for and an excuse to go to the pub. But this is not at all who Saint Patrick was. This paper will explain who he really was and much more. Saint Patrick lived a long and eventful life.

Dying at the age of 72, Saint Patrick was born in Ireland, but in Britain to wealthy parents. Patrick's father was a Christian deacon. It has been suggested that he took on the role of Deacon for tax incentives and there is no evidence that Patrick came from a particularly religious family. At the age of 16, Patrick was captured by the Irish who were raiding Britain. He was brought to Northern Ireland and sold as a slave. Patrick was put to work taking care of sheep.

During his captivity, he was away from people in the fields, therefore he was lonely and afraid, and he turned to religion for comfort. After more than six years as a prisoner, Patrick escaped. According to his writing, a voice-which he believed to be God's-spoke to him in a dream, telling him it was time to leave Ireland. To do so, Patrick walked nearly 200 miles from County Mayo to the Irish coast. After returning home, he had another revelation. This time in the form of an angel that tells him to return to Ireland as a missionary.

After this, Patrick went to Gaul where he studied, was ordained to the deaconate, and spent 15 years in the church of Auxerre. After a previous attempt at becoming a bishop, Patrick was ordained a bishop and headed for Ireland. In Ireland, Patrick preached and taught the Irish about God. Patrick incorporated traditional rituals into his teachings. For instance, he used bonfires to celebrate Easter since the Irish were used to honoring their gods with fire. He also put a sun, a powerful Irish symbol, onto the Christian cross to create what is now called a Celtic cross, so that the symbol would seem more natural to the Irish.

Before Patrick, the Irish practiced a nature-based religion. The Irish culture centered on a rich tradition of oral legend and myth. His life was obviously very intriguing, exciting and influential. Saint Patrick was so important that he got a day named after him and an annual celebration in his honor. Regardless of heritage, one is most likely very aware of St. Patrick's Day, the traditional Irish holiday celebrated yearly and worldwide (wherever there are Irish) on March 17th. Saint Patrick's Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck.

Most importantly, to those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick's Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide. Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17 because that is supposedly the day that he died. On Saint Patty's Day in Ireland, virtually everything but pubs shut down and is observed as a legal holiday. Being a religious holiday as well, many Irish attend mass. The most prominent symbol associated with St. Patrick's Day is the shamrock, a variety of clover.

Patrick himself adopted the shamrock, a plant held sacred by the Celtic Druids, to signify the Holy Trinity and demonstrate it for the unconverted Irish. The celebration in the United States can be traced to the days when Irish immigrants were discriminated against and persecuted, and the occasion is used as a public display of pride in Irish culture and roots. The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place on the streets of New York City on March 17, 1762 and consisted of the Irish soldiers serving in the British military. Along with grand parades that are held in most major cities in the United States, St. Patrick's Day is commemorated with the wearing of green, which symbolizes the rejuvenation of spring as well as Irish roots, and the consumption of green beer and an evening of active barhopping. On Saint Patrick's Day, the day when everyone is Irish, think for a minute about the true meaning of St. Patrick's Day. Saint Patrick left behind quite a legacy.

Saint Patrick first and most importantly, converted Ireland to Christianity. This was a great big deal because millions and millions of people are Christians, including St. John's, which is Catholic. If Saint Patrick had not converted Ireland to Christianity, Christianity might not be as widespread as it is today. Saint Patrick also created the Celtic cross which is a beautiful rendition of a cross. Of course, we can not forget good old Saint Patrick's Day! Saint Patrick was indubitably the most important and influential person of the medieval era.

In the body of this paper, the topics discussed were the life of Saint Patrick, Saint Patrick's Day, and the legacy of Saint Patrick. Without Saint Patrick in history, how do you think the spreading of Christianity would have been affected? Saint Patrick is a great religious figure who should and will always be remembered.