Happy St. Paddy's Day!

This from St. Patricks Day.com:
Saint Patrick is believed to have been born in the late fourth century, and is often confused with Palladius, a bishop who was sent by Pope Celestine in 431 to be the first bishop to the Irish believers in Christ.

Saint Patrick was the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland who is credited with bringing christianity to Ireland. Most of what is known about him comes from his two works, the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Epistola, a denunciation of British mistreatment of Irish christians.

Saint Patrick described himself as a “most humble-minded man, pouring forth a continuous paean of thanks to his Maker for having chosen him as the instrument whereby multitudes who had worshipped idols and unclean things had become the people of God.”

Saint Patrick is most known for driving the snakes from Ireland. It is true there are no snakes in Ireland, but there probably never have been - the island was separated from the rest of the continent at the end of the Ice Age. As in many old pagan religions, serpent symbols were common and often worshipped. Driving the snakes from Ireland was probably symbolic of putting an end to that pagan practice. While not the first to bring christianity to Ireland, it is Patrick who is said to have encountered the Druids at Tara and abolished their pagan rites. The story holds that he converted the warrior chiefs and princes, baptizing them and thousands of their subjects in the “Holy Wells” that still bear this name.

There are several accounts of Saint Patrick’s death. One says that Patrick died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, on March 17, 460 A.D. His jawbone was preserved in a silver shrine and was often requested in times of childbirth, epileptic fits, and as a preservative against the “evil eye.” Another account says that St. Patrick ended his days at Glastonbury, England and was buried there. The Chapel of St. Patrick still exists as part of Glastonbury Abbey.

Lent Exception
Interestingly enough I heard on the radio that the bishops have said that it is okay for Catholics to eat meat today - eventhough it's a Friday in Lent.

However, I'm not sure it is goes beyond enjoying eating more that the traditional St. Paddy's Corned Beef & Cabbage or not.

It seems that not all Bishops have said that it's okay, although it seems the overwhelming majority in the US do (and I would suspect in Ireland too). There's no papal directive on this apparently and since eating meat on a Friday during lent is not considered a "mortal" sin by the Catholic Church, exceptions (and presumablely edicts from the bishops) can be made.

My catholic friends at work aren't buying this though...but none are Irish!

Photo from Barking Moonbat