Weekly Message

March 17th 2024 – St. Patrick’s Day

 

This Sunday evening at Elstow Abbey we will have a Choral Evensong to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.

St. Patrick wasn’t born in Ireland he was born in Roman-Britain circa 386 A.D. He didn’t arrive in Ireland until 433.  St. Patrick died in 461 in Saul, County Down, at the fine old age of (roughly) 75.

St. Patrick isn’t technically a saint nor was Patrick his real name!

While he’s been given the title in popular lore, St. Patrick was never actually officially canonised as a saint. St. Patrick’s real name was ‘Maewyn Succat’. The best of luck pronouncing that! He changed his name to Patrick when he became a monk.

The first St. Patrick’s Day parade wasn’t held in Ireland – it was held in Boston in the United States in 1737. To this day some of the biggest St Patrick Day parades take place in the USA. The largest one in the world takes place in New York City. The parade attracts a staggering two million+ people every year. The very first St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland was held in County Waterford in 1903.

The tradition of drinking to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day is said to have started with the saint himself, who announced that everybody should have ‘a drop of the hard stuff’ after an innkeeper was less than forthcoming with a bottle of whisky. While there was a brief period where drinking on St. Patrick’s Day was banned, the tradition has since returned in full force.

Sláinte

Fr. Paul

Team Rector,
Elstow Abbey & Elstow Team Ministry.
Assistant Area Dean of BedfordAbbey Vicarage
Church End
Elstow
Bedford MK42 9XT

01234 261477

07711098209

vicar@elstow-abbey.org.uk

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