Saint Patrick, beloved by everyone

Dear friends of Training Centre Raya, the upcoming day of Saint Patrick is important not only for the Irish but for the whole United Kingdom. Beloved by everyone and celebrated on 17 March, Saint Patrick deserves an article with which we hope to spark your curiosity and to help you during the process of learning English. Thanks to our devoted teachers, this process will be easy and enjoyable.
Actually, St. Patrick was not officially canonized because he was born before the introduction of canonization by the Catholic Church. Nevertheless, he is recognized as a saint and is revered along with the apostles of both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
Patrick was born in Roman Britain. His father, Calpurnius, was a senator and collector of state taxes, and his grandfather, Potitus, was a priest. There are various theories about his birthplace and about the century in which he was born. Some believe he came into this world in Glannoventa, today’s Ravenglass, Cumbria; others think he was born in Carlisle or Birdoswald. He certainly lived in the 5th century AD, but researchers say he may have been born in the late 4th century. AD
We learn about his life and his work from two texts: “Declaration” (Confessio lat.), written by his own hand; and “Letter to the soldiers of Coroticus”. According to the story, at the age of 16, he was abducted from his home by Irish pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland. We know from other sources that there was a slave market in Ireland that encouraged people trafficking for centuries. Young Patrick had to take care of his owner’s cattle for six years before he was given the chance to escape and return to his family. Back in Britain, he followed his grandfather’s vocation and became a priest. For his mission, the saint chose to baptise the Irish, who, at that time, professed polytheism.
Returning to their lands, he began to preach Christianity carefully and tactfully, without compromising the previous beliefs of the population. An example of this is one of the symbols of St. Patrick – the Celtic Cross. At that time, the Irish were worshiping the Sun and were depicting it as a circle. It is said that instead of denying it, St. Patrick simply inscribed the sign of the cross in the circle and the result was the familiar Irish Christian symbol – a cross surrounded by a circle.
There are numerous legends about St. Patrick and his deeds. Some of them testify to his miraculous skills. One time he kindled an unquenchable fire and another time he turned himself and his companion into a deer and a fawn, in order to escape an ambush, set by their enemies on the way to preaching. The most famous story, however, which has a symbolic meaning, is about the expulsion of snakes from Ireland. The pagan priests, the Druids, had the serpent as their symbol. This allegory does not address the lack of reptiles in the Irish lands, but rather the victory of Christianity.
Dear friends, switch between the Bulgarian and English versions of our blog and see how this text is translated into the language you are learning! May St. Patrick’s day bring you health and joy!
Author: Iveta Radeva