St. Patrick's Cross
Many crosses in the name of Saint Patrick have a Celtic design, since that design was vogue when Patrick journeyed to Ireland in the 5th Century. However, the old flag for Ireland, named after St. Patrick, has a completely different cross. Who was St. Patrick? And why was the red saltire chosen?
St. Patrick
St. Patrick's Cross
Patrick was born in Kilpatrick, Scotland (other accounts say somewhere in England or Wales), in the year 387 (or 371 by other accounts). He lived a remarkably long life; some sources say he was 73 when he died, others say he was 106, and yet other accounts age him to 122! Interestingly, there were no McDonalds hamburgers in those days. Coincidence?
Patrick's father, Calphurnius, was from a high ranking Roman family. With this relatively wealthy background, Patrick must have been fit and healthy as a young man, which may have been the reason for Patrick's kidnapping by an Irish gang who sold him as a slave to a pagan chieftain in Dalriada (now County Antrim), the north-eastern coast of Ireland.
For six years, he tended livestock for his master, which gave him plenty of time to pray and exercise the Christian faith his parents had nurtured in him. He grew strong spiritually, mastered the local Celtic language, and also became familiar with Druidism from which later he would convert the people of Ireland.
After six years, he sneaked away and managed to board a ship back to Britain. There, rather than return to his home, he became a student of the bishop St. Germain for some years and joined in his missionary work. Eventually he became a priest and Pope Celestine gave him the task of converting the Irish to Christianity. In fact another missionary called Palladius had already tried that, but was beaten back by the chieftain of Wicklow. Bishop Germain told the Pope that Patrick was the man for the job. Patrick was given a new name by the Pope: Patercius meaning 'father of his people'.
By the time he reached Ireland, Patrick was already about 45 years old. At that age is must have been physically daunting to take on the aggressive Druids. So he adopted a more gentle approach to his mission. First, he went back to the area where he had been a slave. There, he paid a ransom for his own release and forgave his former master for the cruelty he had endured. This must have been good gossip material at the local markets.
Patrick's meek reputation soon spread, so that where-ever he journeyed, people knew this was a gentle man of God and he was respected. Not by everyone, of course. Those in power were afraid that this new religion would weaken their authority and wealth. One such chieftain was called Dichu. On a journey to Slemish, Patrick bumped into Dichu, who saw the saint as a puny man and easy to overcome. Dichu drew his sword to slay Patrick, but his arm froze in mid air! He could not move and begged for Patrick's forgiveness. The paralysis softened and Dichu was converted. Later, he built a monastery on his land. (Monastery - a home for unmarried fathers?!)
This is one of several early miracles attributed to Patrick, and he did not stop there. All his life, this missionary went around spreading the word of God. It wasn't always easy; he had to negotiate several arrests, but he never tired. When he wasn't preaching, he was praying. One by one, he converted the pagan leaders to Christianity, and the people followed.
One day, in 433, Dichu told Patrick that the chieftains of Erin had been summoned to celebrate a special pagan Easter Sunday feast at Tara by Leoghaire, the Supreme Monarch of Ireland. The aim was to muster strength against this new and threatening religion of Christianity. Patrick saw this as a golden opportunity to preach to so many chieftains, and even the king himself. At once, Patrick set off to meet the challenge.
Patrick gave such an impression that from that day forward, Ireland became a nation of people who followed the Christian faith.
One story tells how, at the Easter Sunday feast at Tara, Patrick bent down to pluck a shamrock from the sward and used it to illustrate how the three leaves joined together on a single stem represented the Trinity joined together in the Godhead.
Then there's the lovely story of Patrick's chauffeur, or rather charioteer, named Odhran. In the region of Kildare and Queen's was a chieftain who used to worship Crom Cruach, an enormous demon idol made of stone and gold. Feared by all, Crom Cruach could only be appeased by sacrificing children on Samain (1st November) in return for milk and corn, and the good weather that insured the fertility of cattle and crops. The chieftain was pretty peeved to find out that Patrick had destroyed the idol. He vowed revenge on Patrick and plotted to lie in wait for the saint and murder him.
Odhran overheard this plot, and thought of a plan to save his master.
Before embarking on a journey that would take Patrick into the ambush, Odhran asked Patrick if they could change places for the day; for Patrick to become the driver and Odhran to sit as passenger in the cart. Patrick agreed to this strange request, and they set off.
No sooner as they started, the chieftain's men attacked. They killed Odhran in the cart, believing him to be Patrick. Odhran saved Patrick's life by sacrificing his own. Thus he became a martyr - and we have the basis for another story.
Patrick was therefore able to continue on his mission, through into his old age, converting the chieftains who were then followed by their subjects. In the stone fort Cashel in Munster, the traditional place for coronations, Patrick baptized the Munster king's son, Aengus. During the ceremony, old Patrick leaned on his crosier for support and in doing so, accidentally pierced the young prince's foot. Aengus, believing this to be part of the ceremony, simply gritted his teeth and took the pain like a prince should. At the end of the baptism, Patrick noticed the blood and admired the prince's courage. With the bloodied end of his staff, Patrick drew a red cross on the king's shield, telling him the sign should be a symbol of courage for all to witness.
Patrick is credited with miracles in healing the sick and even resuscitating the dead. He ordained innumerable priests and consecrated no fewer than 350 bishops. He continued his work until he had completed his triumph over Paganism and converted the Irish to Christianity. His work completed, he died around 450 (by some accounts, 461 on others, or on 17 March 493 by yet other accounts. This day gives us St. Patrick's Day.) Whatever the actual year was, Patrick was elevated to sainthood for his Divine supernatural gifts by the local diocese soon after he died. (Cannonisation of saints by the pope did not begin until 993.)
But referring back to the previous paragraph about the bloodied cross traced on the king's shield...
St. Patrick's Cross
St. Andrew's Cross
Scotland
St. Patrick's Cross
Ireland
St. George's Cross
England
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Union Flag
The red saltire on a white ground probably comes from the Duke of Leinster's coat of arms.
As an honour to senior Irish peers, the Most Illustrious Order of Saint Patrick was founded in 1783 by King George III. From that date, until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922, the official flag used to symbolise Ireland was a red saltire on white ground and known as St. Patrick's cross. The design was the heraldic arms of the highest-ranking member of the Irish aristocracy and founding member of the Order, the Duke of Leinster.
The red saltire is also used for the flag of the American State of Alabama, on the old Spanish Cross flag of Burgundy (1506-1785) and on the current flag of Jersey (which also includes the arms of Jersey). St. Patrick has no particular connection with this small island to the south-west of Britain. The traditional belief is that Jersey, along with its neighbouring islands, was granted neutrality by Papal Bull during one of the dozen or so wars between England and France. Since Jersey was able to trade freely with both sides, they rotated the English St. George's Cross to form a red saltire, thereby differentiating their ships from English ships.
The saltire is used on many other national flags. As a white cross on a blue ground, it is known as St. Andrew's Cross and seen on the flag of Scotland. This was merged with the St. Patrick's Cross and England's St. George's Cross, to make the United Kingdom's Union Flag ('Union Jack').
Whilst Patrick did much of his ministry in Ulster, he is a Catholic saint and therefore shunned by many Loyalists in Ulster. Rather than the St. Patrick's Cross, they prefer the Orange Cross.
-Main source: New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia
-See also St. Brighid's Cross
-Short History Channel video: http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/stpatricksday/?page=video.
