The Confession of St. Patrick
Overview
“I am Patrick, a sinner, the most unschooled and least of all the faithful, and utterly despised by many,” was the first sentence St. Patrick penned of his Confession—the autobiography of his life and missionary journeys. Over the past centuries, various writers have quoted from St. Patrick’s Confession, finding encouragement in its many lessons of faith and humility. The Confession of St. Patrick is a translation of St. Patrick’s famous Confession from its original Latin. It includes an extensive introduction and notes, as well as an explanation of the translation process Thomas Olden underwent.
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- Translation of Confession from its original Latin
- Extensive introduction and notes
- Explanation of the translation process
- Of St. Patrick’s Birth and Captivity, and of this Confession
- Having Escaped from Slavery, by Flight, He Returns to His Country
- Of His Calling into Ireland, and of Many Impediments
- The Fruits of His Mission
- He Declares with How Much Disinterestedness He Had Preached the Gospel
Top Highlights
“I Patrick,a a sinner, the rudest and the least of all the faithful, and an object of the greatest contempt to many,” (Page 43)
“The worship of the sun, which was almost universal in early times, held a prominent place among the religious rites of the ancient Irish.” (Page 11)
“But I was animated by the hope of immortality, to guard myself cautiously in all things, so that they should not find me unfaithful, even in a tittle, and that I should not give room to the unbelievers, even in the least, to defame or detract from the ministry of my service.” (Page 73)
“Christ be with me; Christ before me; Christ after me; Christ in me; Christ under me; Christ over me; Christ at my right; Christ at my left; Christ at this side; Christ at that side; Christ at my back; Christ be in the heart of each person whom I speak to; Christ in the mouth of each person who speaks to me; Christ in each eye which sees me; Christ in each ear which hears me. At Tara, to-day, I invoke the mighty power of the Trinity. I believe in the Trinity, under the unity of the God of the elements: Salvation is the Lord’s, salvation is the Lord’s; salvation is Christ’s. May thy salvation, O Lord, be always with us.’” (Pages 28–29)
“And there the Lord brought me to a sense of my unbelief,* that I might, even at a late season, call my sins to remembrance, and turn with all my heart to the Lord my God, who regarded my low estate, and, taking pity on my youth and ignorance, guarded me, before I understood anything, or had learned to distinguish between good and evil, and strengthened and comforted me as a father does his son.” (Page 44)
- Title: The Confession of St. Patrick
- Author: Thomas Olden
- Publisher: James McGlashan
- Publication Date: 1853
- Pages: 78
Thomas Olden (1823–1900) was the rector of Ballyclogh 1868–1899, Cork, Ireland. He attended Trinity College in Dublin and received a BA, MA, BD, and honorary DD. An Irish Anglican writer, he wrote over 60 entries, mostly on Irish saints.
About St. Patrick
St. Patrick was one of the great missionaries of Europe and lived a truly extraordinary life. He was a Romano-Briton Christian, born in the mid-fourth century during the decline of Roman rule in the Britain. At the age of 16 he was captured by pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland. During his six years in captivity he learned the Irish language and culture. After escaping back to Britain, Patrick entered the Church and was ordained a bishop. With true love for the people of Ireland, Patrick returned to the place of his captivity as a missionary. He preaching the Gospel throughout Ireland for the last 15 years or so of his life and died around 440. By the sixth century, with the conversion of Ireland largely complete, Patrick was recognized as the island’s patron saint. His work had a profound impact on the history of Christianity in Europe, because Irish missionaries to continental Europe during the sixth and seventh centuries were instrumental in the conversion of the Barbarian tribes who had dismembered the Roman Empire.
