ST.
PATRICK’S DAY
Apostle of Ireland,
born at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in Scotland,
in the year 387 AD; died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland,
17 March, 493 AD. Some sources say 460 or 461.
Use the 15 words to complete the story about the patron saint of Ireland.
He
had for his parents Calphurnius and Conchessa. The
former belonged to a (1)____________ (ROME) family of high rank and held the office of decurio in Gaul or Britain. Conchessa was a near relative of the great patron of Gaul, St. Martin of Tours.
In his sixteenth year, Patrick was
carried off into (2)____________ (CAPTIVE)
by Irish marauders and was sold as a slave to a chieftan named Milchu in Dalriada, a territory
of the present county of Antrim in Ireland, where for six years he tended his master's flocks in
the valley of the Braid and on the slopes of Slemish, near the modern town of
Ballymena.
These six years in Ireland became a
remote (3)____________ (PREPARE) for his
future (4)____________ (APOSTLE). He acquired
a perfect (5)____________ (KNOW) of the (6)____________ (CELT)
tongue in which he
would one day announce the glad tidings of (7)____________ (REDEEM)
,
and, as his master Milchu was a Druid high priest,he became familiar with all the details of (8)____________ (DRUID)
from whose (9)____________ (BOND)
he was destined to
liberate the Irish race.
After six years he (10)____________ (FLEE)
from his cruel master
and bent his steps towards the west. He relates in his "Confessio"
that he had to travel about 200 miles; and his journey was probably towards Killala Bay and onwards thence to Westport. He found a ship and
was allowed on board. In a few days he was among his friends once more in Britain, but now his heart was set on (11)____________ (DEVOTION) himself to the service of God in the sacred ministry.
Patrick's thoughts turned towards Ireland, and from time to time he was favoured with visions of the children from Focluth who cried to him:
"O holy youth, come back to Erin, and walk once more amongst us."
Pope St. Celestine I(12)____________
(TRUST)
St. Patrick with the mission of gathering the Irish race into the one fold of Christ.
On March 17th people
celebrate this (13)____________ (FESTIVE),
and
they wear green garments; some women wear green ribbons in their hair. People
who don’t wear green (14)____________ (CLOTHES)
get
pinched as (15)____________ (PUNISH).
People also wear shamrocks, which are a symbol of Ireland. As well, there are
parades on the streets, and in Chicago the river is dyed green.
KEY
1. Roman
3. preparation
4. apostolate
5. knowledge
6. Celtic
7. redemption
8. druidism
9. bondage
10. fled
11. devoting
12. entrusted
13. festivity
14. clothing
15. punishment
