In praise of Saint Patrick, the man, the saint, and the apostle of the Irish.
Jesuit priest Father Shaw reflects on the life and legacy of Saint Patrick. He describes Patrick as an apostle of the Irish, the slave boy who returned to captivate his captors.
A humble man, Saint Patrick professed his loneliness, lack of learning and unworthiness. However, with the possible exception of Moses, no man has made such an impression on a people.
As a man, a saint, an apostle, he must clearly be numbered among the great.
As a great missionary and organiser, he enlightened through his missionary efforts. He is described as a man of warm human feelings, who can shed tears of gratitude at the thought of what God has achieved through him.
Describing himself as a slave of God, Saint Patrick attributed everything to God.
A national apostle, a symbol of nationhood, who abandoned his own people and his own nation.
'Talk on Saint Patrick’ was recorded on 10 March 1950.
From the RTÉ Archives Acetate Disc Collection which has been digitised with the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) Archiving Scheme.
