March 17 is the Feast Day of Saint Patrick, one of the Church’s great evangelizing saints. 

Although he is the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick was actually born in Roman Britain in the fifth century. When he was a teenager, he was captured by Irish raiders and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep.  It was during this time, that he discovered his own faith, finding strength through his relationship with God.

Saint Patrick’s enslavement lasted for six years until he had a dream in which he was told to escape by going by way of the coast.  He successfully made it back to Britain, but after a few years, he had a vision in which a man came to him from Ireland and gave him a letter with the heading ‘"The Voice of the Irish."  In his spiritual autobiography, the Confessio, Saint Patrick said that, at that moment, he heard the Irish people crying out, "We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us."

It led Patrick to further his education and study for the priesthood.  He would later be ordained a bishop and was appointed as successor to Saint Palladius, the first bishop of Ireland.   Saint Patrick spent the rest of his life bringing the Good News of the Gospel to the people of Ireland, which was a pagan country at the time.  He is believed to have used the three leaves of the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity, and the shamrock remains associated with the saint and the Trinity to this day.

The prayer “Breastplate” is attributed to Saint Patrick.  It reads in part: "Christ be within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ inquired, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger."

Saint Patrick died on March 17, 461. He is now the patron saint of Ireland and is known as the Apostle of Ireland.

Saint Patrick and the Diocese of Portland

The feast day holds special significance in the Diocese of Portland because St. Patrick, along with St. Jean Baptiste, is a secondary patron of the Diocese of Portland, chosen because French missionaries and, later, French and Irish immigrants brought the Catholic faith to Maine and helped it take root and grow. Saint Patrick Church in Newcastle was the first church in the country named for Saint Patrick. It was dedicated by Father Jean-Louis Lefebvre de Cheverus on July 17, 1808, a year before the cornerstone was laid for Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. The original Saint Patrick Church has been in continual use longer than any other Catholic church in New England.

Maine Celebrations

Saturday, March 14

All Saints Parish, Brunswick

A St. Patrick's Day Party and Dance will be held on Saturday, March 14, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at St. Charles Borromeo Church, 132 McKeen Street in Brunswick. The celebration will include live music, dancing, kids' games and crafts, along with desserts, coffee, tea, and punch. A free will offering will be taken. All proceeds benefit All Saints Parish Youth Ministry.

Our Lady of Hope Parish, Portland

The Knights of Columbus will hold their traditional St. Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage dinner on Saturday, March 14, in the St. Pius X Hall, 492 Ocean Avenue in Portland. The dinner starts at 6 p.m. Two hundred tickets will be available and can be purchased after Masses and at the parish office. The price is $25 per dinner and dessert.

Also, the Knights of Columbus are again sponsoring the St. Patrick's Day Big Raffle to benefit their charitable works. Tickets are $100 each and only $200 tickets will be sold. The grand prize is $5,000. If you would like a raffle ticket, please call Jim Pizzo at 207-772-1391. The drawing for the $100 raffle will take place after the St. Patrick’s Dinner. You do not need to be present to win.

Parish of the Holy Eucharist, Falmouth

A St. Patrick's Day potluck dinner will be held on Saturday, March 14, at Holy Martyrs of North America Church, 266 Foreside Road in Falmouth. Donations will be accepted at the door with all proceeds benefitting our diocesan seminarians. Bring a dish to share if you wish.

St. Matthew Parish, Limerick

With St. Patrick's Day approaching, join St. Matthew Parish for its 3rd annual corned beef dinner and silent auction on March 14 at St. Matthew Church, 19 Dora Lane in Limerick. Enjoy a delicious meal, browse great auction items, and support our community with an evening of food, fun, and fellowship. Prices are $15/adult, $7/child, or $35/family. All are welcome!

St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish, Norway

On March 14 from 5-7 p.m., the Knights of Columbus are sponsoring a St. Patrick’s Day dinner of corned beef and cabbage, potatoes, carrots, drinks, and desserts in the parish hall of St Catherine of Sienna Church, 32 Paris Street in Norway. Donations are welcome to support Knights of Columbus charitable causes.

Sunday, March 15

Parish of the Precious Blood, Caribou

The Daughters of Isabella will hold their annual St. Patrick's fundraising dinner on Sunday, March 15, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 260 Main Street in Fort Fairfield. The Irish boiled dinner will feature ham and all the fixings. There will also be music, singing, raffles, a door prize, a bake sale, and a craft sale. The cost is $12 for adults and $6 for children aged 12 and under.

St. Joseph Parish, Farmington

A St. Patrick's Day Dinner will be served on Sunday, March 15, at noon in the St. Joseph's Center, next to St. Joseph Church, 133 Middle Street in Farmington. Paul and Alice from Thomson Tunes will lead a folk music jam. Bring your instruments.

Tuesday, March 17

All Saints Parish, Brunswick

A St. Patrick's Day Dinner will be held on March 17 at St. Patrick Church, 380 Academy Hill Road in Newcastle. The dinner will feature corned beef or chicken, vegetables, Irish soda bread, an dessert. There will be entertainment following the dinner. Tickets will be sold before and after Masses at St. Patrick Church.

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Portland

Bishop James Ruggieri will preside at a special Mass for St. Patrick's Day at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception at 12:15 p.m. on March 17. Bishop Emeritus Robert Deeley will offer the homily.

St. Mary of the Visitation Parish, Houlton

The Knights of Columbus will host a St. Patrick's Day Dinner on Tuesday, March 17, 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., in St. Anthony's Hall of St. Mary of the Visitation Parish, 112 Military Street in Houlton. Enjoy your choice of corned beef or turkey will all the fixings, along with dessert. The cost is $20 for adults, $15 for students, and $40 for a family of four or more. Takeout will be available.