St. Patrick, the Great Pro-Life Warrior

By Michele Mason

hen the great St. Patrick is mentioned, what thoughts come to mind? Chasing the snakes out of Ireland? Using the three-leaf clover to teach about the Trinity? The fact that he was a bishop? How about St. Patrick as a pro-life warrior?

That thought probably didn’t come to mind. However, St. Patrick was one of the greatest pro-life warriors in history. Why?

Let’s begin by looking back at pagan Ireland. Ireland in the 5th century may have looked a bit like the world we live in today. Pagan Ireland was filled with the worship of false gods, human sacrifice, and slavery (much like our culture today, filled with false gods, abortion, euthanasia, and human trafficking). St. Patrick fought all these evils, and we are called to do the same today.

Here are just a few ways St. Patrick was pro-life and what steps we can take to follow his example:

1. Listen to the cry of the preborn.

After St. Patrick escaped slavery and was back in England, he kept hearing the voice of the Irish calling him back. In fact, in one dream or vision, he said, “All the children of Ireland in their mother’s wombs were stretching out their hands.”

They cried out to St. Patrick while still in their mother’s wombs!

Just like St. Patrick, preborn babies are calling for us from their mother’s wombs as well. They are calling for us to come back and pray and witness on the sidewalk near Planned Parenthood, to help save them and their parents.

2. Have Patience.

St. Patrick knew God was calling him back to Ireland, but he didn’t rush to go back. He waited for God’s timing. Just think, if he had rushed back, he would not have been prepared to meet the needs of the Irish people. He escaped Ireland when he was 22 and didn’t go back until he was in his 40s or 50s (and was a bishop).

Like St. Patrick, we also need to be patient and wait for God’s timing. We don’t often see anything happening when we pray on the sidewalk near the abortion clinic, and sometimes we get discouraged. However, imagine in heaven when God will reveal to us how many lives were saved because of us being on the sidewalk, and how many moms and dads were saved from despair. God will show us how our witness impacted all of history! We will be in awe! Just be patient and trust.

3. Know that we don’t do this alone.

St. Patrick literally brought with him an army. He didn’t bring the kind of army we typically think of, but he brought priests, judges, smiths, soldiers, cooks, gardeners, brewers, farmers, masons, carpenters, brick layers, artists, tailors, poets, and musicians. All of them were needed and they supported each other.

St. Patrick reminds us we cannot do this alone. We need each other for encouragement and friendship. We need those in various fields of work to live the pro-life mission in their career fields: Teachers, doctors, nurses, moms and dads, carpenters, artists, musicians and so on.

4. Pray and ask St. Patrick to intercede for us to end abortion.

St. Patrick and his army built hundreds of churches. Wherever they pitched camp, a new church was built, and a parish was established. Patrick would assign a priest to the parish and would give him a bell to call the people to prayer. Through the prayers and actions of St. Patrick and his army, God brought about an end to slavery and human sacrifice in Ireland.

God will do the same for us. He will end slavery and human sacrifice. We need to continue to pray and fast and ask for the intercession of Mother Mary, St. Patrick, and the other saints and angels.

5. Persevere!

St. Patrick was imprisoned, almost killed many times, went hungry, and went through horrendous trials we can’t even imagine. When he was near death, Patrick went up to the mountain to do penance and pray. He told God he would not come down from the mountain until God promised to help the Irish people.

The sidewalk near Planned Parenthood is our mountain. We can never give up fighting for the preborn. We can never give up on the redemption of their moms and dads. We won’t give up until our prayers of an abortion free city, state, country, and world are answered.

6. Have faith and trust in God.

While on the mountain, demons attacked Patrick in the form of black birds of prey. They covered the whole mountain in such swarms that he could not see anything, not the mountain, not the ocean. Patrick would ring his bell and throw his bell at them to drive them away.

While it is usually peaceful at the sidewalk, occasionally things have happened (eggs thrown, shouting…) God will protect us from evil.

7. Practice sacrificial love.

St. Patrick loved the Irish people so much, he sacrificed for them, he cared for them. We need to ask God to give us a great love for the preborn babies and their parents, a great love like St. Patrick had for the Irish people.

For more information on the life of St. Patrick, watch the video from Fr. Chris Alar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9iRzGqEed0&list=PLqz7fTVUfJikTb_4Cl8Nq5xtgfGOxGxKM&ab_channel=DivineMercy.

Finally, here is some St. Patrick Day trivia. How well do you know St. Patrick — true or false? (Answers below)

1. St. Patrick’s real name was Maewyn Succot.

2. St Patrick was born in Ireland.

3. St. Patrick’s father was a deacon in the Catholic Church, but Patrick was not a believer.

4. Patrick was captured by Irish raiders when he was 18.

5. Patrick prayed to God for 8 years and then had a vision of escape.

6. St. Patrick walked 200 miles at the prompting of God and escaped on a ship.

Answers

1. True

2. False

3. True