Patrick, Bishop and Missionary of Ireland, 461 | For All the Saints
Source: Patrick, Bishop and Missionary of Ireland, 461 | For All the Saints
Despite the "pop-culture" association of St. Patrick's Day with leprechauns and green beer, this is actually the feast-day of a very impressive and influential saint of the early Church: Saint Patrick (Patricius) was a Briton who became the missionary to and evangelist (and ultimately, Bishop) of Ireland, which in turn ultimately led to the amazing flowering of faith and culture which was early Christian Ireland – and the salvation of the Classical inheritance of Western Europe, during and following the period often known (somewhat incorrectly and misleadingly) as the "Dark Ages."