L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015 www.italoamericano.com 10 Dear Readers, M a r c h b r i n g s s h a m r o c k s and my annual "St. Patrick was Italian" column: A "St. Patrick was Italian" remark, tossed into your March conversations, can ignite boring talk into boiling talk if you have s o m e c o n v e r s a t i o n a l f o d d e r handy, to buttress your claim: The first St. Patrick's Day in the U.S. was held in Boston in 1734. By stretching things a bit, you can correctly state that "St. Patrick was Italian". P a t r i c k ' s p a r e n t s w e r e R o m a n s . T h e R o m a n s r u l e d England at the time. Calpurnius, P a t r i c k ' s f a t h e r , w a s a h i g h R o m a n d i p l o m a t l i v i n g i n England, but a Roman citizen. The upper classes, both the natives and those descended f r o m t h e R o m a n s e t t l e r s , a s Patrick's family was, valued the Roman educational system and made sure their children were taught Latin and an appreciation of Roman law and literature. The Roman invasions of the 1st century B.C. brought Britain into contact with the Continent. When the Roman legions with- drew in the 5th century A.D. B r i t a i n f e l l e a s y p r e y t o t h e i n v a d i n g h o r d e s o f A n g l e s , S a x o n s , a n d J u t e s f r o m S c a n d i n a v i a a n d t h e L o w Countries. P a t r i c k w a s b o r n i n England around the year 385 A.D. Roman cities in England had shops and beautiful houses, so Patrick lived the good life for a w h i l e , a s B r i t a i n b e c a m e Romanized and roads and towns with typical Roman facilities of public baths, temples, basilicas, f o r u m s a n d g r a n d c i t y g a t e s developed. Across the sea in Ireland (Eire), things were not so good. Tribal kings were constantly feuding, and in the year 400 A . D . , a t r i b a l k i n g ( N i a l l ) a t t a c k e d E n g l a n d . H e t o o k t h o u s a n d s o f p r i s o n e r s , including Patrick, for slaves. Soon the rich little Roman kid w a s f o r c e d t o h e r d p i g s a n d sheep, just a poor little slave boy far from home. P a t r i c k w a s t a k e n t o Northern Ireland and sold to a n o t h e r t r i b a l k i n g n a m e d Meliucc. Meliucc and his fami- ly were kind to Patrick, and their children were good com- pany. Still Patrick (Maewyn) was alone in a strange land, only 14 years old. He did not know the language; he didn't k n o w i f h i s f a m i l y w a s s t i l l alive. Patrick slept in a mud hut and was a swineherd. A t 2 1 y ear s o ld , af ter s ix years as a slave, he ran away. Walking many miles to the sea, he found a ship that took him back to England. By now, the Romans had been chased out; they were no longer the rulers, and the country was in ruins. P a t r i c k s a i l e d a c r o s s t h e channel and wandered through Europe, and then on to Rome, and found that by the year 410 A.D., the center of all Roman power had been conquered as well. His past was really dead, s o h e d e c i d e d t o g o b a c k t o England to think, pray and live very quietly there. While in prayer, he felt certain God was calling him back to Ireland, to bring all those tribes together and make Ireland a Christian land. But first, Patrick went to F r a n c e a n d s t u d i e d r e l i g i o n there for ten years. In the year 432 A.D., Pope C e l e s t i n e m a d e P a t r i c k a B i s h o p a n d n a m e d h i m " P a t r i c i u s " . N o w , B i s h o p Patricius sailed for Ireland. The Irish people were not interest- ed in Christianity and tried to stone him to death. The Bishop and his men fled and found shelter for the night in a barn near the shore. The barn belonged to a tribal king named Dichu. He thought the Bishop and his men were rob- bers and wanted to kill them. Patrick held out his hand and smiled, and a golden aura shone on his face. Dichu put down his weapon, his fierce dog stopped growling (according to legend), a n d D i c h u b e c a m e t h e f i r s t Christian in Ireland, and the barn, the first church. Patrick travelled all over Ireland. He always had a drum- mer with him. When he arrived at a village, the drummer would drum, and the people would come from their houses to listen to him (as in drumming up busi- ness). Patrick showed them a shamrock, like a three-leafed clover. Patrick explained the idea of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. T o d a y , t h e s h a m r o c k i s Ireland's national flower, and as more and more tribal kings and their people became Christians, they came to worship and be united as a country. Bishop Patricius drummed the snakes out of Ireland and into the sea (according to leg- e n d ) , a n d b u i l t h u n d r e d s o f c h u r c h e s . W h e n h e d i e d o n March 17 (between 461 and 482 A.D.), the Pope declared him a saint and had him buried on c h u r c h g r o u n d s i n Downpatrick, Ireland. In the U.S., St. Patrick's Day means party time. In Ireland, it means Holy Time and although he is the patron saint of Ireland, Patrick was not a native of that country. During the times of trial, he turned to God for com- fort and strength. W h e n P a t r i c k e n t e r e d t h e p r i e s t h o o d a n d e v e n t u a l l y became a bishop, after many years of doing work in Rome, he was sent to Ireland to spread t h e m e s s a g e o f t h e G o s p e l because he was able to speak Celtic, and was able to commu- nicate with the Irish. Patrick's mission wasn't an easy one. Druidism (an ancient C e l t i c r e l i g i o n ) w a s w i d e l y practiced in Ireland, and many Druids would rather have killed Patrick than convert; he and his followers were imprisoned and sentenced to death many times. But Patrick's faith in God was strong, and he knew he could keep going, "spreading God's name everywhere with confi- dence and without fear". Patrick preached all over Ireland, using a s h a m r o c k t o e x p l a i n t h e Trinity and converting thou- sands with his quiet, unassum- ing manner and gentle way of s p e a k i n g . A s a m a n o f G o d , P a t r i c k w a s k n o w n f o r h i s humility and disinterest in mate- rial wealth. He wouldn't accept gifts from admirers, and often retreated in quiet prayer. By the time he died in 461, Patrick had converted virtually all of Ireland t o C h r i s t i a n i t y , a n d h e i s a reminder that God speaks to us through his servants. His feast is March 17th. *** F o r m o r e i n f o o n S a i n t P a t r i c k , c a l l L i g u o r i Publications, 1-800-325-9521 and order: T h e C o n f e s s i o n o f S a i n t Patrick by D.R. Howlett, editor and translator. T h i s a u t h e n t i c s o u r c e o f i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t S a i n t Patrick's life is a brief autobi- ography written near the end of his life. For children, my absolute f a v o r i t e S a i n t P a t r i c k b o o k continues to be one by Tomie de Paola, which you can order from your favorite book store or amazon.com. While you are at it, order other Tomie de Paola titles for all the "bambini" in your life. Tomie de Paola (his roots are Irish-Italian) has authored or illustrated over 200 books. He is one of the most popular chil- dren's book illustrators of our time, with about five million b o o k s i n p r i n t . M a n y o f h i s books have an "Italian connec- t i o n " , s u c h a s S t r e g a N o n a , Watch Out for Chicken Feet in Your Soup, First One Foot and Then the Other (about elderly grandparents), Tony's Bread (panettone), Francis: The Poor Man of Assisi, The Legend of t h e B e f a n a , T h e M y s t e r i o u s G i a n t o f B a r l e t t a a n d m a n y more. Tomie de Paola says he first became aware of St. Patrick a s a y o u n g c h i l d w h e n h e attended mass at Holy Trinity C h u r c h i n W a l l i n g f o r d , Connecticut with his maternal grandparents, Tom and Alice Downey. On a side altar was a colorful statue of a saint holding a staff in one hand, a shamrock in the other. At his feet, squirm- ing and squiggling into the plas- ter water, were green snakes. Pausing in front of the statue, h i s g r a n d f a t h e r w o u l d s a y , " T h a t ' s S a i n t P a t r i c k . H e ' s Irish, just like us". Then, said Tomie, "immedi- ately I forgot that I was half- Italian. Every year after that, I c e l e b r a t e d S t . P a t r i c k ' s D a y with gusto, decorating my room w i t h s h a m r o c k s . M y b r o t h e r took Patrick for his confirma- tion name. My Italian father c e l e b r a t e d , t o o , c l a i m i n g Patrick was Italian (son of a Roman citizen)." "My Irish mother, Flossie D o w n e y d e P a o l a , h a d b e e n after me for years to remember t h e I r i s h p a t r o n s a i n t w i t h a book on Patrick- Patron Saint of Ireland. And as the Irish shout on March 17, "Erin go bragh! (Ireland forever)" *** Tomie de Paola has enter- tained children and adults with his colorful drawings and simple s t o r y b o o k s t h a t t e a c h l i f e ' s lessons, many of them inspired by Italian folklore for over 40 years. *** Tomie De Paola

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