| Like all good Saint's days, Saint Patrick's is shrouded in | | | | Wadding was an Irish Friar born in 1588. As you might |
| mythology and speculation which does little to harm | | | | expect, he also did a lot more for the cause of |
| his reputation as being a real swell guy to raise our | | | | international Catholicism than people might realize. A |
| glasses to. The legend of the snakes is perhaps the | | | | keen historian, Wadding had an integral part in the |
| story that is told most often when the 17th March | | | | education of young priests and students, becoming |
| rolls around. And why shouldn't it be? After all, it has | | | | president of the University of Salamanca (Spain's |
| the inherent themes of danger and heroism similar to | | | | oldest university) in 1617. Several years later, he |
| what we would find in a Hollywood movie (Samuel L. | | | | dedicated his time to collecting funds in order to |
| Jackson anybody?). | | | | establish the Irish College of Saint Isodore (called the |
| The problem is there is no evidence that snakes ever | | | | Pontifical Irish College, today) in Rome, and after that |
| existed on Ireland after the Ice Age, and that this | | | | he founded the Ludovisi College. |
| legend probably refers to the banishing of druids | | | | As for his work for recognising the importance of |
| because of their serpent symbolism rather than any | | | | Saint Patrick, this is a more complex and intriguing |
| literal adders hiding in the grass and relentlessly | | | | process than one might expect. It was during his |
| striking fear in the heart of Irish. Or what about the | | | | time at the College of Saint Isodore that Wadding |
| case of the Pelagianists? Another belief (again | | | | taught the importance of setting aside a feast day |
| represented by snakes), that those who sin, along | | | | for Patrick. By this time in history, every day of the |
| with the rest of humanity, are completely responsible | | | | calendar year had been linked with a saint (a tradition |
| for their actions and no-one is subject to divine | | | | that had stemmed from celebrating the original |
| influence. An idea that probably wouldn't sit too well | | | | martyrs) at some time. In order to deal with this, the |
| with a missionary who based his career on a "vision" | | | | Roman calendar was refined to retain fewer saints |
| he'd had in his twenties. | | | | restricted to specific days. It is when one |
| And Saint's day celebrations don't just turn up. It | | | | acknowledges how widely celebrated the non-martyr |
| wasn't announced on Patrick's death that from that | | | | (for this, his type of feast day is ranked secondary |
| day forth his sainthood would be celebrated. This is | | | | or 'memorial', usually an optional celebration compared |
| where Luke Wadding enters the equation. In fact, it | | | | to the obligatory 'solemnities') Saint Patrick, is today, |
| was his work over a millennium later that undoubtedly | | | | one can truly accept the importance of Wadding's |
| led to us celebrating Saint Patrick at all. | | | | influence on the church, and society, today. |