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My name is Patrick: St Patrick's Confessio
Patrick is the first identifiable person in Irish history to have his life story recorded. Read Patrick's account of his capture and slavery in Ireland in a straightforward and accurate translation by Padraig McCarthy. Succinct and accessible, St Patrick's Confessio is a unique and insightful glimpse into the life of Ireland's patron saint.
42 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 425
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1888 people want to read
About the author
Patrick of Ireland
65 books44 followers(born perhaps 389)
Christian missionary Saint Patrick serves as patron of Ireland.
Saint Patrick reputedly founded Armagh.
People most generally recognize Patrick as a Romano-Briton and formally Saint Brigid of Kildare and Colmcille.
From two authentic letters that survive come the only universally accepted details of his life. From Britain, Irish raiders captured Patrick, then sixteen years of age circa 415, and took him as a slave; he lived for six years before he escaped circa 421 and returned to his family. After entering the Church, he returned as an ordained bishop in the north and west of the island, but we know little about the places, where he worked.
People came to revere Patrick before the 7th century. Patrick early tried to establish the diocesan model, but after his time, the Irish monastery system evolved, and the church developed otherwise.
From the 7th century onward, later hagiographies, now not accepted without detailed criticism, provide most available details of his life.
Uncritical acceptance of the Annals of Ulster implies that he lived from 340, ministered from 428 onward in modern north, and died in 440. We cannot fix the dates of life of Patrick with certainty, but on a widespread interpretation, he acted during the second half of the 5th century. People celebrate Saint Patrick's Day, that of his rebirth unto eternal life, on 17 March as a liturgical and secular holiday. This solemnity and a holy day of obligation in the dioceses can celebrate the emerald isle.
Christian missionary Saint Patrick serves as patron of Ireland.
Saint Patrick reputedly founded Armagh.
People most generally recognize Patrick as a Romano-Briton and formally Saint Brigid of Kildare and Colmcille.
From two authentic letters that survive come the only universally accepted details of his life. From Britain, Irish raiders captured Patrick, then sixteen years of age circa 415, and took him as a slave; he lived for six years before he escaped circa 421 and returned to his family. After entering the Church, he returned as an ordained bishop in the north and west of the island, but we know little about the places, where he worked.
People came to revere Patrick before the 7th century. Patrick early tried to establish the diocesan model, but after his time, the Irish monastery system evolved, and the church developed otherwise.
From the 7th century onward, later hagiographies, now not accepted without detailed criticism, provide most available details of his life.
Uncritical acceptance of the Annals of Ulster implies that he lived from 340, ministered from 428 onward in modern north, and died in 440. We cannot fix the dates of life of Patrick with certainty, but on a widespread interpretation, he acted during the second half of the 5th century. People celebrate Saint Patrick's Day, that of his rebirth unto eternal life, on 17 March as a liturgical and secular holiday. This solemnity and a holy day of obligation in the dioceses can celebrate the emerald isle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
February 26, 2022
“Although I might be staying in a forest or out in a mountainside, it would be the same; even before dawn broke, I would be aroused to pray. In snow, in frost, in rain, I would hardly notice any discomfort, and I was never slack but always full of energy. It is clear to me now, that this was due to the fervor of the Spirit within me.”
Patrick is known more as a caricatured legend than for the man of faith that he truly was. He abandoned the faith that his family taught him as a boy only to return to it after being captured and brought to Ireland as a boy to be a slave. He later returned to Ireland to evangelize the island that had become pagan and superstitious. He faced much opposition and even betrayal to be able to stay at his post as a bishop in Ireland. And he credits it all to the Lord. Patrick’s “Letter to Coroticus” “Lorica”* and “Confession” all display his passionate heart to follow the Lord and pursue others to follow the Lord. There is a humble purity in his honesty and is fervor that reflects the work of the Spirit in his heart.
*Note: Patrick’s”Lorica” or “Deer’s Cry” is his hymn where his famous quote “Christ ever with me, Christ before me...(etc.)” comes from and can be read in it’s entirety here: https://www.ancienttexts.org/library/...
Patrick is known more as a caricatured legend than for the man of faith that he truly was. He abandoned the faith that his family taught him as a boy only to return to it after being captured and brought to Ireland as a boy to be a slave. He later returned to Ireland to evangelize the island that had become pagan and superstitious. He faced much opposition and even betrayal to be able to stay at his post as a bishop in Ireland. And he credits it all to the Lord. Patrick’s “Letter to Coroticus” “Lorica”* and “Confession” all display his passionate heart to follow the Lord and pursue others to follow the Lord. There is a humble purity in his honesty and is fervor that reflects the work of the Spirit in his heart.
*Note: Patrick’s”Lorica” or “Deer’s Cry” is his hymn where his famous quote “Christ ever with me, Christ before me...(etc.)” comes from and can be read in it’s entirety here: https://www.ancienttexts.org/library/...
March 17, 2016
Did you know that Saint Patrick was an Englishman? Did you know he was captured and made a slave in Ireland? Did you know the trial of kidnapping and slavery drove him to the Lord?
A few weeks before St. Patrick's day, Grace Mally published her Saint Patrick Gospel Tract. The brief tale of Patrick's life contained in the tract piqued my interest, so--after digging through my dresser for something with a hint of green this morning--I looked up Saint Patrick online and found this short book written by the man himself.
His writing seems a queer mix of several denominational beliefs, but considering the difficulty of his life and his isolation from either his Catholic roots or any other established church, I guess that's not surprising.
My favorite part of this little book was the first chapter. Riddled with scripture references, the words might have been written by nearly any Christian past of present. Though Patrick lived only a few hundred years after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, it seems little has changed in the way Christians thing, believe, and hope in the 2,000 years since. As God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, so is His Spirit that has indwelled Christians yesterday, today, and forever. There is a comfort and thrill in realizing that. :)
A few weeks before St. Patrick's day, Grace Mally published her Saint Patrick Gospel Tract. The brief tale of Patrick's life contained in the tract piqued my interest, so--after digging through my dresser for something with a hint of green this morning--I looked up Saint Patrick online and found this short book written by the man himself.
His writing seems a queer mix of several denominational beliefs, but considering the difficulty of his life and his isolation from either his Catholic roots or any other established church, I guess that's not surprising.
My favorite part of this little book was the first chapter. Riddled with scripture references, the words might have been written by nearly any Christian past of present. Though Patrick lived only a few hundred years after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, it seems little has changed in the way Christians thing, believe, and hope in the 2,000 years since. As God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, so is His Spirit that has indwelled Christians yesterday, today, and forever. There is a comfort and thrill in realizing that. :)
March 17, 2026
Maybe the most motivating words of all time were heard by Patrick in a dream before he returned to Ireland in the power of the gospel: “Who for thee laid down His life?”
Great word for today. Even more gripping after my trip to Ireland last July.
Great word for today. Even more gripping after my trip to Ireland last July.
April 17, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed St.Patricks views on god and wished that he would have said exactly what it was he had sinned in doing in his teenage years before he found god. The curiosity will always be with me but otherwise I found this to be very inspirational.
February 21, 2015
I was struck by the beauty of this Confession. Here is my favorite passage: "And, of course, there, in a vision of the night, I saw a man whose name was Victoricus coming as if from Ireland with innumerable letters, and he gave me one of them, and I read the beginning of the letter: ‘The Voice of the Irish’; and as I was reading the beginning of the letter I seemed at that moment to hear the voice of those who were beside the forest of Foclut which is near the western sea, and they were crying as if with one voice: ‘We beg you, holy youth, that you shall come and shall walk again among us.’ And I was stung intensely in my heart so that I could read no more, and thus I awoke. Thanks be to God, because after so many years the Lord bestowed on them according to their cry."
March 22, 2023
It is such a pleasure to learn more about Saint Patrick, and from his own hand. He had an extraordinary life so is long-remembered for his missionary work in Ireland. He wasn't the first Christian in Ireland but is probably the most famous.
He was kidnapped from Wales or England and taken to Ireland to be a slave when he was a teenager. It was there that he prayed frequently and devoted his life to serving Jesus. After six years he managed to escape and return to his native land. That, however, was interrupted because the Lord called him back to Ireland to preach to and baptize the people there.
This much is commonly known about Saint Patrick, but to hear him tell it from his own perspective with many Biblical references that blessed his journey in life - is a real treasure. I'm glad I took time this year to read the manuscript he left us. It is worth reading again.
He was kidnapped from Wales or England and taken to Ireland to be a slave when he was a teenager. It was there that he prayed frequently and devoted his life to serving Jesus. After six years he managed to escape and return to his native land. That, however, was interrupted because the Lord called him back to Ireland to preach to and baptize the people there.
This much is commonly known about Saint Patrick, but to hear him tell it from his own perspective with many Biblical references that blessed his journey in life - is a real treasure. I'm glad I took time this year to read the manuscript he left us. It is worth reading again.
March 17, 2026
This book (aided by the thoughtful translation and explanations by John Skinner) gives a richer sense of the personhood and personality of St. Patrick. St. Patrick was a passionate, humble man who lived and breathed Scripture and whose heart beat with love for God and for the people he was called to serve.
"Patrick was a 'man of one book' who ate, drank, and dreamed his Latin Bible. Practically every line of his writings contains a Bible phrase or quotation. Again, some scholars have wrongly interpreted this symptom as betraying a woeful lack of Latin vocabulary. Short on words, Patrick would lurch for some Bible tag to keep the conversation going like some tourist flicking through a phrase book. Quite the opposite. The Bible was HIS book. He used it all the time. It came to his tongue as naturally as his newly won language, Gaelic. Moreover, it served his task in life: 'If I have any worth, it is to live my life for God so as to teach these peoples.'"
"Patrick was a 'man of one book' who ate, drank, and dreamed his Latin Bible. Practically every line of his writings contains a Bible phrase or quotation. Again, some scholars have wrongly interpreted this symptom as betraying a woeful lack of Latin vocabulary. Short on words, Patrick would lurch for some Bible tag to keep the conversation going like some tourist flicking through a phrase book. Quite the opposite. The Bible was HIS book. He used it all the time. It came to his tongue as naturally as his newly won language, Gaelic. Moreover, it served his task in life: 'If I have any worth, it is to live my life for God so as to teach these peoples.'"
October 9, 2024
"The Confession of St. Patrick" is a fascinating read. Written by St. Patrick himself, it offers an intimate look at his journey from his captivity and life as a slave to becoming one of Ireland’s most celebrated saints.
What stands out to me is how personal and relatable his story feels, even after all these centuries. His humility and his deeply rooted faith helps him to place the events in his life in a broader perspective that feels much more authentic than most of the legendary tales that emerged over time.
What stands out to me is how personal and relatable his story feels, even after all these centuries. His humility and his deeply rooted faith helps him to place the events in his life in a broader perspective that feels much more authentic than most of the legendary tales that emerged over time.
March 14, 2025
Notes from 2025 Read: I simply love this book. What stood out to me on this read: Patrick's short but solid faith in the resurrection of the body; his being "unlearned" and yet constantly alluding to the Scriptures (from everywhere—Samuel; Jeremiah; Hosea; Luke; etc.); his delight in the Lord and in the fellowship (especially with new believers); his love for the lost, even when persecuted by them.
Although "Patrick almost certainly did not write the Lorica," I find that Trinitarian prayer to align on quite a few points with the Confession, and the prayer encourages my heart, convicts me to pursue God more wholeheartedly, and oozes great theology (Participation in Christ; dare I say, sola scriptura).
Notes from 2024 Read: This short book is well worth the read. The Letter to Coroticus is short and fiery. It is a good example of humbly yet powerfully confronting a sinner.
The Confession is thoroughly trinitarian, a simple and glorious retelling of Patrick's actual life and missionary calling, and an encouragement to live in humility, prayer, and single-minded devotion for God's glory.
Although "Patrick almost certainly did not write the Lorica," I find that Trinitarian prayer to align on quite a few points with the Confession, and the prayer encourages my heart, convicts me to pursue God more wholeheartedly, and oozes great theology (Participation in Christ; dare I say, sola scriptura).
Notes from 2024 Read: This short book is well worth the read. The Letter to Coroticus is short and fiery. It is a good example of humbly yet powerfully confronting a sinner.
The Confession is thoroughly trinitarian, a simple and glorious retelling of Patrick's actual life and missionary calling, and an encouragement to live in humility, prayer, and single-minded devotion for God's glory.
May 22, 2025
First time reading this translation of Patrick’s confession. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I read it this time around more keenly aware of the reason he wrote. He wrote because some leaders were calling into question the validity of his mission work and even a trusted brother brought up a sin that Patrick confessed to him 30 years earlier. This brother became a betrayer. So, Patrick is writing a defense. It is remarkable how he writes a defense without being defensive. His confession is jam packed with scriptures, especially texts focused on mission and gratitude.
Patrick views all of salvation and ministry as a gift. In the last section Patrick writes “(let) no man ever say, if in my ignorance I have accomplished any small thing, however trivial, or if I have shown the way according to God’s good purpose, that this was my own ignorance at work: but rather, know and believe it to be the undeniable truth, that it was the gift of God. This is my confession before I come to die.”
Patrick views all of salvation and ministry as a gift. In the last section Patrick writes “(let) no man ever say, if in my ignorance I have accomplished any small thing, however trivial, or if I have shown the way according to God’s good purpose, that this was my own ignorance at work: but rather, know and believe it to be the undeniable truth, that it was the gift of God. This is my confession before I come to die.”
April 1, 2018
This book is for a person who wants to be encouraged to speak the gospel of Christ. Bonus: this is a lightning fast read (maybe one hour of time).
Specifically, Patrick's frontier mission work - circa 432 AD - and his testimony to faith preceding the work are encouraging. Patrick saw himself as little in knowledge and weak in speech. It's also challenging! This makes me feel like I've been stagnant in my pursuit of making Christ known among the nations.
I'll be ready to share Patrick's confessions come next St. Patrick's Day!
Specifically, Patrick's frontier mission work - circa 432 AD - and his testimony to faith preceding the work are encouraging. Patrick saw himself as little in knowledge and weak in speech. It's also challenging! This makes me feel like I've been stagnant in my pursuit of making Christ known among the nations.
I'll be ready to share Patrick's confessions come next St. Patrick's Day!
May 20, 2025
“Daily I expect to be murdered or betrayed or reduced to slavery if the occasion arises. But I fear nothing, because of the promises of Heaven; for I have cast myself into the hands of Almighty God, who reigns everywhere. As the prophet says: Cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you.”
Patrick’s trust in God’s providence is something to aspire too. More mystical than I expected, especially with the story of the pigs.
Patrick’s trust in God’s providence is something to aspire too. More mystical than I expected, especially with the story of the pigs.
March 22, 2017
This was a perfect little book to read on St. Patrick's Day. It's one of only two documents that we have from St. Patrick and it isn't very long. It discusses his history and his calling to be a missionary in Ireland. I really enjoyed it.
January 31, 2024
I can't give it a 5 because it's fairly difficult to follow, but a 3 feels wrong.
This did inspire me to read more biographies on Patrick, and there was certainly a lot to chew on from his confession. Two examples:
1) His repeated emphasis on the Gospel going to all nations before the end. There is wonderful hope in his writing.
2) A good reminder that not much has changed in how others view Gospel ministry and the call to go forth: "Why does he (Patrick) put himself in danger among hostile people who do not know God?" "It was not that they were malicious - they just did not understand."
This did inspire me to read more biographies on Patrick, and there was certainly a lot to chew on from his confession. Two examples:
1) His repeated emphasis on the Gospel going to all nations before the end. There is wonderful hope in his writing.
2) A good reminder that not much has changed in how others view Gospel ministry and the call to go forth: "Why does he (Patrick) put himself in danger among hostile people who do not know God?" "It was not that they were malicious - they just did not understand."
October 9, 2023
I read this on the plane flight back home from my honeymoon in Ireland so that I wouldn’t go in not understanding any historical-geographical factors. As always, Christian biographies (i.e. testimonies) never fail to comfort, counsel, and call me out. The myths of Saint Patrick are nothing compared to the real man whose keen awareness of his sin and God’s work in his life are something I want badly.
January 29, 2013
It's very cool that this text survived, and that we can get a (small) glimpse at the actual words and life of the real Patrick, who at this point is pretty distantly removed from his day of parades and four-leaf-clovers and lots and lots of beer.
It's still hard to figure out exactly who Patrick was (as we only see things from his side), but it's a great glimpse at a missionary who seems to have been very effective at his job, frequently to the annoyance of those around him. Patrick, who was enslaved as an adolescent and carried off to Ireland for the first time, seems pretty quick to pull out the captivity card every time someone accuses him of being a bit too full of himself. In any case, it's clear that Patrick absolutely believed in what he was doing, and it was rather moving to see someone so committed to a goal that was bigger than himself, and so committed to his own tendencies towards fear and hesitation.
Unfortunately, there are no accounts of Patrick expelling hordes of Irish snakes. Bummer.
It's still hard to figure out exactly who Patrick was (as we only see things from his side), but it's a great glimpse at a missionary who seems to have been very effective at his job, frequently to the annoyance of those around him. Patrick, who was enslaved as an adolescent and carried off to Ireland for the first time, seems pretty quick to pull out the captivity card every time someone accuses him of being a bit too full of himself. In any case, it's clear that Patrick absolutely believed in what he was doing, and it was rather moving to see someone so committed to a goal that was bigger than himself, and so committed to his own tendencies towards fear and hesitation.
Unfortunately, there are no accounts of Patrick expelling hordes of Irish snakes. Bummer.
March 24, 2021
Truly an inspirational figure, whose writing comes across as very personal despite it being 1500 years old. This is what Saint Patrick should be known for, not the commercialised holiday that's mainly used as an excuse for people to drink themselves into a stupor.
March 11, 2020
A glimpse into the man behind the myth
October 16, 2025
From being enslaved at sixteen to becoming a missionary and bishop—now considered the patron saint of Ireland—Patrick is a Church Father whose life and acts are far more influential than his writings. As far as I know, we only have two of his works (including this one), but his impact has been seismic. This rich spiritual autobiography, in the tradition of Augustine’s Confessions, is intimate and beautiful. It recounts the life, struggles, and spiritual journal of this great man, who credits all things to the grace of the triune God. He was a man of fervent prayer and courage, who was willing to obey God rather than men, regardless of the cost.
I’m an evangelical Protestant, but my family has deep Irish-Catholic roots, and it fills me with gratitude to wonder at how this one man—sold into slavery in a foreign land—changed the course of history. There’s good evidence there were Christians in Ireland before Patrick, despite him often being credited as the first missionary to Ireland, but there’s no denying that the eventual Christianization of the country is due to the noble efforts of St. Patrick!
I’m an evangelical Protestant, but my family has deep Irish-Catholic roots, and it fills me with gratitude to wonder at how this one man—sold into slavery in a foreign land—changed the course of history. There’s good evidence there were Christians in Ireland before Patrick, despite him often being credited as the first missionary to Ireland, but there’s no denying that the eventual Christianization of the country is due to the noble efforts of St. Patrick!
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January 17, 2018I didn't read this particular book, but the online "Confessio" here:
https://www.confessio.ie/etexts/confe...
I don't have any particular background knowledge for this kind of text: I'm not religious (if anything, then protestant), I know little of Ireland, am no historian, and so on. In another book I'm reading (Swedish historian Dick Harrison's "Cathay" book) there was a reference to St. Patrick having been a slave who successfully escaped and returned to his home. There are very few stories like that, so that was immediately interesting. Also, it's fascinating to read texts as mind-boggingly old as this, written by an individual with an individual story... to imagine the world they lived in. Love it.
But to *really* get much out of this text, it's certainly better with some background knowledge. To me, it was mostly about the sensation of this text's mere existence. Fun!
https://www.confessio.ie/etexts/confe...
I don't have any particular background knowledge for this kind of text: I'm not religious (if anything, then protestant), I know little of Ireland, am no historian, and so on. In another book I'm reading (Swedish historian Dick Harrison's "Cathay" book) there was a reference to St. Patrick having been a slave who successfully escaped and returned to his home. There are very few stories like that, so that was immediately interesting. Also, it's fascinating to read texts as mind-boggingly old as this, written by an individual with an individual story... to imagine the world they lived in. Love it.
But to *really* get much out of this text, it's certainly better with some background knowledge. To me, it was mostly about the sensation of this text's mere existence. Fun!
May 24, 2020
The underlying confession of St. Patrick and a related letter are of interest (3-4 stars) but it is marred by an atrocious translation. Although these works are prose, the translator inexplicably turned it into blank verse. I can only guess the choice was made to make this work more "devotional." It was the hardest 100 pg work I have ever read.
The two introductions by the translator an another are of little help and annoyingly written. Look elsewhere if you want to read this work.
The two introductions by the translator an another are of little help and annoyingly written. Look elsewhere if you want to read this work.
June 24, 2024
A good little read! With all of the “lore” surrounding Patrick, I enjoyed this glimpse into his story through his own eyes. He suffered more than I realized- and bore a lot of insecurity- yet his faith remained unwavering. I was grateful for the translation/historical background in this particular edition, as the scarce amount of Patrick’s own writing that survived the test of time would have been harder to follow otherwise.
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March 12, 2025“He protected me and consoled me as a father does for his son.”
Did not expect such a vulnerable story-Patrick freely admits to his imperfections/struggling with boundaries, and his homesickness for Britain while he felt convicted to remain in Ireland touched me. His time in slavery was a time of grace, growing in dependence on God the Father for his difficult future in ministry. 👑
Did not expect such a vulnerable story-Patrick freely admits to his imperfections/struggling with boundaries, and his homesickness for Britain while he felt convicted to remain in Ireland touched me. His time in slavery was a time of grace, growing in dependence on God the Father for his difficult future in ministry. 👑
February 28, 2026
This powerful saint starts his humble confession by saying, “I am Patrick - a sinner…” Patrick was a slave in Ireland and he thanks God for the great blessings and the graces bestowed on him in, “this land of slavery.” Patrick became the saint he is because of the hardships that he endured. It became his life‘s mission to bring Christ to the pagans in Ireland.
October 4, 2025
Version read: the english verse form in confessio.ie
Delusions of a freed slave, who kept some of the hangups of his slavery once freed. Not freed by the hand of god, but by christians (who saw nothing wrong with leaving a pagan slave be a slave). Inspired by makyo to found his own christian cult which just happens to have been successful. Eerily similar to the qur'an in some ways: (Fear Allah). Giving women permission to be chaste-ish perhaps was the key to his success. But the most disturbing line"I nothing have unless He gives it me," ([668]) really gets to the root of the problem here -- that once you've fully indoctrinated yourself as a slave of the everlasting god, in his perfect dictatorship, you give away your personal responsibility for literally everything and trust entirely in that god to provide with increasing requirement for miracles. Echoes of Russell's description of the monestary that fell apart here -- once you convince yourself of a spiritual world worthy of all of your efforts and attention, the real world around you begins to be out of your control.
Delusions of a freed slave, who kept some of the hangups of his slavery once freed. Not freed by the hand of god, but by christians (who saw nothing wrong with leaving a pagan slave be a slave). Inspired by makyo to found his own christian cult which just happens to have been successful. Eerily similar to the qur'an in some ways: (Fear Allah). Giving women permission to be chaste-ish perhaps was the key to his success. But the most disturbing line"I nothing have unless He gives it me," ([668]) really gets to the root of the problem here -- that once you've fully indoctrinated yourself as a slave of the everlasting god, in his perfect dictatorship, you give away your personal responsibility for literally everything and trust entirely in that god to provide with increasing requirement for miracles. Echoes of Russell's description of the monestary that fell apart here -- once you convince yourself of a spiritual world worthy of all of your efforts and attention, the real world around you begins to be out of your control.
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March 18, 2024No rating for this. This is kind of a vague piece of writing. St. Patrick seems like a very humble man. His life was very tumultuous and interesting
November 6, 2024
Magnificent. I will be recommending widely.
March 18, 2019
I must confess that I had some trouble reading this due to the old-fashioned language, however my love for St. Patrick has definitely grown. The man poured out his life and love for the people who enslaved him and the God Who saved him! Truly an inspiration and model of missionary love. Thank God for him. <3
March 18, 2023
Seemed appropriate to read this today X)
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June 7, 2023first of all, AMAZED this is on goodreads. second of all, i think he may have made some of that up.
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