Teaching notes
Worksheet 1
Worksheet 2
Worksheet 3
Use these notes as part of a lesson on St.
Patrick. Then use the worksheets. Click on each worksheet to choose
which one you require. Print them and use them freely. Good
luck!
St. Patrick
About 400 years after Jesus had been crucified, a
boy called Patrick lived in a town on the west coast of Britain.
Patrick was a Christian. One day, when Patrick was about sixteen
years old, the town was attacked by pirates from Ireland whose leader was
Niall of the Nine Hostages. With other boys and girls Patrick was
carried off to Ireland.
In Ireland, Patrick was held as a slave to a chieftain
called Milchiú. Patrick’s work was to look after sheep and
pigs on Sliabh Mis in County Antrim. The hillside was cold and bare,
and Patrick spent six years there as a slave. During his lonely days
on Sliabh Mis he prayed often.
One night, as he was praying, he heard a voice.
"Go to the coast," said the voice, "there is a ship
waiting there to take you home."
He immediately set off towards the coast. When
he got there it was just as the voice had told him. After a long
voyage he reached home. He was delighted to be united with his family
and friends once again.
At night, however, he began to have strange dreams.
In his dreams he could hear the pagan Irish calling him back.
He soon left his friends and family once again.
He set off for France where he studied and became a priest. He later
became a bishop and in the year 432 he was sent back to Ireland by the
Pope, to preach the good news.
When Patrick arrived in Ireland, he set out for the
High King’s Palace at Tara. It was the custom of the pagan kings
at that time to light fires in honour of the pagan god of Spring.
The High King Laoire made an order that nobody should light a fire until
he had lit the first fire at Tara.
It was Holy Thursday night and Patrick ordered that
a fire be lit in honour of Easter. When King Laoire saw Patrick’s
fire, he became very angry. He was arrested and brought before the
king. He told king Laoire all about God and used a shamrock to show
him how there are three persons in one God. After this, Patrick travelled
through the country preaching the gospel and baptising people. Soon
the word of God was heard in every part of Ireland and many churches were
built. This is how St. Patrick answered the call of God and brought
the word of Christ to Pagan Ireland.
Another Legend of St. Patrick.
The Baptism of Aengus.
This is one of the stories told about the missionary
work of St. Patrick. Very often he baptized hundreds of people on
the same day. This was the case when Aengus was baptized. He was
a prince of Munster. The crowd surrounded Patrick as he prepared
to baptize this important man.
Now a bishop always carries a crozier about with him.
Patrick’s crozier had a metal spike, so that he could stick it into the
ground.
When he began to baptize Aengus, he stuck his crozier
into the ground beside him. But the crozier did not go into the ground,
it went instead right through Aengus’s foot. Patrick went on with
the ceremony, not knowing what he had done. The prince did not even
moan, he just went a bit pale. Patrick poured the water over his
bowed head, saying, "in the name of the Father and of the son and of the
Holy Spirit." It was all over. Aengus was a Christian. Patrick
turned to take his crozier from the ground, he was horrified when he realised
what he had done.
"Why didn’t you say something?" Patrick asked.
Aengus answered that he thought putting a spike through his foot was part
of the ceremony.
"Christ," he said, "shed his blood for me, and I am
glad to suffer a little pain at baptism to be like our Lord."
Text courtesy of C. Boardman