Where was Saint Patrick from? Brittany! Read my comment at the end.
I am sure my friend Thomas A. Szyszkiewicz won’t mind my posting his comments about the new film. Here they are (from Catholic World Report, March 3):
I have seen the film and, while it aims to tell the true story of Patrick, it misses by a long shot. This is a Protestantized version of his life that relies solely on his Confessions and nothing else (sound familiar?). The fifth century Christian liturgical rites, apparently, only consisted of the Pater Noster, because that’s all we see them doing. John Rhys-Davies’ considerable acting abilities are sorely underutilized because we only see him sitting and writing, or walking alone along abandoned fields and seashores. I was hoping that this would be something like Paul McCusker’s The Trials of St. Patrick, the audio drama produced by the Augustine Institute. Nothing of the sort. Setting up a “obey God or obey men” (as in Patrick’s ecclesiastical superiors) conundrum for a saint who willingly obeyed his superiors is a typical Protestant move that simply doesn’t work in this situation. (This is not meant as a slam on Protestants, but this is typical of their thinking because [of] Luther.) The story goes that a bishop who was jealous of him tried to oust him, but that failed, not because of said conundrum but because Patrick was faithful and the jealous guy overplayed his hand. Patrick’s life was a rich one — this film about him is extremely impoverished.
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Since another commenter named Alba brought up the question of where Saint Patrick came from I will add my own two cents worth:
I’d venture that Saint Patrick (Maewyn Succat) was raised in Brittany. In his Confessions he names his father’s home Bannavem Tiburniae’ in Latin.” That is Bonavenna de Tiberio. Today it is called Chateau de Bonaban near St Malo. This seacoast was easy prey for the then pagan Irish marauders and it was from here that they kidnapped the future saint. Remember, too, that Patrick was the nephew of Saint Martin of Tours, brother of Conchessa his mother. Martin’s homeland was Pannonia, ancient Hungary roughly. After his escape and conversion Patrick spent time with his uncle before going to Rome to see Pope Celestine I. It was in Rome where he changed his name to Patricius and was ordained.
