Who was the REAL St. Patrick? | A Kidnapped Slave Who Changed Ireland

Most people think St. Patrick's Day is about shamrocks and green beer. But who was the man behind the legend?

In this interview with Eddie Cotter Jr., Catholic author, speaker, and founder of the Dead Theologians Society, we uncover the true story of St. Patrick beyond the legends.

This episode is packed with inspiration for anyone who has ever felt unqualified by their weaknesses or wounds.

St. Patrick was kidnapped as a teenager, dragged to Ireland as a slave, and spent six years in isolation — and that's exactly what made him one of the greatest missionaries in history. His wounds weren't disqualifiers. They were his training.

He learned the language. He learned the culture. He loved the people. And then he went back—voluntarily—to the land of his captivity to bring them the faith.

He felt unqualified. He felt uneducated. He said so himself. And yet he converted an entire nation.

Your wounds might be the exact thing that God is using to prepare you for his glory. Even our darkest moments can become the beginning of our mission.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day—and may his rugged faith inspire you to live yours boldly.

The episode closes with Eddie reading St. Patrick's Lorica (Breastplate) — the prayer Patrick prayed daily for God's protection throughout his mission.

PLUS: Eddie is the talented drummer of an amazing traditional Irish band. They played at my 50th birthday party and you get to listen in on some of the fun at the end of this episode!

Highlights:

00:00 – Intro
01:27 – Eddie Cotter Jr. & the Dead Theologians Society
05:00 – St. Patrick's Day vs. the real St. Patrick
06:17 – Eddie's lifelong vow of sobriety
20:25 – Dead Theologians Society: 28 years, 550 parishes, vocations born from it
22:00 – The 35,000-foot view of St. Patrick's life
31:41 – Patrick's wounds were his greatest qualification
38:43 – Croagh Patrick: Ireland's holy mountain
42:23 – Patrick: the first person in recorded history to condemn slavery
50:18 – Patrick's humility: "a stone lying deep in the mud"
52:04 – You don't need credentials to lead people to Jesus
54:05 – Eddie reads the Lorica (St. Patrick's Breastplate Prayer)
57:28 – Traditional Irish music from Eddie's band!

More from Eddie Cotter, Jr.:
Wisdom and Inspiration from the Saints in One-Sentence: https://deadtheologianssociety.com/product/wisdom-inspiration-from-the-saints-in-a-sentence/

Dead Theologians Society: www.deadtheologiansociety.com

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Chapters

• (00:00:00) - Missionary of Joy
• (00:01:03) - Eddie Cotter on Dead Theologians
• (00:02:12) - Eddie Cotter On Chris Stefanik's 50th Birthday
• (00:05:00) - Fool on St. Patrick:
• (00:08:54) - St. Patrick's Day
• (00:13:37) - Irish Catholics talk about the DTS
• (00:17:13) - DTS
• (00:20:26) - Meet St. Patrick
• (00:23:54) - Patrick the Conqueror: The Life
• (00:27:50) - St. Patrick the Conqueror
• (00:29:43) - Patrick on His Disqualifications
• (00:34:17) - Pilgrims on the Road to Ireland
• (00:38:10) - Climbing Croak Patrick
• (00:41:14) - On Patrick and the Catholic Church
• (00:45:59) - How to Love Your Irish Heritage
• (00:48:05) - St. Patrick's Confessions
• (00:52:04) - St. Patrick's Prayer of the Lorica
• (00:53:30) - St. Patrick
• (00:54:06) - I Rise Today