St Patrick is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential missionaries in the Church’s history. He was sent to Ireland in the fifth century, becoming the country’s second bishop. A man of deep faith, Patrick was tasked with spreading the Gospel of Jesus and bringing fresh heart to existing local churches.
His influence was so deeply felt by the sons and daughters of Ireland, that even today—centuries later—St Patrick remains a cultural representation and icon of Ireland and its people.
St Patrick’s legacy was palpable in the early days of the Catholic Church in Melbourne. Our Cathedral was built and named after this great missionary saint—a testament to the rich Irish culture present at the time. As an Archdiocese, we continue to celebrate St Patrick for all he has brought to our city, but it is his missionary example in particular that we are called to imitate—by going out into the streets of Melbourne. As he travelled, St Patrick carried with him a fire to light the way. May we, too, pick up the flame of Christ to light our way, and may Patrick be with us we follow in his missionary footsteps.
