Collected Works of Saint Patrick

Saint Patrick, who lived in the fifth century, is remembered as the missionary who brought Christianity to Ireland, and his feast day is celebrated all over the world every March. Surprisingly little is known for certain about his life. What we know comes mainly from two short texts attributed to him, the Confession and the Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus, both written in a simple Latin that shows more devotion than polish.

In the Confession, Patrick explains his calling, recalling his years as a captive and his return to Ireland as a missionary. In the letter, he protests against the capture and sale of newly baptized Christians by the soldiers of a British chieftain. Both documents give a picture of a man who is humble about his education, and firm about his mission.

The prayer known as St. Patrick's Breastplate, or the Lorica, is traditionally attributed to him and his followers. It is a prayer for protection, with imagery that appears to draw on older, pre-Christian ways of thinking, though it is thoroughly Christian in its purpose. Its rhythmic structure makes it especially suited to being read aloud.

This recording gathers all three in a program of about one hour, read by volunteers of LibriVox. It will interest anyone curious about early Irish Christianity, about medieval devotional writing, or about the man behind the festival. Even listeners with no religious interest will find it a rare chance to hear texts with their roots in the earliest days of Irish Christianity. Scholars still discuss the dating of the Breastplate in particular, so the listener is invited to hear these works as part of a long and lively conversation rather than as settled history.