St. Patrick’s Surprising Mission and Enduring Legacy

37 North Market Street,Lancaster PA 17603

17 March, 2023

Description

Graham Dennis is Joining Us for St. Patrick's DayWith all the hoopla going on around town celebrating a caricature of the real Patty, we thought we'd take a moment, hit the Sanity button, and simply focus on Patrick himself. How much do we really know about him?Was he a "Celt?" And who were they, anyhow?Why is he such a legendary figure in the Western world, and the entire world, for that matter? Are leprechauns real? (Hint: Depends on who you ask).Herein lies a holy and wild tale that challenges many of our assumptions about Patrick. Graham says, When Protestants say the phrase “one, holy, catholic and apostolic church” in the creed we often don’t reflect deeply upon what we’re affirming. What did “catholicity” look like in the early western church? Focusing upon the life and ministry of St. Patrick, I want to argue that one of the greatest and most enduring features of western Christian culture is the tension between wildness and order. Beauty, in fact, is a tension between wildness (or mystery) and order. In examining St. Patrick’s life—and the tradition of Celtic Christianity that grew up after him—we see some of the hallmarks of this tension. It might be time for us, in the west, to find ways to embrace this aspect of catholicity in our western heritage, especially as an antidote to secularism in our culture but also to modernism in our churches that has sometimes flattened the mystery of the Faith. So, join us in downtown Lancaster for some hot drinks, happy talks, and yummy snacks. Maybe, just maybe, it'll all be Irish-themed. We’ll explore many questions and get a solid lecture from Mr. Dennis, so it's definitely worth the price of admission. But only with your help! So, bring your friends. And wear fresh sprigs of tree blossoms in your hair if you must. You may never experience St. Patrick’s Day the same again. We hope not! Graham Dennis lives in Lancaster County with his family and serves as Dean of Students at Veritas Academy. There he teaches high school Humanities, Rhetoric, and Theology. He earned his M.A. in Philosophy at Boston College. His hobbies include reading and photography.