This Friday we celebrate St Patrick's Day at the University of Notre Dame Australia.
This is a day when people all over the world come together to celebrate Irish culture and heritage.
But the significance of the day goes beyond wearing green and dancing to folk tunes. It is also a day to honour the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick.
St. Patrick was born in Roman Britain in the 4th century. As a teenager, he was kidnapped by Irish pirates and taken to Ireland as a slave.
Despite his circumstances, St. Patrick never lost his faith in God and continued to pray and seek guidance throughout his captivity.
He eventually escaped and returned to his homeland, but he felt called by God to return to Ireland as a missionary.
The young evangelist went on to spend the rest of his life preaching and teaching in Ireland.
He travelled the countryside, sharing his love of Jesus with the people of Ireland and converting them to Christianity.
He used familiar symbols and traditions, such as the shamrock, to teach the concept of the Holy Trinity to the Irish people.
St. Patrick's Day is a celebration of the saint's life and his contributions to the Catholic faith.
Irish Catholics see St. Patrick as a hero and a symbol of their faith. In Ireland, St. Patrick's Day is a public holiday, and people attend Mass and participate in other events to honor the saint.
"When we look at his life, we are inspired that one man's effort made a huge difference to the culture and the destiny of a country, and that's our inspiration and that's all we can do wherever we are with the help of God and grace," Fremantle Chaplain Fr Joe said.
Whether you're attending Mass, enjoying corned beef and cabbage or simply wearing green, take a moment to remember the importance of this special day and the impact that St. Patrick had on the world.
