“More Than a Green Milkshake”
A Review of I Am Patrick by Nick Olszyk
MPAA Rating, Not rated at time of this review
USCCB Rating, Not
rated at time of this review
Reel Rating, Three
Reels
Fresh of the success of Love
and Mercy comes another
docudrama about a great, certainly more famous, Catholic saint: I Am Patrick. While not quite as good as Love
and Mercy, it is more necessary as
many consider March 17th an excuse to binge drink rather than evangelize.
Most people know three things about Patrick: he used a shamrock to explain the
Trinity, he only wore green, and he hated snakes. This is an unfortunate
simplification of a truly great soul.
Patrick was born into
a wealthy British family and grew up in luxury with a promising career ahead of
him. Unfortunately, his idyllic life was abruptly ended when he was captured
and sold into slavery. He spent six years in pagan Ireland, passed from master
to master, experiencing cruel treatment, malnutrition, and loneliness. Despite these
negative circumstances, Patrick grew closer to God and was soon spending hours
in prayer while performing manual labor. He eventually escaped, returned home,
and began studying for the priesthood.
While still a seminarian,
he experienced a vision one night of the Irish people begging him to return to
their land and bring them the gospel. After his ordination as a bishop, he returned
to Ireland. He had great success and soon the emerald isle was filled with
Catholic communities. His troubles were not over, however, as vicious rumors
spread about him back home threatened to shut down his ministry.
I Am Patrick is produced by the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), a
non-denominational media group made primarily of evangelical Christians. Thus,
the film has a distinct ecumenical flavor. CBN makes no attempt to hid Patrick’s
Catholicity but some Catholics will be a irked by Protestant overtones such as
Patrick’s use of Irish language over Latin or misspeaking the words of
consecration. Overall, this is a positive development. There is nothing that
would seriously offend Catholics, yet plenty that will help Protestant
understand this great saint including devotion to hierarchical norms and love
of the Eucharist. The film itself is competently made if a little amateurish. My
personal favorite element was John Rhys-Davies’ masterful portrayal
of the elderly Patrick, full of wisdom and pose.
There is so much from
Patrick’s story that is useful in the everyday life of a Christian. First was
Patrick’s love and forgiveness of the Irish people. It would have been easy for
him to hate these pagans after his early experience. Like the prophet Jonah, he
could have refused God’s invitation and wished their ruin. Instead, he turned
his suffering into a great ministry. Indeed, the reason Patrick succeeded while
others failed was due directly to his time as a slave. He learned the Irish
language, customs, and religious practices. This made him the perfect candidate
to spread the gospel. In His wisdom, God was preparing Patrick for his mission during
the darkest of times. The fruit of this choice was the creation of a vibrant
Catholic culture that flourished for millennia while much of Catholic Europe experienced
difficulties after the fall of the Roman Empire.
It is only in the last few decades that Catholic
Ireland has begun to lose its identity. Rocked by sex abuse scandals and rising
secularism, church attendance has slacked, ordinations have dropped, and laws increasing
reflect the values of the European Union rather than Jesus Christ. It is in
this context that I Am Patrick can do the most good. I was aware of most
of Patrick’s story prior to seeing this film, but the one aspect that genuinely
surprised me was his battles with the Church hierarchy in Britain. After years
of working tireless in Ireland, some British bishop were upset with his unorthodox
methods such preaching in the vernacular and ordaining priests after only
minimal instruction by himself.
Rather than strike back at his critics or
create a schismatic church, he wrote a long letter called the Confessio, which survives to this day. The document begins with the following
phrase: “My name is Patrick.
I am a sinner, a simple country person, and the least of all believers.” He admits his failings, pledges his obedience,
and rejoices in conversions to the faith. Patrick trusts in God and continues his
work. Those who are sick of the infighting among bishops can take solace that this
phenomenon has exists since the Book of Acts, and God will continue to his insufficient
instruments to bring about His will.
The saints are real humans,
men and women of flesh and blood with all the neurosis, compulsions, and
desires that come with it. They have no unique qualities but rather simply say “yes”
to whatever situation God presents them. I Am Patrick makes the
legend real, not just a man who prays for us but a man we can all become.
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