Kontakion 1
O Chosen Vessel Patrick, enlightener of lost sheep wandering in Éire’s mire of pagan night!
Thou wast torn from thy homeland at a young age and wast led through bondage’s bitter vale. Yet in lowliness didst cleave to Christ, thy true Deliverer. Cold, wet, hungry and alone thou didst not grow bitter nor curse thy captors’ chains, but found thyself on the path of salvation to those who enslaved thee, for thou are the all-powerful protector of Éire and her people, and in heartfelt supplication we earnestly cry out to thee, O Holy Hierarch Patrick, protect us from all temptations, sorrows and evil and intercede with Christ our God that he may have mercy on our souls, and hear us as we cry aloud:
Rejoice, Patrick, Holy Hierarch and Enlightener of Ireland!
Ikos 1
Scion of religious lineage – a deacon’s son and priests grandson – thou wast kidnapped and enslaved with thousands of others. Yet in thy bondage didst confess: This trial was because of thy unbelief. On Sliabh Mis thou shepereded sheep while entreating our shepherd Christ to bend his ear to thy tearful prayers. When thy flock was scattered, thou left the mountain led by the Angel Victoricus and reclaimed thy lost lambs, O living icon of He Who leaves the ninety-nine. Now as thou guidest Éire’s straying fold to Zion’s gate, we lift our voices with the Church Triumphant:
Rejoice, unconquered fortitude amid captivity’s scourge!
Rejoice, great shepherd of the Celtic people who matched parable with deed!
Rejoice, unwavering faith in the face of powerful kings and druids!
Rejoice, thou whose prayers pierced heaven’s valut!
Rejoice, vessel elect, brimming with sanctity’s chrism!
Rejoice, Idol-breaker, whose crozier defeated Crom Cruach!
Rejoice, builder of countless churches!
Rejoice, baptiser who santified thousands in life-giving waters!
Rejoice, thou who cursed royalty and smited prideful crowns!
Rejoice, souls’ harvest, reaping Hibernia’s barren fields to fullness!
Rejoice, Unbelief’s conqueror, before whom druidic fires grew cold!
Rejoice, Éire’s unsetting sun, whose rays pierce death’s long shadow!
Rejoice, Patrick, Holy Hierarch and Enlightener of Ireland!
Kontakion 2
Steadfast in faith thou waited six years in captivity till heaven’s messenger shone forth, proclaiming: “It is good that you fast; you shall go home soon.” And when the hour struck, the voice of Victoricus again pierced night’s veil: “I have come to help you run away from the pagans…” Trusting the angel, thou trudged 200 miles through rock and fen till thou arrived at thy boat. Although the pagan crew didst not want a Christian with them, by diving intervention their minds were changed. Thus didst thou board that vessel bound for freedom’s shore, and so now with heartfelt prayer and trust in the Lord we cry out with thee: alleluia!
Ikos 2
When the boat struck desert sands and the pagans grew hungry they prayed to their idols yet no food was forthcoming. Thou, though scorned and rididuled, wast compassionate and didst plead their cause to the Lord, and He duly answered when a herd of swine burst forth. Yet, in their blindness, they offered this gift to their idols.. But thou, O Patrick, starved and cold in Gaul’s wasteland didst reject all offered food, thy heart aflame with fasts that fed thy soul. In true asceticism thou continued to wander Gaul while fighting the attacks of satan, but thou never wavered in thy faith and suffered without complaint. O Patrick, Apostle of Ireland, bedew our hearts with grace divine, as we marvel at thy desert strife and cry with awe:
Rejoice, thou who nailed thy vain passions to the Cross!
Rejoice, thou whose mind soared above earth’s mire!
Rejoice, thou who hearkened to the words of His angel, and was thereby freed!
Rejoice, spotless chalice, brimming with Christ’s love and humility!
Rejoice, anvil of ascetic toil, forged by fasting’s fiery blows!
Rejoice, for thou burned with ceaseless prayer, both night and day!
Rejoice, ascetisim incarnate in the spirit!
Rejoice, thou whose eyes beheld an angel of God!
Rejoice, thou whose compassion and love for thy fellow men drew down heaven’s Manna!
Rejoice, serpent-crusher, who trampled on Satan and his demons in Gaul!
Rejoice, sweet intercessor before God for the Irish people!
Rejoice, bedewed vessel of grace!
Rejoice, Patrick, Holy Hierarch and Enlightener of Ireland!
Kontakion 3
Thou were captured and enslaved again, but a divine voice didst soothe thee speaking: “You will be with them for two months”, and surely on the sixtieth day thy chains fell loose – thy captors’ grip undone. Thou leddest, in the wilderness, the other freed slaves for ten days, where the Lord provided thee food and wood. After thou returned at last to your family, thy dreams were pierced by the voice of the Irish calling out to thee. Then didst thou vow thy life to Christ, and set forth on the journey that would return thee to Ireland. Wherefore we cry with thee unto the Lord Who breaks all bonds: Alleluia!
Ikos 3
Thy plans to study in Rome were dissolved by God’s will, and in heartfelt supplication thou didst bow thy will, O Patrick, as clay to Potter’s hand. Under the tutelage of St. Germanus, thou wast ordained a priest. Though, already a pillar of fasts and vigils, with fervour and humility thou studied, from the great monastics at Lérins Abbey. Bearing their wisdom’s fruit you brought these lessons with thee to Ireland. Eighteen years of patient toil didst prepare thee to free the Irish people from the pagan yoke and now we marvel at thy mission and cry:
Rejoice, chosen one who spoke to angels bowed to thy teachers’ hand!
Rejoice, lover of God’s wisdom, who sought chastity as crown and shield!!
Rejoice, unquenched flame, whose hope burned bright in slavery’s darkest night!
Rejoice, Patrick, beacon of holy fervour and humility!
Rejoice, exile’s courage, who left thy kin to heed the Spirit’s call!
Rejoice, will’s conqueror, thy plans laid down for God’s eternal work!
Rejoice, fragrant incense of monastic struggle!
Rejoice, thou who hungered and thirsted for righteousness and wast filled with the mysteries of the Cross!
Rejoice, for thou revealed the wisdom of the Gospel as truth!
Rejoice, cross-bearer, who signed thyself a hundredfold by day and night!
Rejoice, hierarch and teacher who planted faith’s seed in Ireland’s stony soil!
Rejoice, for thou heard the voice of the Irish and thou hearkened to their plea!
Rejoice, Patrick, Holy Hierarch and Enlightener of Ireland!
Kontakion 4
When four hundred years and thirty-two had passed since Christ’s Nativity, thou wast consecrated a bishop, and with thy companions, were sent quickly to Ireland. There didst thou find a land where Christ’s sweet Name was scorned, yet thou trembled not for the Lord saith “Have no fear”. Upon landing, Dichu’s hardened heart didst melt beneath thy gaze; his household bowed to Truth, and on his soil thy hands built thy first church — which still stands to this day. Then didst thou seek Miliucc, thy former master to buy thyself out of slavery with twice thy value. But pride’s fool gathered all his possessions and immolated himself, and to this thou didst prophesy that none of his sons would ever sit on his throne. Thus girded, thou returnedst to thy flock to battle druids in the name of Christ: Alleluia!
Ikos 4
O Holy Hierarch Patrick, with humility thou didst seek to buy thy freedom from bondage. O compassionate one, with fear for thine ex-master’s soul, thou tried to pay twice thy worth to save him from avarice. This compassion mirrored in Christ’s own mercy, guided thy mission’s course, as thou spread the Gospel from north to south. Establishing churches and blessing the waterways of Ireland, thy fervent love for God stirred thousands to baptismal waters. Chieftain Sesenan, struck by thy unfeigned grace, bowed his household to Christ. He permitted his son Benen, who became thy psalmist and thy steadfast disciple to be the first of three hundred fifty bishops thy hands consecrated! With St. Benen, and all thy spiritual children we cry:
Rejoice, O holy Hierarch who with humility didst bend proud kings to Christ’s yoke!
Rejoice, sower of saints, whose labors reaped a harvest of three hundred fifty bishops!
Rejoice, O compassionate Patrick who offered double price to save thy captor’s soul!
Rejoice, thou who sowed Christ in the barren hearts of pagans!
Rejoice, icon of Christ’s virtues who mirrored the Savior’s mercy, truth, and longsuffering!
Rejoice, teacher of those seeking the Truth, lighting the narrow path for souls athirst for God!
Rejoice, apostle’s equal, preaching Orthodoxy to Western isles!
Rejoice, thou whose words pierced darkness with eternal life!
Rejoice, Gospel’s fire, dividing kin as Scripture foretold — yet saving all who heeded!
Rejoice, for thy disciples survived in a secluded place drinking the milk of wild deer!
Rejoice, powerful vanguard of Christ’s love who cursed the heirs of heathen kings!
Rejoice, image of righteousness and courage, and the praise and glory of Éire!
Rejoice, Patrick, Holy Hierarch and Enlightener of Ireland!
Kontakion 5
When Lóegaire, son of Níall, decreed his pagan festival, he ordered that Tara’s fire alone should burn in all of Ireland. Once Tara lit up the night sky, every other fire in Ireland wouldst be lit in turn to show the power of the druids. But Thou, emulating Christ Who cleansed the Temple’s courts didst light your Paschal fire first, atop the great Hill of Slane, defying darkness with the light of the Holy Trininty. Enraged, the king arrived with his men to defeat thee and thy disciples, yet thou stoodst unshaken. A druid, Erc, beheld thy truth and bowed to Christ; another, blaspheming the Triune Name, fell dead by a Force unseen. Then didst thou dim the light of the fire and unleash an earthquake. In the chaos the king’s men turned their swords on each other whilst thou turned thyself and thy disciples into deer and fled peacefully: alleluia!
Ikos 5
By lighting the paschal fire first, thou didst demonstrate the Holy Trinity’s uncreated light before all Ireland. The Lord, loving thee dearly, would not allow harm to touch thee or thy disciples. Thy faith’s courage even converted the druid Erc — sent to slay thee, and he is now known as St. Erc of Slane. O beloved Patrick, your righteous didst scatter Lóegaire’s men. Henceforth, you ensured that spiritual warfare is now waged against the darkened powers of the druids and hell’s ancient claims. We knowing, that with the all powerful Holy Trinity on thy side, thou could not have been defeated, and now we lift our voices and cry out to thee:
Rejoice, vessel of righteous wrath, who channeled God’s zeal against idolatry!
Rejoice, trinity’s bastion, unshaken by hell’s darkest onslaught!
Rejoice, thou who preached truth turning Erc from foe to saint!
Rejoice, holy Patrick, impenetrable bulwark of the Holy Trinity!
Rejoice, thou who lit up a darkened pagan land with the fire of the Holy Spirit!
Rejoice, thou whose prayers routed demon’s snarling hordes!
Rejoice, miracle worker who made the ground shake and confused the king’s army!
Rejoice, extoller of Christ’s magnificence and defeater of the licentious enemies of God!
Rejoice, destroyer of those raging with unbelief!
Rejoice, invoker of the Holy Trinity to clothe thyself with the mighty strength of the Lord!
Rejoice, thou who saw the miracle of God’s creation in the Irish wilderness!
Rejoice, redeemer of Celtic ways for the glory of the most Holy Trinity!
Rejoice, Patrick, Holy Hierarch and Enlightener of Ireland!
Kontakion 6
Fearlessly, thou went to the king’s castle, despite his hostility, to continue thy mission. The druids, feigning peace, invited you to dinner and tried to poison you. Divining their treachery, thou didst freeze the chalice with a sign of the cross, upturned, poured the poison forth, then drank the drink untainted. Leaving thy foes agape at grace’s triumph. When a druid filled the valley with snow thou didst call forth the sun and melted it. Another druid veiled the valley in fog, but thy hand swept the gloom aside, unleashing the warmth of the sun on their shamed faces. Then came the final test: Benen, thy psalmist, clad in druid robes, and the druid wrapped in your phelonian. Both stood in wooden houses set ablaze yet Benen emerged unscathed, his druidic garb reduced to ash while thy sacred vestment gleamed untouched and the druid dead.Thus didst the crowd, stunned by God’s power, roar as one: Alleluia!
Ikos 6
Trusting the Lord, thou didst battle the druids, assured of His unfailing aid. Benen’s obedience to thee, and love for the Lord preserved him unharmed. Thy trust in the Lord revealed to the people of Ireland the power of the Holy Trinity over the occult. When the king’s chief druids fell by thy hand, he bowed his pride, granting thee safe passage through all his kingdom. Thus didst thou baptise the multitudes, heal the infirm, and raise churches across the landscape of Leinster. In awe of the Holy Trinity and it’s power that thou demonstrated we cry aloud:
Rejoice, Trinity’s chalice, brimming with uncreated fire’s might!
Rejoice, for thou were a beloved bishop whose disiciples followed without falter!
Rejoice, invincible warrior of Christ, shield of the Irish flock and Church’s steadfast sword!
Rejoice, indestructible fortress and conqueror of worldly passions!
Rejoice, destroyer of druids, crushing godless heathens and passions’ tyranny!
Rejoice, thou who showed the druids to be weak in the face of the Triune God!
Rejoice, for thou who struck king’s dumb with thy divine gifts!
Rejoice, early Church’s rampart, guarding Christ’s lambs from the hungry wolves of heathenism!
Rejoice, scolder of druids who didst evil but couldst not do good!
Rejoice, for thou conquered earthly kingdoms and left kings guileless by thy faith!
Rejoice, faith’s unerring compass, guiding all who tread thy hallowed path!
Rejoice, thou who converted a nation from darkness to light!
Rejoice, Patrick, Holy Hierarch and Enlightener of Ireland!
Kontakion 7
Filled with righteous anger, thou didst condemned the soldiers of Coroticus, who brutally slaughtered Christ’s new lambs still clad in baptismal white. Thou, with no fear, publicly chastised them, numbered them with the demons and demanded they return their bloodstained plunder. To all Éire thou declaredst: “Not only the doers of evil, but also those who go along with it, are to be condemned!” Thou forbade thy flock to break bread with them, nor grant alms to wolves. Yet in thy grief for martyred saints, thou glimpsed their triumph’s dawn, Christ’s new martyrs, spared hell’s maw by baptismal grace. And just as they leap for joy in the fields of paradise, like calves unbound, we cry out to thee: Alleluia!
Ikos 7
O humble Patrick, thy compassion for Christ’s lambs gavest thou courage beyond mortal measure. Though far from thy kin and dwelling ’mid non-Roman peoples thy faith kept thee steadfast in your mission. Thou witnessed greedy wolves rend thy flock and pillage their storehouses, yet thy resolve stood firm as Sinai’s rock, unshaken by their savagery. Though many reviled thee and threats lay in every shadow, thy heart knew no fear, thy tongue no silence when men blasphemed the Holy Trinity. Now as we behold thy spiritual children at Abraham’s banquet, clad in robes washed white by martyrdom’s tide, we lift our voices with the angelic choirs and sing:
Rejoice, thou whose flock now leaps as lambs in Paradise’s fields!
Rejoice, for the forces of evil could never defeat thee!
Rejoice, for thy mission was divinely guided through all adversity!
Rejoice, for thy spiritual children feast with Abraham and the holy prophets!
Rejoice, unflinching confessor, facing swords with Psalms upon thy lips!
Rejoice, thou who suffered greatly without complaint just as Christ bore His cross!
Rejoice, holy hierarch, whose pen flowed with the Living Word’s own fire!
Rejoice, nation bearer, building a great Christian nation through blood and prayer!
Rejoice, voice for the voiceless, for thou named slavery a sin against heaven!
Rejoice, virgins’ shield, guarding Christ’s pure lambs from ravening wolves!
Rejoice, women’s champion, who scorned Coroticus’ slavers for defiling Christ’s brides !
Rejoice, unending strength and bulwark whose prayers buttress all who bear the cross!
Rejoice, Patrick, Holy Hierarch and Enlightener of Ireland!
Kontakion 8
O Patrick, equal to the apostles, thou didst baptise many thousands in Ireland’s rivers and streams. Thou tonsured the sons and daughters of kings, for thou feared no crown but Christ’s, no law but the Gospel’s. Thy refusal of king’s gold made thou many foes, yet thou wast a bulwark of virgins who didst shear their locks of princesses as bridal vow to Heaven’s King. Under thy guidance, Ireland’s landscape wast covered with monastaries and cells, a furnance of ascetic toil that forged saints such as Brigid, Colmcille, Ita and hundreds more, with whom we cry to thee: Alleluia!
Ikos 8
O Patrick, through thine unseen struggles and unceasing vigils, thou didst lead by example, bearing Christ’s sweet yoke. Before thy coming, these people knew naught but idolatry and other unclean things. Yet thou didst plant the Cross where druid stones once loomed, and Ireland, once a pagan mire, would be the birth place of great saints, martyrs, missionaries and monastics who sprang forth like wheat in rich soil. Thy legacy lives eternally in their hymns and spiritual children, thus with them we cry aloud:
Rejoice, virgin’s advocate, empowering noble daughters to choose celibacy’s crown!
Rejoice, princesses’ salvation, rescuing royalty from gilded cages of sin!
Rejoice, for thy tireless efforts were kindling for unquenchable vigil lamps on Ireland’s hills!
Rejoice, for thy ascetic struggle enlightened the path for many christians!
Rejoice, thou who didst ordain legions to till Christ’s fertile field!
Rejoice, death’s conqueror, who resurrected the dead to allow them baptism!
Rejoice, for thy purity blinded thee to a cross profaned on a pagan grave!
Rejoice, o humble Patrick who spurning king’s gold to keep thy hands for prayer alone!
Rejoice, chosen chalice of the Holy Trinity that baptised a nation!
Rejoice, great missionary, thy zeal outshone cruelty’s darkest hour!
Rejoice, shamrock-teacher, unveiling Three-in-One through simple clover’s form!
Rejoice, thou who blessed countless rivers and wells transorming them to grace’s living streams!
Rejoice, Patrick, Holy Hierarch and Enlightener of Ireland!
Kontakion 9
O pillar of virtue, thou didst seek the heights of union with the Holy Trinity. Therefore, thou didst walk the old pagan path to the holy mountain now known as Croagh Patrick. It was on this mountain, that thou didst follow the fast of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for forty days and forty nights thou didst wage war on forces of evil, driving them into Demon’s Hollow. In victory the Lord didst hearken unto thy prayer That through war and famine, through plague and bitter want, the Irish people might stand steadfast in their faith. And as the twelve shall judge the tribes of Israel, so didst thou gain the right to judge thy spiritual children at the Last Day: Alleluia!
Ikos 9
Through fasting and prayer thou didst seek the Lord’s sweet comfort atop that holy mountain, whenst thou foundest the air thick with demon ravens but thou wieldest thy bell like heaven’s sword and thou didst scatter the demons. Forty days didst thou remain in vigil on Croagh Patrick’s peak, where, through grace, thou beheld all Ireland’s children—past, present, and yet unborn, when thy fervent supplication reached heaven’s throne, the Lord’s angel brought thee blessed assurance of thy people’s faith preserved saying: “Thy prayers have been answered” and to this we joyfully cry out to thee:
Rejoice, indefatigable vanguard of ascetic struggle and grace!
Rejoice, christ’s true soldier, who battled demons on Croagh Patrick’s peak!
Rejoice, devil’s vanquisher, whose bell-song scattered hell’s dark birds!
Rejoice, apostle of Ireland, who will save the Irish people at the dread judgement!
Rejoice, holy hierarch, who foresaw the pain to come to the Irish people and prayed for their faith to never leave them!
Rejoice, great intercessor, who prays fervently and ceaselessly for the salvation of the Irish people!
Rejoice, willing servant, who turned captivity’s chains to freedom’s path!
Rejoice, mountain-dweller, who fasted forty days like Moses on Sinai
Rejoice, beacon undimmed, whose struggle lights our path through darkness still!
Rejoice, for thou wast guided by angels through bondage and trial!
Rejoice, prayer’s pure vessel, sustained by divine love through forty days’ fast!
Rejoice, pure of heart, who saw God’s image in every scorned and shackled soul!
Rejoice, Patrick, Holy Hierarch and Enlightener of Ireland!
Kontakion 10
When thou didst not find timber to build a church, with thy staff sacred lines were drawn on the ground and thou declared this as thy church. There didst thou meet a mother, heavy with child and near to death, who wept not for herself but for her babe unborn and unbaptized. O wonder! Thy compassion pierced the veil of nature’s law for thou didst bless the waters of her womb as heaven’s font ans baptised the unborn child. O compassionate Patrick, marveling at such tender mercy shown, we lift our hearts in joyful song: Alleluia!
Ikos 10
O Holy Hierarch Patrick, thou didst place thy flock’s salvation above rigid rules, meeting critics’ pharisaic scorn with Christ-like meekness. When they questioned thy fitness as bishop, thou didst respond as a simple countryman, calling thyself “the least of all believers, most contemptible to many”. Like thy Master who healed on the Sabbath, thou didst choose mercy over mere custom, granting baptismal grace to mother and babe before death’s shadow fell upon them. O loving Patrick you were fearless and compassionate, therefore, marveling at thy pastoral wisdom and deep humility we cry aloud to thee:
Rejoice, for thou blessed unborn babes with baptismal grace!
Rejoice, thou who blessed a mother’s womb as a font of holy water!
Rejoice, mercy’s champion, choosing love above the letter’s bond!
Rejoice, fearless hierarch, unmoved by pharisaic tongues that sought thy shame!
Rejoice, anointer of many saints of Christ!
Rejoice, stalwart of Christ-like mercy in the face of great criticism!
Rejoice, thou who who with the lines drawn by thy staff built churches on pagan soil!
Rejoice, for thy love for mankind showed forth Christ’s tender care for all!
Rejoice, gospel bearer, teaching Ireland the Lord’s ways with gentle heart!
Rejoice, for thou anointed the sick and prayed for their souls!
Rejoice, for thy fervent supplications shieldest thy flock from harm!
Rejoice, thou who didst teach the gospel with humility and love!
Rejoice, Patrick, Holy Hierarch and Enlightener of Ireland!
Kontakion 11
Through Victoricus, thine angel’s voice in night’s deep silence thou didst learn the will of God and with no care for thine own desires thou didst forsake homeland’s comfort for heaven’s command, thus leaving thy family to study and became a bishop. As bishop of Ireland thou waged a spiritual war that left the druid’s mouths agape and fearful of the power of the most Holy Trinity. Thou wast a living example of the gospel, therefore with thy spiritual children we cry: Alleluia!
Ikos 11
O wondrous Patrick, thou didst humbly confess the Lord’s mighty works through thee, saying He gaveth powers to thee that He granted not even to His apostles. Thou didst raise the dead from death’s slumber, even some who were ling dead, to allow them to speak of the horrors of Gehenna. In your compassion, you baptised them before they fell asleep in the Lord. Through thee, the Lord wrought signs surpassing nature’s bounds, that Ireland might behold His power and turn from their idols to the Holy Trinity. Thy miracles bore witness to Christ’s truth: the dead spoke, lightning blazed from thy fingers, and the druids’ were crushed. Therefore, marveling at such wonders wrought through thee, we cry:
Rejoice, for thou saved souls from Gehenna through resurrection and baptism!
Rejoice, for thou called forth the long-buried from their tombs to witness Christ!
Rejoice, trinity’s herald, whose resurrections proved the might of the Holy Trinity!
Rejoice, warrior of Christ, who with pslams on thy lips and crozier in hand, faced down the druids in battle!
Rejoice, druid’s dread, for thy prayers scattered their dark arts like chaff!
Rejoice, gospel’ torchbearer, leading the Irish from pagan’s darkness to God’s saving light!
Rejoice, compassionate Patrick who spoke with a dead pagan to right a sacred wrong!
Rejoice, thou who didst fire lightening from thy fingertips to find lost horses in the night!
Rejoice, spirit’s vessel, wielding wisdom, counsel, and heaven’s might!
Rejoice, for thou were given great gifts of the Holy Spirit!
Rejoice, beacon of Christianity, guiding lost souls to salvation’s shore!
Rejoice, wonder-worker, granted signs to turn Ireland to the Lord!
Rejoice, Patrick, Holy Hierarch and Enlightener of Ireland!
Kontakion 12
O Patrick, when thou didst repose in the Lord, Ireland fell into war as the different tribes of wanted thy relics. Before the battle couldst start, the river swelled against the warring men, till peace was restored. When unscrupulous men turned back into the flooded plain and stole thy body, thou disappeared and they were left in awe. For twelve nights, while elders chanted psalms o’er thy relics, no darkness fell on Ireland, but day’s full light shone without dimming. Therefore, marveling at such signs beyond nature’s bounds, we cry with joy: Alleluia!
Ikos 12
O Holy Hierarch Patrick, on thy deathbed Victoricus, thine angel spake, bidding wild oxen bear thy sacred remains to their chosen rest place. Though men sought to claim thy relics through force and guile, the Lord veiled thy resting place from all save those who stood nearby. Now thy children of Éire seek thy prayers with fervent hearts, for thou didst vow to intercede for them until the end of days. O beloved Patrick, who spent thyself completely for their sake, still watching over the land thou didst win for Christ, we cry aloud:
Rejoice, thou who united warring clans beneath Christ’s Cross!
Rejoice, Gospel’s warrior, who fought with prayer, not sword!
Rejoice, for the Irish have carried word of thy mission to the four corners of the globe!
Rejoice, thou whose trials bore fruit and thou didst become among Christ’s most exalted saints!
Rejoice, for thou didst turn a nation of warring heathens to great lovers of Christ!
Rejoice, Patrick for thy brave mission gave the Mother of God another nation that adores her dearly!
Rejoice, beloved Patrick for thy name is carried by many sons of Ireland to this day!
Rejoice, miracle worker who banished the snakes from Ireland!
Rejoice, foreign shepherd, who loved Ireland’s flock as thine own!
Rejoice, church builder whose first church still stands as a testament to thy mission and the love thou had for the Irish people!
Rejoice, Éire’s beloved, whom Irish hearts cherish age to age!
Rejoice, O holy Patrick, adoration of Ireland and all Irish!
Rejoice, Patrick, Holy Hierarch and Enlightener of Ireland!
Kontakion 13
O holy and most wondrous Hierarch Patrick, one who partakes in the life of heaven and dwells with the angels, consolation for suffering of the Irish people, accept now our prayerful offering, and unceasingly intercede for thy flock and for all the Orthodox who honor thee, that we may be spared Gehenna, and that together with thee in the eternal Kingdom we may unceasingly cry: Alleluia!
Ikos 1
Scion of religious lineage – a deacon’s son and priests grandson – thou wast kidnapped and enslaved with thousands of others. Yet in thy bondage didst confess: This trial was because of thy unbelief. On Sliabh Mis thou shepereded sheep while entreating our shepherd Christ to bend his ear to thy tearful prayers. When thy flock was scattered, thou left the mountain led by the Angel Victoricus and reclaimed thy lost lambs, O living icon of He Who leaves the ninety-nine. Now as thou guidest Éire’s straying fold to Zion’s gate, we lift our voices with the Church Triumphant:
Rejoice, unconquered fortitude amid captivity’s scourge!
Rejoice, great shepherd of the Celtic people who matched parable with deed!
Rejoice, unwavering faith in the face of powerful kings and druids!
Rejoice, thou whose prayers pierced heaven’s valut!
Rejoice, vessel elect, brimming with sanctity’s chrism!
Rejoice, Idol-breaker, whose crozier defeated Crom Cruach!
Rejoice, builder of countless churches!
Rejoice, baptiser who santified thousands in life-giving waters!
Rejoice, thou who cursed royalty and smited prideful crowns!
Rejoice, souls’ harvest, reaping Hibernia’s barren fields to fullness!
Rejoice, Unbelief’s conqueror, before whom druidic fires grew cold!
Rejoice, Éire’s unsetting sun, whose rays pierce death’s long shadow!
Rejoice, Patrick, Holy Hierarch and Enlightener of Ireland!
Kontakion 1
O Chosen Vessel Patrick, enlightener of lost sheep wandering in Éire’s mire of pagan night!
Thou wast torn from thy homeland at a young age and wast led through bondage’s bitter vale. Yet in lowliness didst cleave to Christ, thy true Deliverer. Cold, wet, hungry and alone thou didst not grow bitter nor curse thy captors’ chains, but found thyself on the path of salvation to those who enslaved thee, for thou are the all-powerful protector of Éire and her people, and in heartfelt supplication we earnestly cry out to thee, O Holy Hierarch Patrick, protect us from all temptations, sorrows and evil and intercede with Christ our God that he may have mercy on our souls, and hear us as we cry aloud:
Rejoice, Patrick, Holy Hierarch and Enlightener of Ireland!
