Happy Maewyn Succat Day

Who’s that, you ask? Well, Maewyn Succat was an English teen going about his business in the Fourth Century when he was kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland. Maewyn eventually escaped and joined the priesthood in Gaul, which we now call France, but swore to return to...

By RICHARD BIEBRICH

January 7, 2010

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Who’s that, you ask? Well, Maewyn Succat was an English teen going about his business in the Fourth Century when he was kidnapped by pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland. Maewyn eventually escaped and joined the priesthood in Gaul, which we now call France, but swore to return to Ireland to introduce Christianity. Along the way, he changed his name to Patrick. Over a 30-year period, Patrick would work his way to sainthood by converting Ireland from paganism to Christianity before retiring to County Down before dying March 17 and thereby giving the world a reason to dress like leprechauns and drink green beer. Sounds like it would make a great Mel Gibson movie if he hadn’t already done Braveheart.

Succat’s story inspired the crazy kids at the Mad Cat Theatre Company to produce their own unique spin on the history of St. Patrick, in a riff they call Shepherd’s Pie. Written by Ivonne Azurdia and directed by Paul Tei, the show is being produced with the Miami Light Project and goes up for one night only, this Wednesday at the Colony Theatre.
Wed., Jan. 20, 7:30 p.m., 2010

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