While the film is engaging and entertaining, it is not to be taken lightly. St. Patrick’s life was not an easy one; it was filled with disappointments and dangers. Yet, inspired by his faith in God, and his desire to preach the Gospel of Christ, Patrick remained faithful till the end, preaching in a pagan and unfriendly land. The life of St. Patrick calls Christians to be steadfast in courage, and to live our faith fearlessly in our own time that is equally unfriendly to the hard truths of the Gospel.

I Am Patrick reminds us of the significant impact St. Patrick had on the Church and the Western World. I was struck by the fact that not much is known about St. Patrick’s later years – for example, the time, place and manner of his death are not well-documented. But in the end, those details of Patrick’s life aren’t terribly important. What is important is that St. Patrick planted the seeds of faith, and that his work was harvested by his followers, ensuring that his legacy would never be lost.

In short, St. Patrick was a good, courageous, and holy man whose entire life was informed by his encounter with God and his belief in the Gospel. His impact on the Christian Church and the whole Western World is enormous. That’s why his memory, celebrated on March 17th, deserves to be marked with much more meaning than can be offered by civic parades, green beer and shamrocks. Clearly, the movie I Am Patrick points us in the right direction.